rolls

Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.

And when they had taken the rolls out of their coverings and unfolded the pages, the king stood still for a long time and then making obeisance about seven times, he said:

He commanded them to put the rolls back in their places and then after saluting the men, said: 'It was right, men of God, that I should first of all pay my reverence to the books for the sake of which I summoned you here and then when I had done that, to extend the right-hand of friendship to you.

And this thou shalt inscribe in the letters of the rolls in the Book of their Prophets in brass, and thou shalt lay it in the House of God, which shall be built as a memorial and as a prophecy for the last days.

How were the benedictions of the high priest [performed]? The hazzan of the synagogue takes the Torah scroll and gives it to the president of the synagogue; and the president of the synagogue gives it to the vice-president of the synagogue; and the vice-president of the synagogue gives it to the high priest, and the high priest stands, receives [the scroll] and reads [the following portions]: “After the death” (Leviticus 16:1-34), and “But on the tenth day” (Leviticus 23:26-32). Then he rolls the Torah (scroll), places it in his bosom and exclaims, “More than I have read before you is written here!” [The portion], “On the tenth day” (Numbers 29:7-11), which is in the book of Numbers, he reads by heart. And he blesses upon it eight benedictions: “For the Torah”, “For the Temple service”, “For thanksgiving”, “For the pardon of sin”, “For the Temple”, “For Israel”, “For the priests”, viii) and the rest of the prayer.

If one was taking terumah from a cistern and said: "Let this be terumah provided it comes up safely," [it is implied that he meant] safely from being broken or spilled, but not from becoming impure; But Rabbi Shimon says: also from impurity. If it were broken, it does not render [the contents of the cistern] subject to the restrictions of terumah. How far away can it be broken and still not make [the contents of the cistern] subject to terumah restrictions? Only so far that if it rolls back, it can reach the cistern. Rabbi Yose says: even if one had the intention of making such a stipulation, but did not do so, and it broke, it does not make the [contents of the cistern] subject to terumah restrictions, for this is a stipulation laid down by the court.

It has been stated: “One recites the benediction on the better kind of flour. Rolls and a full home baked loaf, one recites over a roll. A broken roll and a full home baked loaf, one recites on the full home baked loaf. Wheat bread and barley bread, one recites on wheat bread. A broken loaf of wheat bread and a full loaf of barley bread, one recites on the broken wheat bread. Barley bread and spelt bread, one recites on barley bread. But is not spelt bread better? But this is from one of the Seven Kinds, that one is not of the Seven Kinds.” Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Zeïra: This is from Rebbi Yehudah, since Rebbi Yehudah said (Mishnah 4), “if there is among them a fruit of the Seven Kinds, on it he recites the benediction.” Impure bread and pure bread, Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said, he recites on the pure one. Impure white bread and pure coarse bread, Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Ada in the name of Rebbi Aḥa: He may recite on the one that he prefers.

MISHNAH: If somebody peels barley, he may peel one by one and eat but if he peeled and collected in his hand he is obligated. If somebody rolls wheat grains he may blow away the chaff from his hand and eat but if he blew away and stored in the fold of his toga, he is obligated. If coriander is sown for its seed, its greenery is free. If it was sown as vegetable, seeds and greenery are obligated. Rebbi Eliezer said, dill is tithed seeds, vegetable, and perianths. But the Sages say, only cress and wild rocket are tithed seeds and vegetable.

The Mishnah said: “if the shepherds eat from it.” Maybe sometimes the shepherds will not eat from it. Rebbi Joḥanan said, any he made into cracknels. We also have stated so: “Any he made into cracknels is obligated; if he made it connected it is free.” Rebbi Abba in the name of Samuel, Rebbi Ammi in the name of the elder Rebbi Ḥiyya, even if he formed it as rolls. But did we not state, “if the shepherds do not eat from it?” Explain it if he made it from the start [thinking] that the shepherds should not eat from it.

MISHNAH: He who reads a scroll on the threshold and the scroll rolls away from his hand, rolls it back to himself. If he was reading on a rooftop and the scroll rolls away from his hand, if it did not reach ten hand-breadths he rolls it back to himself; but after it reached ten hand-breadths he turns it upside down on the writing. Rebbi Jehudah says, even if it is removed from the ground only a thread’s width he rolls it back to himself. Rebbi Simeon says, even from the ground itself he rolls it back to himself, since no rabbinic Sabbath prohibition stands before Holy Scripture.

MISHNAH: He who reads a scroll on the threshold and the scroll rolls away from his hand, rolls it back to himself. If he was reading on a rooftop and the scroll rolls away from his hand, if it did not reach ten hand-breadths he rolls it back to himself; but after it reached ten hand-breadths he turns it upside down on the writing. Rebbi Jehudah says, even if it is removed from the ground only a thread’s width he rolls it back to himself. Rebbi Simeon says, even from the ground itself he rolls it back to himself, since no rabbinic Sabbath prohibition stands before Holy Scripture.

