Shekalim 13 - Wonderful administrators

There were fifteen administrators in the Temple, all listed by name. For example, Petachia ben Pinchas was responsible for the box where the money for bird sacrifices was collected, Hugras the Levi was the conductor, and the family of Garmu was baking bread. Of course, the same people could not possibly be administrators for all 420 years of the Second Temple; rather, it is the righteous among them who were singled out by name. According to another opinion, these were their names in the generation when this rule was composed.

Rabbi Akiva was one of the greatest teachers, and he arranged the vast body of the Torah knowledge in divisions and groups to facilitate learning. His students also enumerated multiple laws together, such as "four types of damages," "fifteen women who do not need a yibum," "thirty-nine labors on Shabbat," and so on.

And yet - said Rabbi Chaggai - the earlier generations have plowed and planted, weeded, threshed, winnowed, ground, sifted, kneaded, and baked knowledge for us, and we don't have a mouth to eat. This agrees with Talmud's principle that man's capacity for learning wanes with generations. If previous generations were like angels, then we are like humans compared to them. If they were as people, then we are like donkeys - and not even like the donkey of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair.

And what is the story of this she-donkey? It was stolen by robbers but refused to eat stolen food. After three days, the robbers let it go, and it came back but still refused to eat. Rabbi Pinchas asked the inn-keeper, have you separated the tithes? The inn-keeper answered that the animals were not obligated to keep doubtful tithes' laws (d'mai). To that, Rabbi Pinchas answered that this was true, but she was very stringent with herself and accepted not to eat even doubtfully untithed produce. They gave her properly tithed food, and she ate.

Art: The Three Generations by James Clarke Waite

Shekalim 12 - Gifts to the Temple

One may decide to donate his possessions to the Temple. In this case, we assume that his intention was the “fund for the upkeep of the Temple,” and they are used as-is, if it is possible (like a hammer or a ladder) or redeemed, and the money then goes to the Temple.

What if some of the items among his possessions were animals fit the for Altar? Since they achieved “Temple fund holiness,” they cannot simply be exchanged for a different, even higher, Altar level of holiness. Rather, the male animals are sold, and the proceeds are used to buy burned offerings, this being the highest level of sacrifice. The female animals, which are fit for peace offerings, should also be sold, and the money used to buy peace offerings. Again, this roundabout process is explained by the fact that one level of holiness cannot be simply exchanged for another. All this is the reasoning of Rabbi Eliezer.

Rabbi Yehoshua disagrees and suggests we look at the intention of the donor. Since the donor surely wanted the highest level of service available, then the male animals should be offered as burned offerings - because this most likely was the donor’s intention. The female animals are more of a problem. Following the same logic, the donor probably wanted them too to become burned offerings. However, it is not possible with female animals, which can only be peace offerings. Therefore, since the donor's original intent is contradictory, we need to sell them and buy peace offerings with the proceeds. So here we agree with Rabbi Eliezer, albeit not with his reasoning. The Talmud continues with other opinions on what to do with the gifts.

Art: Drovers And Their Animals Beside A Ruin by Sebastien Heemskerck

Shekalim 11 – Multi-step transaction with incense

Twice daily, they burned incense in the Temple. Additionally, two handfuls of this incense were burned by the High Priest on Yom Kippur. If some of it remained after the end of the year in Nissan, when new shekels were brought, the old incense would become unfit. What did they do with it?

They would first exchange it against the money donated for the Temple's upkeep and designated it as payment for the artisans. Now the incense was completely deconsecrated. Then they would give the incense to the artisans as wages. They could not (and should not) use it because it is prohibited for personal use. Instead, it was bought from them with the new shekels. Thus, they bought the incense with the new money, and it became consecrated for use in the new year.

