Kiddushin, Daf Peh Bet, Part 2

 

Introduction

The Talmud now delves into the reason why unmarried men and women whether married or unmarried should not learn to be a scribe, i.e. schoolteachers

 

גמ׳ מאי טעמא אילימא משום ינוקי והתניא אמרו לו לר’ יהודה לא נחשדו ישראל על משכב זכור ולא על הבהמה אלא רווק משום אמהתא דינוקי אשה משום אבהתא דינוקי

 

GEMARA. What is the reason? If we say, on account of the children? Surely it was taught: They said to R. Yehudah: Jews are not suspected of either lying with a man or bestiality?

Rather an unmarried man [is forbidden] on account of the children’s mothers, and a woman on account of their fathers.

 

The initial interpretation is that the prohibition of men and women from being schoolteachers is because they might have sex with the young boys. But Jews are not suspected of such actions (the Talmud here says that Jews are not suspected of engaging in prohibited homosexual acts. But the context here is sex with young boys). Rather, the fear is not that they will have sex with the kids but that they will have sex with the parents bringing their kids to school. Hot for teacher!

 

ר’ אלעזר אומר אף מי שאין כו’ איבעיא להו מי שאין לו אשה כלל או דלמא בשאינה שרויה אצלו תא שמע אף מי שיש לו ואינה שרויה אצלו לא ילמד סופרים

R. Elazar said: also one who has no wife.

The question was asked: [Does this mean] one who has no wife at all, or perhaps one whose wife does not live with him?

Come and hear: Even one who has a wife but she does not live with him may not be a scribe.

 

If a man s wife lives with him, he can become a schoolteacher. The prohibition is only for a man living in absence of his wife. Such a man may look for sexual attention from the mother s bringing their kids to school.

 

ר’ יהודה אומר לא ירעה כו’ תניא אמרו לו לרבי יהודה לא נחשדו ישראל על משכב זכור ולא על הבהמה

R. Yehudah said: an unmarried man must not tend cattle.

It was taught: They said to R. Yehudah: Jews are not suspected of either lying with a man or bestiality.

 

R. Yehudah went overboard in ruling so strictly Jews can tend cattle. They are not suspected of bestiality.