MISHNAH: He who reads a scroll on the threshold and the scroll rolls away from his hand, rolls it back to himself. If he was reading on a rooftop and the scroll rolls away from his hand, if it did not reach ten hand-breadths he rolls it back to himself; but after it reached ten hand-breadths he turns it upside down on the writing. Rebbi Jehudah says, even if it is removed from the ground only a thread’s width he rolls it back to himself. Rebbi Simeon says, even from the ground itself he rolls it back to himself, since no rabbinic Sabbath prohibition stands before Holy Scripture.

MISHNAH: He who reads a scroll on the threshold and the scroll rolls away from his hand, rolls it back to himself. If he was reading on a rooftop and the scroll rolls away from his hand, if it did not reach ten hand-breadths he rolls it back to himself; but after it reached ten hand-breadths he turns it upside down on the writing. Rebbi Jehudah says, even if it is removed from the ground only a thread’s width he rolls it back to himself. Rebbi Simeon says, even from the ground itself he rolls it back to himself, since no rabbinic Sabbath prohibition stands before Holy Scripture.

MISHNAH: He who reads a scroll on the threshold and the scroll rolls away from his hand, rolls it back to himself. If he was reading on a rooftop and the scroll rolls away from his hand, if it did not reach ten hand-breadths he rolls it back to himself; but after it reached ten hand-breadths he turns it upside down on the writing. Rebbi Jehudah says, even if it is removed from the ground only a thread’s width he rolls it back to himself. Rebbi Simeon says, even from the ground itself he rolls it back to himself, since no rabbinic Sabbath prohibition stands before Holy Scripture.

MISHNAH: He who reads a scroll on the threshold and the scroll rolls away from his hand, rolls it back to himself. If he was reading on a rooftop and the scroll rolls away from his hand, if it did not reach ten hand-breadths he rolls it back to himself; but after it reached ten hand-breadths he turns it upside down on the writing. Rebbi Jehudah says, even if it is removed from the ground only a thread’s width he rolls it back to himself. Rebbi Simeon says, even from the ground itself he rolls it back to himself, since no rabbinic Sabbath prohibition stands before Holy Scripture.

HALAKHAH: Paragraph. The Mishnah: On the threshold it is permitted, but outside the threshold it is forbidden. Explain it that he was sitting there reading when it still was daytime, or he forgot and took it out. Before it reaches ten hand-breadths he rolls it back to himself. After it reaches ten hand-breadths it is forbidden. Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Yasa: It is Rebbi Jehudah’s who said that it is forbidden to use the airspace within ten hand-breadths.

“Rebbi Jehudah says, even if it is removed from the ground only a thread’s width he rolls it back to himself..” The argument of Rebbi Jehudah is inverted. There he says, it is forbidden to use the airspace within ten hand-breadths; and here he says so? Rebbi Joḥanan said, here there is no Rebbi Jehudah, only Rebbi Meïr, the words of the Sages. Rebbi Yose said in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: Not only a scroll but even a belt.

Not only if he stands in a private domain and urinates in the public domain, but even if he stands in the public domain and urinates in the public domain, but if it rolls down into a private domain it is forbidden. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, not only if he stands in the public domain and urinates in a private domain, but even if he stands in a private domain and urinates in a private domain, but if it rolls down into the public domain it is forbidden. Rebbi Yasa said, this implies in a spout standing in the public domain, ten [hand-breadths] high and four wide, one may not pour water which would roll down and exit.

Not only if he stands in a private domain and urinates in the public domain, but even if he stands in the public domain and urinates in the public domain, but if it rolls down into a private domain it is forbidden. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, not only if he stands in the public domain and urinates in a private domain, but even if he stands in a private domain and urinates in a private domain, but if it rolls down into the public domain it is forbidden. Rebbi Yasa said, this implies in a spout standing in the public domain, ten [hand-breadths] high and four wide, one may not pour water which would roll down and exit.

MISHNAH: The High Priest comes to read. If he wants to read in the byssus garments he may read; otherwise in his own while stole. The beadle of the synagogue takes the Torah scroll and hands it to the president of the synagogue, the president of the synagogue hands it to the executive officer of the Temple, the executive officer of the Temple hands it to the High Priest. The High Priest receives it standing, and reads standing. He reads after the death and but on the tenth day, rolls up the Torah, keeps it in his bosom, and says: More than what I read before you is written here. On the tenth day in Numbers he recites by heart, and pronounces eight benedictions: For the Torah, for the Service, for thanksgiving, for the remission of sin, for the Temple, for Israel, for the priests, and general prayer. He who sees the High Priest reading does not see the burning of the bull and the ram; he who sees the burning of the bull and the ram does not see the High Priest reading. Not because he would not be entitled to it but because the distance was large and the actions happened simultaneously.