Art: An artisan's family in an interior by Giuseppe Constantini

Shekalim 10 - Remainder and remainder of remainder

The shekels donated to the Temple were used for buying sacrifices. These included daily offerings, Shabbat offering, wine, oil, the Bread of Vision, and other public offerings. A special problem was presented by the two loaves of bread brought on Shavuot when the year was Shmita. In Shmita year, one cannot plow and sow, so they would have no wheat at the end of the year! Therefore, the Temple would hire guardians to shoo away the animals and ask passers-by not to interfere with the wheat that grew of itself, which would be used on Shavuot. These people had to be paid - and not because of the lack of volunteers, but because in guarding the wheat, they could accidentally pick up the produce, thus acquiring it. Then it would not belong to the congregation later on. However, if they were paid, even if they took the produce, they would do so on behalf of the congregation and would not acquire it for themselves. This important payment had to be done with the same shekalim.

Some money would still remain in the chamber, and, being that their mitzvah was already accomplished, the money could be used for the goat of Yom Kippur and for the city walls and towers. If any money was still left, the Temple could use it for commerce - says Rabbi Ishmael. However, Rabbi Akiva says that it would be degrading. He also says that surplus money from donations to the poor cannot be used for commerce but must be held for any contingency. Rabbi Akiva himself was a charity administrator.

Art: The Lesson in Charity by Henri Nicolas van Gorp

Shekalim 9 - Scooping three times

There was a procedure to the scooping: the priest would go into the chamber and call from there, “Should I scoop?” and the administrators would command him three times: “Scoop! Scoop! Scoop!” He would fill the first box and cover the money remaining in this part of the room with a hide; he would then fill the second box and again cover the remainder with a hide, and the third portion he would not cover. Why all this? The first portion was of the people of Israel, the second - for the surrounding cities, and the third - for the people of Babylon, Media, and far away lands.

The family of Rabban Gamliel was especially zealous: they would enter the chamber and throw the coins right before the priest doing the scooping, and he would try to make sure to scoop their coins into his box.

On this subject of extra effort, Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair outlines ten steps of spiritual growth: extra effort brings to being free from wrongdoing; that brings one to re-think his previous wrongful acts; this leads to holiness, that is, refraining even from permitted pleasures; this leads to humility; humility brings one to realize one’s shortcomings and to honest desire not to do wrong again; this brings to doing good beyond the letter of the law - which brings Divine inspiration in its wake; then he can resurrect the dead, and this, in turn, brings Elijah the Prophet, may he be remembered for good.

Art: Divine inspiration by Petrus Van Schendel

Shekalim 8 - Scooping the shekalim

All of the collected shekalim coins were deposited in a certain chamber in the Temple, and three times a year, they would scoop the money from there, before each of the three holidays: Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. These were also the times designated for separating the tithe of the animals. These times (about two weeks before each holiday) were established by the Sages for a few reasons: these are normal times when the animals bear their young; so that the people had the meat to eat at pilgrimages, and so that they would not delay their offerings.

Scooping was performed with three boxes, numbered aleph-bet-gimel, and some say with Greek letters, alpha-beta-gamma. The priest who performed the scooping did not enter with a hemmed garment, a shoe, a sandal, or any other box - to avoid the situation that if he would later become poor, people would say, “This happened to him because he stole!” and if he would become rich, they would say, “He became rich from the proceeds of his stealing!” This illustrates that one must strive to be clear of all suspicions, and even if he is clear in the eyes of God, he must still strive to avoid suspicions in the eyes of men.

Art: The Parable Of The Rich And Poor Man by (after) Frans II Francken

Shekalim 7 – Monument

Continuing with surpluses, money collected for prisoners' redemption and then left over should be used to redeem other prisoners, but nothing else. Similarly, surplus money intended to redeem one captive should be given to that captive since he already acquired it through the hands of collectors acting as his appointed agents.

A surplus of money collected for the poor should be given to other poor people, but a surplus of money collected for one person should be given to him. A surplus of money collected to bury the dead should be used for other burials. Still, if it was collected for a specific dead, then there are three opinions: give it to his heirs, make a monument for him, or keep it intact until Elijah the prophet comes and decides.

Incidentally, only common people need monuments, but the righteous's teachings serve as their memorials and outlive the stone. Nevertheless, today is customary to build monuments for the righteous, not for their benefit, but for the living who will be reminded of them.

