Download Gila Fine - Talmudic Objects - Rebbi`s Jar

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A History of the Talmud in 4 Objects:
Rebbe’s Jar (1/4)
Gila Fine
1
On the day that Rebbe’s soul rested, the rabbis decreed a fast and prayed for mercy and
proclaimed that anyone who said that Rebbe was dead should be stabbed with a sword.
Rebbe’s handmaid ascended the roof and prayed: “Those above are requesting Rebbe and
those below are requesting Rebbe; may it be the will [of God] that those below should
overcome those above”.
When she saw how often he resorted to the privy, and removed and replaced his tefillin
and the suffering this caused,
she prayed: “May it be the will [of God] that those above should overcome those below.”
As the Rabbis incessantly continued their prayers for mercy, she took up a jar and threw it
down to the ground. [For a moment] they ceased praying and the soul of Rebbe rested.
Ktubot 104a
2
Rabban Gamaliel thereupon said: This being the case, I will go and apologize to R. Joshua.
When he reached his house he saw that the walls were black. He said to him: From the
walls of your house it is apparent that you are a charcoal-burner. He replied: Alas for the
generation of which you are the leader, seeing that you know nothing of the troubles of the
scholars, their struggles to support and sustain themselves!
Brakhot 28a
3
By deciphering the messages which objects communicate across time – messages about
people and places, environments and interactions, about different moments in history and
about our own time as we reflect upon it… [that] a whole culture can be glimpsed,
apprehended and admired.
Neil McGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects
4
Since my diagnosis,
health-wise, things keep
just getting worse, but I
guess
that’s
what
happens when you’re
terminally ill, you just
keep getting sicker and
sicker… You really stop
recognizing yourself…
The worst thing that can
happen to me is that I
wait too long, that I
somehow have my
autonomy taken away
from me by my disease.
Brittany Maynard
5
Are there patients who should not receive medications to lengthen their lives? In regard to
the question of whether there are patients who should not receive medications to lengthen
their lives a little. It is explicit in Ketubot 104a, in the story of the death of Rebbe, the
Rabbis’ prayers worked so that Rebbe did not die but he also did not recover, and when
Rebbe’s handmaid saw that he was suffering, she said may it be your will that the heavens
will overcome the earth…. And the Talmud related the story [to teach] that there are times
when one has to pray for a patient to die if he is suffering and there is no therapy available
and our prayers are not working.
R. Moshe Feinstein, Iggrot Moshe, Choshen Mishpat, 2:73
6
[W]e might understand that in the case of a terminally ill patient who is suffering greatly it is
permissible to pray for his death, paying no regard to the precious moments of human life
in this world… that it is preferable to redeem the patient from the terrible physical torment,
by transporting his body from life to death…. These words have been rejected from Halakha….
We must understand the proof from the story of Rebbe in Tractate Ktubot, that even after
the handmaid indicated to the Rabbis that Rebbe was suffering and prayed for his death,
still they “continued their prayers for mercy,” proving that even when a patient is in terrible
torment and cannot be cured by natural means, one still cannot stop praying for heavenly
mercy…. Why rely on what Rebbe’s handmaid did? Rely rather on what the Rabbis did!
R. Eliezer Waldenberg, Tzitz Eliezer 5:28
7
Rebbe observed: Suffering is precious. Thereupon he undertook [to suffer likewise] for
thirteen years, six through stones in the kidneys and seven through scurvy: others reverse
it…. When he placed fodder for the beasts, their cries could be heard for three miles, and
he aimed at casting it [before them] just then when Rebbe entered his privy closet, yet even
so, his voice [lifted in pain] was louder than theirs, and was heard [even] by sea-farers….
A calf was being taken to the slaughter, when it broke away, hid his head under Rebbe’s
skirts, and lowed [in terror]. “Go,” said he, “for this wast thou created.” Thereupon they
said [in Heaven], “Since he has no pity, let us bring suffering upon him”…. One day
Rebbe’s handmaid was sweeping the house; [seeing] some young weasels lying there, she
made to sweep them away. “Let them be,” said he to her; “It is written, and his tender
mercies are over all his works” (Ps. 145:0). Said they [in Heaven], “Since he is
compassionate, let us be compassionate to him.”
