Kiddushin, Daf Samekh Aleph, Part 6

 

Introduction

The Talmud continues to seek verses that seem to use a double formulation.

 

בשלמא לר’ מאיר היינו דכתיב (ויקרא כו, ג) אם בחקותי תלכו (ויקרא כו, טו) ואם בחקותי תמאסו אלא לר’ חנינא בן גמליאל למה לי איצטריך ס"ד אמינא אם בחקותי תלכו ברכה אם בחקותי תמאסו לא ברכה ולא קללה קא משמע לן

 

It goes well for R. Meir that which is written. If you follow my statutes . . . and if you reject my statutes (Leviticus 26:3, 15). But according to R. Hanina b. Gamaliel, why do I need this? It is necessary, lest I would say, If you walk in my statutes [you shall have] a blessing; but if you reject my statutes, [you will have] neither a blessing nor a curse.

Hence it teaches us [otherwise].

 

This is similar to the interpretation of the verses from Genesis about Cain. The double formulation is necessary to teach that if the Israelites do not follow God s laws, they will be punished.

 

בשלמא לר"מ היינו דכתיב (ישעיהו א, יט) אם תאבו ושמעתם וגו’ ואם תמאנו ומריתם וגו’ אלא לרבי חנינא בן גמליאל למה לי אצטריך סד"א אם תאבו טובה ואם תמאנו לא טובה ולא רעה קמ"ל

 

It goes well for R. Meir that which is written: If you are willing and obedient etc. . . . but if you refuse and rebel (Isaiah 1:19). But according to R. Hanina b. Gamaliel, why do I need it? It is necessary, lest I would say, If you are willing, [it will go] well; but if you refuse, [it will be] neither well nor good. Thus it teaches us [that it is not so].

 

The same structure as above.

 

מאי חרב תאכלו

אמר רבא מילחא גללניתא נהמא דשערי אקושא ובצלי דאמר מר פת פורני חריבה במלח ובצלים קשים לגוף כחרבות

What is the meaning of, you shall eat the sword (Isaiah 1:20)? Rava said: Coarse salt, hard baked barley bread, and onions; for a Master said: Stale bread baked in a large oven with salt and onions is as harmful to the body as swords.

 

The verse I have translated you shall eat the sword is clearly meant to teach that you shall be devoured by the sword and that is how most translators render it. But literally translated it could be read as if you will eat the sword? What!!! Rava explains that the sword here is harsh food. Coarse bread, coarse salt and onions. We should note that this is not far off from what most people probably ate most of the time. One would hope for soft bread, but people ate a lot of bread back then.