In the final analysis,  charity and just deeds are better than the sacrifices and the money (shekalim) used for the sacrifices. People used to taunt King David, going next to his windows and asking, “When will the Temple be built?” – because it was known that it can be built only after King David's death. However, David would say, “Even though they want to anger me, I am happy with their words. I, too, would give up my life to build the Temple.” And nevertheless, God would say, “I will make your life complete, because one day of your life, David, with your charity and just deeds, are more precious to Me than the future sacrifices.”

Art: View of the Monument to Peter the Great in Senate Square by Vasilij Ivanovic Surikov

Shekalim 6 – Counting pennies

If one was collecting small coins to accumulate his half-shekel – having declared “this is for my half-shekel” – but eventually he collected more than needed,  what would he do with the surplus? Even though his designation of the surplus coins was invalid since he did not need them in the end, the coins still became consecrated, and the money should be put into the collection box in the Temple, to be used when the Altar is idle – this is the opinion of Beit Shammai. Beit Hillel disagrees: Temple consecration in error is invalid, and the money remains his. If his declaration was, “I will bring my shekel from this money,” all agree that the extra money remains his.

What if he was collecting money for his sin-offering and collected more than he needed? Here the surplus definitely goes to the Temple. Why? Because the cost of a sin-offering does not have a fixed limit, whereas the half-shekel does – so explains Rabbi Shimon. However, Rabbi Yehudah argues with his explanation and says that the half-shekel also is not a fixed amount: when the Jews just got back from Babylon, they donated the “darkon” coin, which is 4 times more valuable, then they switched to two times more, then to half-shekels, although never less than that. So it depends on the basic currency unit. Still, Rabbi Shimon answers that the half-shekel is fixed in the sense that all give the same amount. The Talmud describes other surpluses; for example, the Passover sacrifice's surplus money must be used for another Passover sacrifice.

Art: Merchants counting money by (after) Salomon Koninck

Shekalim 5 – Accidents

If the half-shekels were too heavy to carry, one could exchange them for smaller golden coins of larger value, called “darkon.” The collection chests, called “shofar” due to their shape, were set up in every city. They were regularly emptied and transported to Jerusalem.

If, while being transported, the coins were lost or stolen, the agents who transported them would have to take an oath that they have not been negligent – and then they would be free of the obligation to pay. But, to whom do they swear? If money to buy sacrifices in the Temple has already been separated, then the condition was that the money on the way would also be included. Thus, in this case, the money was considered in possession of the Temple, and the agents would swear to the Temple's treasurer. However, if the accident happened before the money was separated, the agents would swear to the townspeople – and the townspeople would have to undertake another collection.

If, after being thought missing, the coins were found, then both the first and the second collection have acquired the designation of “half-shekel” and cannot be taken back; moreover, the extra coins cannot be used for the next year either, because they were designated for this year. What do they do? They put them in another collection box, called "Old shekalim." These monies were used not for sacrifices but for the betterment of the city of Jerusalem.

Art: The Treasurer by James Gillray

Shekalim 4 – From whom they collected half a shekel?

Fifteen days after the money-collection proclamation, Temple-appointed moneychangers set their tables in Jerusalem and elsewhere - to remind the people about their obligation. On the twenty-fifth day, they would sit in the Temple since the time was very close to when the new money will be taken out to buy sacrifices. Later they would even take pledges until people pay. An appointed court official would enter the debtor's house, take a valuable object, and not return it until the half-shekels were paid.

From whom do they take a pledge? From Levite, Israelites, and converts. Women and minors may donate if they want. They did not take pledges from the Kohanim for the sake of peace. Why? When a Kohen brings a flour offering, it can not be eaten but is rather completely burned. Therefore – reasoned the Kohanim – how can we donate money for sacrifices? If we do, some of the sacrifices that we normally eat would be prohibited to eat! Some even said that any Kohen who gives half-shekel sins. The Sages, however, claim that any Kohen who does not give half-shekel sins, since if he gives wholeheartedly, it becomes the property of the community and not his own.