Bava Metzia 85a
8
Three kinds of person do not see the face of Gehenna [because of their extreme suffering
in this world]: one who suffers from oppressive poverty, one who is afflicted with bowel diseases,
and one who is in the hands of the government.
Eiruvin 41b
9
When Rebbe fell in R. Hiyya entered into his presence and found him weeping. “Master,”
he said to him, “Why are you weeping? Was it not taught: [If a man] dies smiling it is a
good omen for him, if weeping it is a bad omen for him… dying of diarrhea is a good
omen because most righteous men die of diarrhea?” And the other replied, “I weep on
[account of my impending separation from] the Torah and the commandments.”
[…]
Rebbe, at the time of his passing, raised his ten fingers towards heaven and said: “Sovereign
of the Universe, it is revealed and known to you that I have labored in the study of the
Torah with my ten fingers and that I did not enjoy [any worldly] benefits even with my little
finger. May it be Thy will that there be peace in my resting place.” A bat kol echoed,
announcing, “He shall enter into peace; they shall rest on their beds” (Isa. 57:2).
Ktubot 103b-104a
10
During all [the years of] Rebbe[‘s suffering] the world needed no rain.
Bava Metzia 85a
Our Rebbe suffered from his teeth for thirteen years, and for all those thirteen years a wild
animal did not die in the land of Israel, nor did a pregnant woman miscarry in the land of
Israel.
Genesis Rabba 96:5
11
The patient’s first reaction may be a temporary state of shock from which he recuperates
gradually. When his initial feeling of numbness begins to disappear and he can collect
himself again, man’s usual response is “No, it cannot be me.” Since in our unconscious
mind we are all immortal, it is almost inconceivable for us to acknowledge that we too have
to face death.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, On Death and Dying
12
Then R. Samuel b. Nahmani got up on his feet and said: “Why, even a ‘separation’ imposed
by Rebbe’s handmaid was not lightly treated by the Rabbis for three years; how much more
so one imposed by our colleague, Rab Judah!”… What [was the incident] of the domestic in
Rebbe’s house? It was Rebbe’s handmaid that had noticed a man beating his grown-up son
and said, Let that fellow be under a shammeta!
Mo’ed Katan 17a
When Rebbe’s handmaid indulged in enigmatic speech she used to say this: “The ladle
strikes against the jar, let the eagles fly to their nests”; and when she wished them to remain
at table she used to tell them, “The crown of her friend shall be removed and the ladle will
float in the jar like a ship that sails in the sea.”
Eruvin 53b
13
Rab Judah said, One who suffers from the bowels is exempt from wearing tefillin.
Hullin 110a
Taking off his tefillin. Even though those suffering from intestinal illness are exempt from
wearing tefillin, as they cannot take proper care, Rebbe would conduct himself with
particular holiness, and was extremely careful.
Tosafot, ad loc.
14
Men tend to embrace an ethic of rights using quasi-legal terminology and impartial
principles accompanied by dispassionate balancing and conflict resolution, whereas women
tend to affirm an ethic of care that centers on responsiveness in an interconnected network
of needs, care, and prevention of harm. The core notion involves taking care of others, and
it is modeled on relationships.
Carol Gilligan, Principles of Biomedical Ethics
15
They found R. Hanina b. Teradion sitting and occupying himself with the Torah….
Straightaway they took hold of him, wrapt him in the Scroll of the Law, placed bundles of
branches round him and set them on fire. They then brought tufts of wool, which they had
soaked in water, and placed them over his heart, so that he should not expire quickly….
“Open then thy mouth” [said his disciples] “so that the fire enter into thee.” He replied,
“Let Him who gave me [my soul] take it away, but no one should injure oneself.” The
Executioner then said to him, “Rabbi, if I raise the flame and take away the tufts of wool
from over thy heart, will thou cause me to enter into the life to come?” “Yes,” he replied.
“Then swear unto me” [he urged]. He swore unto him. He thereupon raised the flame and
removed the tufts of wool from over his heart, and his soul departed speedily.