It is required that he write on leather on the place of the hair and on parchment on the place of its split. If he changed this, he disqualified it. One should not write half of it on leather and half of it on parchment, but he may write on leather from a pure domestic animal and half on leather from a pure wild animal. One only writes on leather from a pure animal. What is the reason? That the Eternal’s teaching be in your mouth, from what you are putting into your mouth. But was it not stated, one writes on leather from carcasses and torn animals? The kind which you are putting into your mouth. One makes a staff at the end of a book, but for the Torah one on both sides. Therefore one rolls a book up to its beginning but the Torah to its middle. Rebbi Samuel, Rebbi Ze`ira in the name of Rav Ḥiyya bar Joseph: Even two sheets. Rebbi Ze`ira, Samuel bar Shilat in the name of Kahana: but only at the place of the suture. Rebbi Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman: A scroll which has no cover one turns on the writing so the writing should not be degraded.

There are Tannaim who state, he opens, looks, rolls up, and recites the benediction. There are Tannaim who state, he opens, looks, and recites the benediction. Rebbi Ze`ira, Abba bar Jeremiah, Rav Mattanah in the name of Samuel, Practice follows him who said, he opens, looks, and recites the benediction. And what is the reason? When he opened it, the entire people stood up. What is written afterwards? Ezra praised the Eternal, the Great God. In what did he declare Him great? Rebbi Giddul said, by the explicit Name. Rav Mattanah said, he declared Him great by the benediction. Rebbi Simon in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: Why are they called the men of the Great Assembly? Because they re-instituted the grandeur to its old glory. Rebbi Phineas said, Moses instituted the prayer formula, the God, the Great, the Strong, and the Awesome. Jeremiah said, the Great and Strong God; he did not mention “the Awesome”. Why is He strong? He is appropriately called strong since He sees the destruction of His Temple and is silent. Why did he not mention “Awesome”? Awesome is only the Temple, as it is written, God Awesome in Your Sanctuary. Daniel said the Great and Awesome God. Why did he not mention “the Strong”? His sons are delivered to iron collars; where is His strength? But why does he say, Awesome? He is appropriately called awesome by the awesome deeds he made for us in the fiery oven. But when the men of the Great Assembly arose they re-instituted the grandeur to its old glory: But now, our God, the Power, the Great, the Strong, and the Awesome, keeper of Covenant and grace, may it not be little in Your eyes, etc. But does flesh and blood have the power to state limits in these matters? Rebbi Isaac bar Eleazar said, the prophets know that their God is truthful and they do not flatter him.

From where did they learn rollover of oaths? From the suspected wife: “The woman shall say, Amen, Amen”; Amen from this man, Amen from any other man. That refers to subjects he is able to make her swear about. What about subjects he is not able to make her swear about? Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, let us hear from the following: “Amen that I was not deviant preliminarily married and married, waiting for the levir and taken in.” Can he make her swear when she is preliminarily married or waiting for the levir? Nevertheless one rolls over.

MISHNAH: How is the priestly blessing? In the countryside they recited it as three blessings, but in the Temple as one blessing. In the Temple one says the Name as it is written, but in the countryside by its circumlocution. In the countryside the Cohanim lift their hands to the height of their shoulders but in the Temple over their heads except for the High Priest who does not lift his hands over the diadem. Rebbi Jehudah says, the High Priest also lifts his hands over his head, as it is said: “Aaron lifted his hands towards the people and blessed them.” How are the blessings of the High Priest? The organizer of the synagogue takes a Torah scroll and gives it to the president of the synagogue; the president of the synagogue gives it to the Second; the Second gives it to the High Priest. The High priest receives it standing, he stands and reads “after the death” and “but on the tenth”; he rolls the Torah tight, puts it in his bosom and says: More than what I read before you is written here. “And on the tenth” in Numbers he recites by heart, and recites eight benedictions: For the Torah, for the Temple service, for thanksgiving, for forgiveness of sins, for the Temple, for Israel, for the Cohanim, and the remainder of the prayer.

It is written: “Every vow and every oath of prohibition to mortify a person.” For example, [a qônām] if I would taste peppers, if I would taste rolls. Not only if that kind is available now; even if that kind is not available now, perhaps he might bring her some later on. Rebbi Joḥanan in the name of Rebbi Yannai: If there were two pieces before them, one nice and one not nice. If she desired the nice one and made a vow to forbid herself the less nice one, he may dissolve that. Why can he dissolve? The colleagues say, because of her mortification. Rebbi Ze‘ira and Rebbi Hila both say, because of his mortification. Rebbi Ze‘ira in the name of Samuel: A man can dissolve all vows except if she says, any benefit from me shall [be qônām] for X. That means he can dissolve: Any benefit from X shall [be qônām] for me. But did we not state: “The produce of this grocery store [is qônām] for me, he cannot dissolve.” Explain that following Rebbi Yose and they disagree with him, for we did state there: “If he can get the necessities of life only from that grocer, he may dissolve.” Rebbi Yose said, because he gives him credit, he delivers to him. Rebbi Mana said, because he gives him good quality produce.