Together with the half-shekel, one had to give a small coin (“kolbon”) to compensate for the half-shekel's higher price at the time of this collection. The Talmud discusses when this kolbon is required and when not, such as donating for another or two brothers paying from their common estate.

Art: A man counting money by (after) Joos Van Craesbeeck

Shekalim 3 – Also on the first of Adar

Another announcement that happened on the first of Adar was about kilaim – growing different species, such as grapes and wheat, together. There is a parallel kilaim prohibition of wearing wool and linen together (representing Abel the shepherd and Cain the earth tiller.) The separation between the two helps rectify Cain’s murder, which somewhat explains the mitzvah.

Around the first of Adar is when the mixture of grains becomes visible above the ground. One can easily transgress this even unintentionally by having too much extraneous grain in the mix he sows.

Some people did not listen to the court and kept their kilaim, so on the fifteenth of Adar, messengers of the court would go out and uproot the grasses to shame the transgressors. That did not help, though, since the farmers were glad that the messengers would weed the fields for them, and moreover, the farmers could use it as fodder. The court ordered to throw the grass on the road, but the farmers were still happy because they did weeding for them. Finally, the court decided that any field with kilaim will become ownerless, and anyone who uproots kilaim will obtain ownership of this field. This settled the matter.

The Talmud investigates why the courts have the authority over people’s possession and can make it ownerless.

Art: Peasants in the Field, Eragny by Camille Pissarro

Shekalim 2 – On the first of Adar

Many things are done by the community on various dates in the month of Adar. Thus, on the first of Adar, the Sanhedrin announced that everybody must prepare to pay the half-shekel. Every Jew would give half a shekel yearly; the money was stored in a Temple’s chamber, and the priest would use it to buy sacrifices. These were the daily sacrifices used to atone for everybody, so everyone had to take part in donating money for them.

Why was this announced on the first of Adar? – Because on the first of the next month, Nissan, the priests would go and take new money for the Temple’s needs. Each year needed “fresh” new shekalim, and the remainder of the last’s years coins were used for other needs. Thus, everybody was given thirty days to prepare the payment.

Art: The Tribute Money by (after) Sir Peter Paul Rubens

Pesachim 121 – Two blessings

The Passover offering must be eaten “in the manner of kings.” Just as kings are never truly hungry, so one must eat it when he is more or less full. To fulfill this, there was another sacrifice at the Passover meal, called “holiday offering.” One ate this first and only then proceeded to the Passover lamb.

Before eating each of these sacrifices, one would have to say the blessing appropriate to it, such as “… Who has sanctified us and commanded to eat a holiday offering.” However, if one said the blessing on the Passover lamb, that already includes both blessings – these are the words of Rabbi Ishmael. Rabbi Akiva argues and says that not one of these two blessings includes the other. The essence of the disagreement goes back to the way these offerings were brought in the Temple. One required “throwing the blood,” while the other – just “putting the blood on the Altar.” According to Rabbi Ishmael, pouring includes such actions as throwing, and accordingly, one blessing covers both, but according to Rabbi Akiva, these are independent actions.

Still, on the subject of two blessings, the Talmud asks about the redemption of a firstborn. Here there are two blessings, “commanded us to redeem the firstborn sons” (by giving money to a Kohen) and “allowed us to live to this time.” Rabbi Simai attended the first-born feast, and they asked him who says these blessings. Perhaps the Kohen, who gets the money, says “allowed us to live to this time?” Rabbi Simai did not know and went to ask in the study hall. They told him, “The father of the son who is being redeemed – he says both blessings.”

Art: Portrait of a Father and His Son by Thomas De Keyser

Pesachim 120 – Dessert

The rule is that no dessert is served after eating the Passover offering. However, there are many ways to understand it. Some say that only one’s favorite meats may not be eaten because they would overpower the Passover sacrifice's taste. Others, however, cite a different reason for the prohibition: one should not eat the sacrifice in two places, and if he were allowed desserts, then eventually he would come to eat them in a different place, and then perhaps even go to a different room with the Passover meat too.

