Avodah Zarah, Daf Yod Aleph, Part 2
Introduction
This short section returns briefly to the wonderful relationship between Rabbi and Antoninus.
(בראשית כה, כג) ויאמר ה’ לה שני גוים בבטנך אמר רב יהודה אמר רב אל תקרי גוים אלא גיים זה אנטונינוס ורבי שלא פסקו מעל שולחנם לא חזרת ולא קישות ולא צנון לא בימות החמה ולא בימות הגשמים דאמר מר צנון מחתך אוכל חזרת מהפך מאכל קישות מרחיב מעיים
And the Lord said to her: Two nations [goyim] are in you womb (Genesis 25:23).
Rav Judah said in the name of Rav: Do not read goyim [nations] but ge im [lords]. This refers to Antoninus and Rabbi from whose table neither lettuce, nor radish nor cucumber was ever absent either in summer or winter; and, as a master has said: Radish helps the food to dissolve, lettuce helps the food to be digested, cucumber makes the intestines expand.
Rabbi and Antoninus are descendants of Jacob and Esau, the two lords in Rebecca s womb. Plus they digested their food really well!
והא תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל למה נקרא שמן קישואין מפני שקשין לגופו של אדם כחרבות!
לא קשיא הא ברברבי הא בזוטרי:
But was it not taught in the house of R. Ishmael: Why are cucumbers are called kishuin ? Because they are as hard to a person s body as swords?
There is no contradiction here: That was said of large ones, but this is said to small ones.
There seems to be some dispute about the digestibility of cucumbers. But in the end, the Talmud resolves the problem by saying that large cucumbers are hard to digest, while small ones are easier. Good to know.