More Discussions for this daf
1. Are vegetables good for you 2. Mayim Shelanu 3. Shadu/Ramu
4. Mayim Shelanu 5. Why two verses; who is "Rav Nachman" 6. The Order of Rashi's explanations.
7. Kneading the Matzah dough 8. ב' פסוקים 9. סדר פירושי רש"י
DAF DISCUSSIONS - PESACHIM 42

Yitzchak Coffer asked:

Question: It seems the Gemorah is telling us (near the bottom of the daf) that raw vegetables are not good for the sight. That disturbs me because my wife presently has a problem with her eyes and her weight; she goes heavy on the salads and I wonder if that is detrimental to her. Probably not, because there are vegetables that can be and normally are eaten raw and those that perhaps that need to be cooked. Can she freely eat raw lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, etc?

The Kollel replies:

The Gemara in Eruvin (45b-46a) is more detailed concerning this topic. The Gemara there says, "It is not permitted for a Talmid Chacham to live in a city that has no vegetables." RASHI (DH Ein) comments, "[The reason is] because vegetables are beneficial to eat and are inexpensive and one is able to toil in learning Torah."

The Gemara then brings the Beraisa which appears here in Pesachim which implies that vegetables are not beneficial. The Gemara in Eruvin answers that one statement is talking about "garlic and leeks," while the other statement is talking about all other vegetables.

Rashi there, in his first explanation, says that garlic and leeks are not healthy (did you ever try eating a raw garlic clove?), but all other vegetables are. In his second explanation, Rashi says that garlic and leeks are healthy, while other vegetables are not. Practically, it seems that your wife may rely on the first opinion of Rashi in Eruvin.

Certainly, though, if modern medical practitioners suggest that these items are beneficial for a person, then certainly one should follow their advice. It could be that the species of vegetables, or the nature of the world at the time of the sages of the Gemara, differed from our times.

Y. SHAW