Today there is no Passover offering, and eating matzah takes its place. Can one eat a dessert after that? Some say that since the taste of the matzah is weak, any dessert will overpower it, so any dessert is prohibited. Others, however, read the above rule differently: “No dessert is served after the Passover offering” – only after the offering can you not serve dessert, but after the matzah, you can.

If some of the members of the Seder fell asleep and then woke up, they can proceed; however, if all of them fell asleep, then on waking they cannot eat the Passover any longer, because it looks like eating in two different places, which, as we said above, is forbidden. If they merely dozed off, they can proceed. What is meant by dozing? – Not quite asleep but not quite awake; if they call him, he responds but cannot command a thoughtful answer; however, if they remind him and ask for a yes or no, he can reply.

Art: Old Woman Dozing by Nicolaes Maes

Pesachim 119 – From the psalms

What does “To the leader – a psalm of David” mean? “Leader,” or “menatzeach” in Hebrew means “One who enables others to conquer him,” signifies that God is actually happy when others conquer Him. In that, He is not like people. When God wanted to destroy the Jewish people, Moses stopped Him, and God reacted by saying, “had not Moses, my chosen one, stood in the breach.”

Various phrases in the psalms were actually said by different people and in different circumstances. King David later combined them together into one whole. For example, here:  “I thank You, for You have answered me” was said by King David; “The stones that builders despised has become the cornerstone” was said by David’s father Ishai, and “This emanates from God” was said by David’s brothers.

The feast that Abraham made when Isaac was weaned (“gamal”) is indicative of the future feast where the righteous will celebrated the kindness (“gomel”) of God. In the end, they will give Abraham the cup and ask him to recite the blessing over the meal. But he will refuse, saying that Ishmael issued from him. They will ask Isaac, and he will refuse because of Esau. Jacob – because he married two sisters. Moses – because he did not enter Israel. Joshua – because he did not have a son. However, David will accept, saying that it indeed fits for him to bless. Why? Because in the psalms, he said, “I will raise the cup of salvation, and I will invoke the name of God.”

Art: King David presenting the scepter to Solomon by Cornelis De Vos

Pesachim 118 - Cups three and four

The third and fourth cups of wine complete the Seder. He uses the third to enhance the blessing after the meal and the fourth - to finish praises. If he wants to drink more wine - it is OK at the beginning of the meal, but between the third and the fourth cups, he should not drink, lest he becomes inebriated (since he is not eating any longer), and not complete the praises.

Multiple lessons are derived from those praises, and they are based on the proximity of the verses to one another. For example, since it says, "Praise the One who gives sustenance to every creature," and immediately after - "One who split the Red Sea," we conclude that man's sustenance is as hard as splitting the Red Sea.

Art: Pharaoh's Army Engulfed By The Red Sea by Frederick Arthur Bridgman

Pesachim 117 – Praise

As we just said, after the second cup of wine at the Seder, all begin to say praise to God, who, having put us in dire straights, later saved us. There are many opinions about who composed those verses and when: David, Moses, the Sages, the Jews at the Red Sea, etc. There are also ten gradations of praise found there, each introduced with a special word. For example, when the psalms start with “By David, a song,” – this means that first God’s presence rested on David, and then he recited the song. On the other hand, when it starts with “A song by David,” – he recited the song, and afterward, the Divine presence rested on him.

This tells us an important principle: the Divine presence does not rest on lazy or sad or frivolous, but rather on the one who experiences a serious joy. This is illustrated in Elisha's story, who asked for music, and when a musician played, “God’s hand rested on Elisha.”

Art: Joyous Woman by Ferdinand Hodler

Pesachim 116 – Second cup of wine

After the first cup of wine at the Seder, they immediately pour the second one. Now the curiosity of his son is aroused, and he is supposed to ask, “What is so different about this night that you are drinking a second cup of wine, without having even eaten?” If the son is not observant enough to notice, his wife asks him the same question. And that is the question that he was waiting for, for now, he can plunge into the Haggadah, which providers the answer: “It is because we were slaves once, and now we are free to do as we please and to server our Creator!”

