Hadran: Advancing Talmud Study for Women

There is a series of theological debates between Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananya and the Roman emperor, which demonstrate the sublimity of God through man’s inability to look directly at the sun or to sustain the natural armies that serve God. A similar discussion with the emperor’s daughter, who scoffed at the providence of God in the world, leads to a punishment of leprosy being inflicted upon her, emphasizing the principle that God’s presence is indirectly guiding the world.

Rav Yehuda defines the difference between the dimensions of an ox and a donkey that affect the laws of buying and selling. He also explains that the ox sacrificed by Adam possessed only a single horn on its forehead, and that its horns preceded its hooves in creation. This structural precedence supports the view of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, according to which all works of creation were created in their full stature, their full understanding, and their full mature form. Rabbi Chanina bar Papa expounds that the Angel of the World praised the grasses when they applied a kal v’chomer argument and proactively emerged according to their specific kinds (without intermixing), as derived from Genesis 1:11–12.

Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi reconciles the scriptural contradiction regarding the creation of the luminaries, detailing the moon’s claim that two kings cannot share a single crown, which prompted the divine decree for it to diminish itself. To appease the moon, God granted it dominion by both day and night, linked Israel’s calendar to the moon’s counting of days and years, and called righteous people “small” like the moon. However, the moon was not appeased by all of these attempts, and God then established a sin offering to be offered on Rosh Chodesh (the New Moon) – a male goat – as an atonement for God. Rav Asi reconciles a contradiction in Creation regarding the emergence of vegetation, explaining that the grass remained hidden at the opening of the ground until the prayer of Adam brought down rain and caused them to sprout, teaching that God desires the prayers of the righteous.

Rav Chanan bar Rava identifies the shesua as a unique creature possessing two backs and two spinal columns – as definitive proof that the Torah is from Heaven, as it is impossible to believe that Moshe knew of the existence of that creature.

Reish Lakish analyzes a series of seemingly redundant verses, emphasizing that they constitute the core essentials of the Torah itself. For example, the description of the displacement of nations in the land of the Philistines and the land of Moab via intermediary conquests was legally meant to permit the eventual conquest of the land without violating ancient oaths or divine decrees.

Rav Yehuda discusses the physical dangers of consuming chiltit (asafoetida), particularly on an empty stomach, which Rav Yosef expands upon by listing other hazardous foods consumed on an empty stomach.

The Gemara notes that Rav initially permitted an animal whose legs had been severed because he verified that the convergence of sinews (tzumat hagidim) remained intact. Shmuel, however, cautioned him that the severing might have been caused by a venomous snakebite, rendering the animal forbidden due to mortal danger. Shmuel proposed a specific diagnostic test to detect the presence of venom; upon execution, the test confirmed Shmuel’s suspicion that the injury was indeed the result of a snakebite.

The Mishna enumerates the physiological kosher signs for animals, birds, grasshoppers, and fish. A kosher mammal must possess fully split hooves and chew its cud. While explicit kosher signs for birds are absent from the Torah, the Sages established four indicators: a bird must not be predatory (dores), and it must possess an extra digit, a crop, and a gizzard with an easily peelable inner lining. Rabbi Elazar b’Rabbi Tzadok adds another sign, noting that a bird that evenly splits its digits when perched on a rope is definitively non-kosher. For fish, the required signs are fins and scales, though the Sages debate whether multiple scales are required or if a single scale suffices. Kosher grasshoppers must exhibit four specific traits: four legs, four wings, two extra jumping legs (kartzulayim), and wings that cover the majority of their body.

A braita asserts that any animal that chews its cud lacks upper front teeth. After addressing a series of difficulties regarding this rule, the Gemara clarifies that the absence of upper front teeth serves as a reliable indicator that an animal chews its cud and is kosher, with the sole exception of the camel (namely, a young camel). This anatomical indicator is practically valuable in cases where an animal’s hooves have been severed, leaving no other means to determine its kosher status.

To differentiate between domesticated animals (behema) and wild animals (chaya) – a distinction crucial for determining the prohibition of forbidden fats (chelev), which applies exclusively to domesticated species – a braita states that a wild animal is identified by its horns and cloven hooves. The Sages debate whether the horn alone is a clear sign or if both criteria must be checked. To resolve the anomaly of the goat and an ox, which possess both traits yet are classified as domesticated, the Gemara explains that the horns of a wild animal must be either branched, or layered, grooved, and rounded.

The braita further notes that a single-horned animal, known as the keresh, is classified as a wild animal. This introduces a discussion regarding legendary creatures, specifically the keresh and the tigris. The Gemara recounts an incident where a Roman emperor requested that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananya show him the tigris. However, the creature’s immense power caused widespread destruction from a distance, prompting the terrified emperor to beg Rabbi Yehoshua to return the beast to its place.