AGADAH ELUCIDATIONS - SHABBOS 110

EVADING SNAKES

[האי מאן דכרכיה חויא לינחות למיא וליסחיף דיקולא ארישא ולהדקיה מיניה וכי סליק עילויה לישדיה למיא וליסלוק וליתי האי מאן דמיקני ביה חיויא אי איכא חבריה בהדיה לירכביה ארבע גרמידי ואי לא לישואר נגרא ואי לא ליעבר נהרא ובליליא לותביה לפוריא אארבעה חביתא וניגני בי כוכבי ולייתי ד' שונרי וליסרינהו בארבעה כרעי דפורייה וליתי שחפי ולישדי התם דכי שמע קלי אכלי ליה האי מאן דרהיט אבתריה לירהיט בי חלתא האי איתתא דחזיא חיויא ולא ידעה אי יהיב דעתיה עילוה אי לא יהיב דעתיה עילוה תשלח מאנה ונשדייה קמיה אי מכרך בהו דעתיה עילוה ואי לא לא יהיב דעתיה עילוה מאי תקנתה תשמש קמיה איכא דאמרי כ"ש דתקיף ליה יצריה אלא תשקול ממזיה ומטופריה ותשדי ביה ותימא דישתנא אנא האי איתתא דעייל בה חיויא ליפסעה ולתבוה אתרתי חביתא וליתי בישרא שמנה ולישדי אגומרי וליתי אגנא דתחלי וחמרא רוחתנא ולותבו התם וליטרוקינהו בהדי הדדי ולינקוט צבתא בידה דכי מירח ריחא נפיק ואתי ולישקליה וליקלייה בנורא דאי לא הדר עילוה

Translation: If a snake wraps itself around a person, he should go to water, put a basket over its head and slowly lower it over it, to separate between him and the snake. When the snake goes onto the basket, he throws the basket into the water and flees. If a snake is angry at a person [and chasing him] - if another person is there, he should carry the pursued one for four Amos. If not, he should jump over a ditch of water. If not, he should cross a river, and at night put his bed on four barrels and sleep under the stars (without a roof). He ties a cat to each leg of the bed, and surrounds the area with twigs, so the cats will hear the snake's coming and eat it. If a snake is chasing a person, he should run through sand. If a woman sees a snake and does not know whether or not it desires her, she should remove her garments and put them in front of it - if it wraps itself in them, this shows that it desires her; if not, it does not. What solution is there? She should have relations in front of it. Others say, just the contrary - this will make it desire her even more! Rather, she throws some of her hair and fingernails in front of it and says 'I am Nidah'. If a snake entered [the Ervah of] a woman, she should widen her legs as much as possible, roast meat and bring cress and fragrant wine. She mixes the cress and wine, and takes tongs. When it smells them, it will come out. She grabs it with tongs and burns it - if not, it will return to her.

(a)

Why should someone else carry the pursued one for four Amos?

Rashi: The snake will lose track of the smell of the footsteps of its target. (NOTE: Tosefta Shabbos (17:19), Avos d'R. Nasan (40), Bereishis Rabah 34:12 and Rashi (121b) all say that snakes can see! Our Gemara implies so - it can desire a woman, it will despise her if she has has Bi'ah in front of it, it helps to cast hair and fingernails in front of it! Perhaps snakes rely primarily on smell; they do not distinguish people based on sight. - PF)

(b)

Why does he put his bed on four barrels?

Rashi: The snake will not be able to come upon him quickly, and it will not smell his smell.

(c)

What is sleeping under the stars?

Rashi: It is an exposed place (without a roof), lest the snake go on the roof and fall on him.

(d)

If a snake is chasing a person, why should he run through sand?

Rashi: Snakes cannot go quickly there. It will cease chasing him.

(e)

What was the question 'what is the solution'?

Rashi: If it desires her, what should she do?

(f)

How will it help to have relations in front of it?

Rashi: She has relations with her husband in front of it, and becomes disgraced in its eyes.

(g)

We say that the scent of certain foods will arouse the snake to leave her. "V'Nachash Afar Lachmo"!

Rav Elyashiv: In Yoma 75a, one opinion says that even if a snake eats all delicacies in the world, it tastes only earth. The other says that even if it eats all delicacies in the world, it is not satisfied until it eats earth. Granted, the latter opinion holds that it tastes foods, so the smell of these foods could induce it to leave. However, the first opinion says that everything tastes like earth to it. Why will these foods make it leave? Perhaps it enjoys their scent, just it does not taste them.

Daf Al ha'Daf: Nezer ha'Torah (5:5 p.263) asks, why are we concerned for Giluy of wine more than other matters? According to the first opinion, wine tastes the same as everything to snakes! Perhaps the appearance attracts it. However, many foods look nicer! Rather, the smell attracts it. It thinks that it will enjoy the taste, but it is disappointed and tastes only earth. However, why does it drink water? Water has no smell! Rather, it tastes liquids; only foods taste to it like earth. Or, even if also liquids taste to it like earth, they do relieve its thirst. This is Midah k'Neged Midah; it enticed Chavah to eat "Ki Tov ha'Etz l'Ma'achal v'Chi Sa'avah Hu la'Einayim", but in the end it caused death to her and all her descendants, so it sees tempting food, but in the end it is bitter to it like earth.

(h)

How does it help to say 'I am Nidah'?

Rashi: This is a mere Lachash (charm).

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