Thus, the well-known “Four Questions of the Seder” are only for those whose curiosity is not naturally aroused in the course of daily life. However, there is also another interpretation, according to which the proper way is to ask the Four Questions exactly as they are spelled out in the Hagaddah.

As Rabban Gamliel taught, every person has to imagine that he personally was a slave and then went out of Egypt and became a free man. The Hagaddah should be read with that understanding in mind – and that is why one is supposed to praise and extoll God for all the miracles and say the collection of Psalms known as Hallel (praise).

Art: A Ride for Freedom - The Fugitive Slaves by Eastman Johnson

Pesachim 115 – Eating as a sandwich or every thing separately?

At the Seder one should eat matzah, maror (bitter herbs) and (in the times of the Temple) the meat of the Passover offering. Should he put them all together and eat as a sandwich? Hillel said that yes, indeed, this is what should be done, since the Torah said, “matzah with maror you shall eat.” However, the Sages disagree and say that the actual commandment is “yochluhu” – meaning, “you shall eat them.” The extra word “them” tells us to eat them separately. In fact, one should not combine them at all, so that the taste of one does not nullify the taste of the other.

Who wins? That is a disagreement, and the law is not stated like either one of them. Because of this, one first eats them separately, and then combines them and eats more, this time, together as a sandwich. Only for this second eating, since the law is not clear, one should not say a blessing.

Art: A Disagreement by Henry Towneley Green

Pesachim 114 – Surprise the children

The first cup of wine at the Seder is for Kiddush. First, he blesses the day and then the wine, since the day (Passover) is the whole reason for the Kiddush – these are the words of Beit Shammai. However, Beit Hillel school says that he blesses the wine first and then the day – since, without the wine, Kiddush cannot be said at all.

Then they bring out a small piece of vegetable, in our case, of lettuce. Even though the same lettuce will later serve him as “bitter herbs,” now he eats it just as an appetizer and to surprise his young children. Then they bring matzah, bitter herbs, and two cooked dishes. The two dishes serve to remind that in the Temple times, there were two sacrifices: the Passover lamb and the “chagigah,” the festival offering.

Art: Portrait of Artist's Children by Jan Matejko

Pesachim 113 – Good advice in bundles

The Talmud gives a great number of practical good advice, and often they contain hidden spiritual lessons. These often come in lists. Here are some examples.

There are three categories of people about whom God declares His good opinion every day: a bachelor who lives in a metropolis and does not sin; a poor man who finds a lost item and returns it to its owner; a wealthy man who gives charity in private. Rav Safra was a bachelor who lived in a metropolis. When he heard this statement, his face lit up. Rava told him, “Not like you, who anyway spends days and night in the study hall, but someone like Rabbi Chanina and Rabbi Oshaya.” They were cobblers in the Land of Israel and worked in a marketplace of harlots, making shoes. When the harlots would come, they would look at these Rabbis, but the Rabbis never raised their eyes at them (some version read, “The Rabbis would put shoes on the harlots’ feet.”) Whenever the harlots needed to swear, their oath was “I swear by the lives of the holy Rabbis who are in the Land of Israel.”

There are three whom God loves: one who does not get angry, one who does not get drunk, and one who is forgiving, does not insist on his rights, and does not keep the grudge.

There are three whom God hates: one who says one thing but has another in his heart; one who knows a testimony that could help his friend but does not testify; and one who sees a fellow commit an immoral act and, being the only witness, still testifies against him. The latter is because one witness cannot establish a fact, so he becomes just a talebearer and does it for his own purpose.

