Kiddushin, Daf Mem, Part 1

 

Introduction

The last daf of this (very long) chapter continues where we left off last week, with rabbis who resist sexual temptation.

 

(תהלים קג, כ) גבורי כח עושי דברו לשמוע בקול דברו כגון רבי צדוק וחביריו

ר’ צדוק תבעתיה ההיא מטרוניתא אמר לה חלש לי ליבאי ולא מצינא איכא מידי למיכל

אמרה ליה איכא דבר טמא

אמר לה מאי נפקא מינה דעביד הא אכול הא

שגרת תנורא קא מנחא ליה סליק ויתיב בגויה

אמרה ליה מאי האי

אמר לה דעביד הא נפיל בהא

אמרה ליה אי ידעי כולי האי לא צערתיך

 

Mighty in strength who fulfill His word, hearkening to the voice of His word (Psalms 103:20): this refers to R. Zadok and his companions.

A certain matron enticed R. Zadok.

He said to her, My heart is faint and I am unable; is there anything to eat?

She responded, There is unclean (non-kosher) food.

He said to her, What does this matter? He who does this, eats this.
She let the oven and was placing it [the forbidden meat] in, when he went in and sat in it.

She said to him, What is the meaning of this?

He said to her, One who does this, falls into the this.

She said to him, Had I known all this, I would not have tormented you.

 

In this fascinating tale, R. Zadok manages to avoid temptation. A few thoughts on the story:

1)     The rabbis here are expressing what I think is a prevalent fantasy for them that they will be pursued by an attractive, non-Jewish woman, and that at the last minute they will resist temptation. This would amplify their own sense of manliness and at the same time their fealty to the Torah.

2)     The connection between food and sex is explicitly made in this story one who does this eats this. Maintaining strict separation in terms of sex is aided, in the end, by maintaining strict separation in terms of food.

3)     Rabbis are often running to sit in the oven as a form of self-affliction. Not sure why, but it seems to be a common trope in their culture.

רב כהנא הוה קמזבין דיקולי

תבעתיה ההיא מטרוניתא

אמר לה איזיל איקשיט נפשאי

סליק וקנפיל מאיגרא לארעא

אתא אליהו קבליה

אמר ליה אטרחתן ארבע מאה פרסי

א"ל מי גרם לי לאו עניותא

יהב ליה שיפא דדינרי

 

R. Kahana was selling baskets,

A certain matron enticed him.

He said to her, I will first adorn myself.

He went up and threw himself from the roof towards earth, but Elijah came and caught him. He said to him, You have troubled me [to come] four hundred parasangs.

He responded, What caused me to do this? Is it not poverty?

He gave him a shifa [full] of denarii.

 

In this story, it seems to be R. Kahana s occupation with baskets that leads him to the dangerous contact with the non-Jewish woman. He is so tempted to have relations with her, that in order to avoid doing so, he attempts to commit suicide. Miraculously, he is saved by Elijah who is none too happy to have to go to the trouble (Elijah seems to fly). But all ends well when R. Kahana is miraculously rescued from poverty.