Avoda Zara 18a
16
One in a dying condition is considered a living being in all respects. We may not tie up his
jaws, nor may we anoint him with oil, nor wash him, nor stop off his organs of the
extremities, nor may we remove the pillow from under him, nor may we place him on sand,
clay-ground or earth, nor may we place on his stomach a dish, a shovel, a flask of water or a
globule of salt, nor may we summon the towns on his behalf, nor may we hire pipers and
lamenting women, nor may we close his eyes before his soul departs. And whosoever closes
[the dying person’s] eyes before death is regarded as one who sheds blood. One may not
rend garments, nor bare the shoulder in mourning, nor make a lamentation for him, nor
bring a coffin into the house in his presence before he dies.... However, if there is aught
which causes a hindrance to the departure of the soul, e.g., [if] near that house there is a
knocking sound, viz., a woodcutter, or there is salt on his tongue, and these hinder the
departure of the soul, it is permitted to remove it therefrom, for there is no [direct] act
[involved] in this, since he merely removes the hindrance.
Shulhan Arukh, Yoreh De’ah 339:1
17
The most common vessels were made of clay.
Potsherds of diverse types were found in great
abundance at every excavated site. The oven, the
cooking pots and pans, the big and small containers
for storing such liquids as water, wine, and oil, as well
as dry and moist foodstuffs, even the serving dishes
– almost all were clay…. The popularity of pottery
was undoubtedly due primarily to its low cost
compared to other materials and the ease with which
pottery vessels could be manufactured. Most vessels
were simple in form, but some were artistically
fashioned and glazed on the surface.
Shmuel Safrai, The Jewish People in the First Century
18
Vessels of clay… contract impurity and convey impurity through their air-space… but not
from what touches their outer sides; and when they are broken they become pure.
Kelim 2:1
When the human goes to the eternal abode, with mourners all around in the street… the jar
is broken at the spring and the wheel is crushed at the pit; before dust returns to the earth as it
was before and the life-breath returns to God who gave it.
Ecclesiastes 12:5-7
Man is founded in dust, and ends in dust… He is like a broken shard.
R. Amnon of Mainz, UNtaneh Tokef
The reason that a vessel of clay receives impurity only from within is that it has no
significance of itself, only of what it can receive, therefore its significance is only what is
inside of it. This is the rule, that man must annul his dual exterior, and to be nullified in his
willingness to do the will of God, because the body of man is but a vessel for holiness,
through which God is honored.
R. Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, Sefat Emet, Shelah
19
SUSIE: There’s something we need to talk about. That you need to think about.
Silence
VIVIAN: My cancer’s not being cured, is it?
SUSIE: No.
VIVIAN: They never expected it to be, did they?
SUSIE: They thought the drugs would make the tumor get smaller. And it has, it’s gotten a
lot smaller. But the problem is, it’s started in other places too. They’ve learned a lot for
their research and it was the best they had... it was the strongest drugs. It’s just that there...
There really isn’t a good cure for what you have yet. For advanced ovarian. I’m sorry, they
should have explained this to you[….] What you need to think about is your code status.
What you want them to do... if your heart stops beating.
VIVIAN: Well?
SUSIE: You can be “Full Code” which means that if your heart stops... we’ll call a Code
Blue and the code team will come in and resuscitate you... and take you to intensive care
until you stabilize. Or, you can be “Do not Resuscitate.” Which means that if your heart
stops... we’ll just let it. You’ll be DNR. Now, you can think about it. But I just... I just
wanted to present you with both choices... before Kelekian and Jason come in and talk to
you.
VIVIAN: They don’t agree about this?
SUSIE: They like to save lives. So anything’s okay as long as the life continues. Doesn’t
matter if you’re hooked up to a million machines... they always want to know more things.
VIVIAN: I always want to know more things. I’m a scholar. Or I was... when I had shoes.
When I had eyebrows.
SUSIE: Okay, that’s fine. You’ll be full code.
VIVIAN: No. Don’t complicate the matter.
SUSIE: No, really, it’s fine. It’s up to you.
VIVIAN: Just let it stop.
SUSIE: Really?
VIVIAN: Yes.
SUSIE: So, if your heart stops beating...
VIVIAN: Just let it stop.
Margaret Edson, Wit
20
Dark is the world to me, for all of its cities and stars, if not for the breath of compassion
that God blew in me when he formed me of dust and clay, more clay, more compassion
than my nerves can bear…. When the soul of man is asked: What is God to you? There is
only one answer that survives all theories which we carry to the grave: He is full of
compassion. The Tetragrammaton, the great Name, we do not how to pronounce, but we
are taught to know what it stands for: ‘compassion’.
Abraham Joshua Heschel, Man Is Not Alone