Art: The Village Shoemaker by David Fulton

Pesachim 112 – Spells against demons

One should not drink water in the dark from ponds at night because the demon by the name of Shavrirei may be found in this water. What if one is thirsty? – If he has someone with him, he should say to his friend, “I, the son of so-and-so, am thirsty.” If he has no one with him, he should say, “I, am the son of so-and-so (talking about himself), and my mother said to me, 'Beware of shavrirei, shavrirei, vrirei, rirei, irei, rei,' and I am thirsty for water in new earthenware cups.”

Going back to the Seder, even a poor person supported from the communal kitchen is obligated to drink four cups of wine. But this is obvious since every Jew has to do mitzvot!? – True, but this is only needed because of Rabbi Akiva's teaching that one should make his Shabbat like a weekday, but never depend on other people – even according to his opinion, one should beg, borrow, or be provided.

Actually, Rabbi Akiva gave his son seven instructions, the one above and six more, some of which are “don't live in the city where a Sage is a mayor (because he will be engrossed in study and neglect the city),” “never enter even your own house suddenly, without giving an audible warning” and “engage in business with one who is enjoying good fortune (because his good luck may rub off on you).” The latter, however, is true only for partnership, but not to buy and sell from him – for he will get a better deal.

Later, Rabbi Chanina met with the queen of demons, Agrat bat Machlat, and banned her from appearing to people. She asked for some reprieve, and he gave her Tuesdays and Fridays, but then Abaye banished demons altogether. The Talmud interjects, “But we do see them sometimes!” - and answers that these are stragglers.

Art: Brigand Quenches his Thirst by Eugene Delacroix

Pesachim 111 – Knowledge against demons

Having discussed the evil forces (no longer extant) connected to even numbers, the Talmud turns to other sources of knowledge that are helpful against demons. Their favorite living places are in the trees (especially palm trees) and in the shadows. Thus, knowing how to discern and avoid such places helps. If one finds himself in these places or in dangerous situations, the Talmud gives phrases from the scriptures to recite and counteract the negative influence.

Furthermore, it is good to know the names or qualities of specific demons to write protective amulets. Here is a story to illustrate. A sorb tree may be inhabited by no less than sixty demons of the “shedei” variety. Once a watchman stood by such tree, the demons entered his body, and he was in danger. A certain Sage who did not know about sorb tree wrote an amulet that mentioned only one demon. He heard demons dance inside the tree, singing, “Although this young Torah scholar wears a turban, he does not even know how to say a blessing over it” (incidentally, the blessing is “… who adorns Israel with beauty.”). They meant that he is not worthy of his garment. Another Sage overheard this and wrote an amulet for sixty demons. Afterward, he heard them saying, “Remove your belongings from here!”

More advice: putting one’s hand on one’s lip leads to anxiety and putting it on the forehead – to sleep. Some explain that doing actions that are outward signs of such moods actually brings him to these moods.

Art: Avenue of Chestnut Trees by Alfred Sisley

Pesachim 110 – Bad even numbers

Consuming food portions in even numbers opens one to the demons' pranks and to the witchcraft of the humans. Some say that this is patently untrue, some – that duality negates the oneness of God, and thus by avoiding it, we can quietly affirm our beliefs, and yet others - that good and evil forces do exist in the world.

The Talmud asks, how could the Sages establish a Seder with four obligatory cups of wine to be drunk? Two of the answers are that the night of the Seder is guarded against all evil or that each cup, being a separate mitzvah, does not combine with the others.

Rava was so careful with even numbers that he mentally counted the cups he drank by marking the roof's beams in this house. Abaye, after he would drink the first cup, his mother would right away give him two more, one in each hand. One man divorced his wife, and she then married a shop owner. Every day he would come to this shop to drink wine but was very careful to count his cups and never drank an even number. Once, however, he lost count after sixteen and left, having drunk an even number; she performed witchcraft, and he burst.

The rule, though, is that only one who is mindful about even numbers and demons can fall under their influence. Another rule is that witchcraft and demons lost their power. Finally, a third rule is that one still must be mindful of it. These three rules seem contradictory, but there may still be a resolution.

Art: Demon sitting by Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vrubel

Pesachim 109 – More wine

Everybody should drink wine at the Seder: men, women, and children, because Exodus's miracle happened to all. However, not everybody enjoys wine. It is also important for everyone to be joyful on a Holiday, and therefore man gladden their hearts with wine, women – with new dresses, and children are given roasted nuts and sweets. The nosh serves to keep the children awake at the Seder since “tell you son and daughter” is an important part of the Seder. As an illustration, Rabbi Akiva never liked to say, “Let’s all stand up and leave the study hall,” except for two occasions: on the eve of Passover when one needs to make the kids have an afternoon nap, to stay awake at the Seder, and before Yom Kippur – since it is a mitzvah to eat then.

Measures (size of the wine cup, amount of matzah, amount of vegetables, etc.) play an important role in the Seder and other areas. There are two ways to specify them: one based on geometry (such as the volume of a mikvah measured as three cubic “ama” - elbow), and another based on volume (egg volume, olive volume, etc.) One would expect these two ways to agree, but in the eighteenth century, Rabbi Yechezkel Landau measured egg volumes and found a discrepancy by the factor of two. Either the people or the eggs must have changed, which leaves us with two estimates for each given measure.

Art: Company drinking tea and wine in an inn by (after) Heroman Van Der Mijn

Pesachim 108 – Drinking wine and eating matzah

At the Seder, one will drink four cups of wine and eat good quantities of matzah. To prepare for this, Rabbah would drink wine all day. Rava, his student, explained: “How do we know that wine makes one hungry? - There is a rule that one can drink more between the first two cups of wine, should he so desire. If wine makes one satiated, this should not have been allowed, for he would not eat matzah with appetite. It must be that wine makes one hungry.”

Rav Yosef, on the other hand, would fast before the Seder. Why was he doing this? Could it be that he combined two opinions: that one should not eat or drink before the afternoon prayer (Minchah), which is pushed back even earlier because of the Passover sacrifice? This would be a surprising opinion! – Rather, Rav Yosef was a very delicate man, and had he eaten anything that day, he would not have enjoyed matzah to the fullest.

Reclining while eating was considered a sign of a free person, while slaves ate in a hurry, barely sitting down. Therefore, to signify that we are becoming free on that day, all Seder participants must recline while eating matzah and drinking wine. Some say that they must recline while drinking the first two cups because then the beginning of freedom is discussed. In contrast, others claim that they must recline during the last two cups when reading in the Haggadah about real freedom, whereas freedom was just a promise at Exodus's beginning. To satisfy both opinions, people recline while drinking all four cups.

The wine, even if diluted, should have the taste and appearance of wine. One could even drink all four cups at once, though he would not have fulfilled the mitzvah with all its details.

Art: Still Life of Glass Goblet by Pieter Claesz

Pesachim 54 – What happened after Shabbat

Right after the first Shabbat, Adam was granted an extra measure of understanding, and he created fire. To commemorate this, people light a candle with multiple wicks and enjoy its light. The Talmud discusses ten things that were created before Shabbat, such as Miriam's well, the manna, the script, the mouth of Balaam’s donkey. Incidentally, seven things are concealed from people, among them the day of death, the day when one’s depression will lift, the knowledge of other’s thoughts, what business one will be successful in, and when the Messiah will come.

Continuing with the customs that one should observe together with the local residents, in some places, there was a custom to abstain from work on Tisha B’Av, to concentrate on mourning, and if this is the custom, one should follow it. Only distracting labor requiring significant exertion is forbidden. If the place does not have such a custom – this is valid also. However, the Sages should abstain from work on Tisha B’Av regardless of the local custom because they should feel the Temple loss more keenly than the rest.

If one wants to behave like a Sage on Tisha B’Av, abstaining from work, this is permissible, and there is no haughtiness there – so says Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel. And indeed, if an onlooker sees him idle on that day, he will not necessarily conclude that the person is trying to assume the honor due to a Sage. Rather, he will think to himself, “He just does not have work. See how many idlers are out there in the street.”

Art: Death by Jacek Malczewski