From where did they learn rollover of oaths? From the suspected wife: Amen from this man, Amen from any other man. That refers to subjects he is able to make her swear about. What about subjects he is not able to make her swear about? Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, let us hear from the following: “Amen that I was not deviant preliminarily married and married, waiting for the levir and taken in.” Can he make her swear when she is preliminarily married or waiting for the levir? Nevertheless one rolls over.

MISHNAH: One who found book-scrolls reads in them once every thirty days; if he is illiterate, he rolls them up. But he should not study a new subject in them, nor should a second person read with him. One who found a garment shakes it out every thirty days; he spreads it out for its conservation, but not to show off. Silver and brass vessels he uses for their preservation, but not to rub off. Gold and glass vessels he should not touch until the prophet Elijah comes. If one found a sack or a chest or anything which he does not take up, he need not take it.

HALAKHAH: “One who found book-scrolls,” etc. It was stated: “One who found book-scrolls reads in them once every thirty days; if he is illiterate he rolls them up. He should not read a paragraph and repeat it, nor should he read a paragraph and translate it, nor should he open more than three pages, nor should three persons read from the same tome. When has this been said? For new ones. But for old ones twelve months. Silver vessels he may use cold but not hot because it blackens them. Brass vessels he may use hot but not on the fire because it diminishes them. Rakes and axes he may use on soft material but not on hard. With a rake he may receive mortar, wash it, and put it back in its place. With an ax he may split wood, but not stone-palm or olive wood. What has been said about a find is valid equally for deposits. If one deposits a garment with another person, he has to shake it out once every thirty days. If it is much work, he can collect his expenses from it.

MISHNAH: Somebody’s [property] surrounded another’s on three sides. If he fenced in the first, and the second, and the third sides, one does not hold [the other] liable. Rebbi Yose said, if the latter then fenced in the fourth side, one rolls everything over to him. If the wall of a courtyard collapsed, one obligates him to rebuild up to four cubits. There is a presumption that he gave, unless he brings proof that he did not give. Higher than four cubits one does not obligate him, but if he built an adjacent wall, even though he did not put on roofing, one rolls everything over to him. There is a presumption that he did not give, unless he brings proof that he gave.

MISHNAH: Somebody’s [property] surrounded another’s on three sides. If he fenced in the first, and the second, and the third sides, one does not hold [the other] liable. Rebbi Yose said, if the latter then fenced in the fourth side, one rolls everything over to him. If the wall of a courtyard collapsed, one obligates him to rebuild up to four cubits. There is a presumption that he gave, unless he brings proof that he did not give. Higher than four cubits one does not obligate him, but if he built an adjacent wall, even though he did not put on roofing, one rolls everything over to him. There is a presumption that he did not give, unless he brings proof that he gave.

“Rebbi Yose said, if the latter then fenced in the fourth side, one rolls everything over to him.” Rav Ḥuna said, one rolls over the length of the wall to him.

“Rebbi Yose said, if the latter then fenced in the fourth side, one rolls everything over to him.” Rav Ḥuna said, one rolls over the length of the wall to him.

They and everything that belonged to them descended alive into the pit. Rebbi Berekhiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥelbo, even their names flew away from their papyrus rolls. Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina said, even one of their needles that was in the hand of an Israel as a loan was swallowed up with them, for it is written: They and everything that belonged to them descended alive into the pit. Who prayed for them? Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman said, Moses prayed for them, Reuben shall live and not die. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, Hannah prayed for them. This is Rebbi Joshua ben Levi’s opinion, as Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said in the name of Rebbi Yose: Koraḥ’s (opinion) [band] was continuously sinking until Hannah stood up and said, the Eternal kills and brings to life, He sends down into the pit and lifts.

May one roll over a biblical oath on a biblical oath? Let us hear from the following: One rolls over a biblical oath on a biblical oath, an instituted oath on an instituted oath, a biblical oath on an instituted oath. An instituted oath on a biblical oath? There, one swears and pays, but here in one case he swears and collects, in the other he swears and does not pay.

HALAKHAH: Rebbi Yose said, this means if he trades without account; it does not apply if there are accounts. Also the family member trades without accounts. Rebbi Ze`ira agrees with Rebbi Yose. A man came for judgment before Rebbi Ze`ira who required him to swear for two denars. He told him, do I not owe you two denars? Here they are thrown to you. He answered him, and cloth of fine wool X and Y. Rebbi Ze`ira said, either you give him everything he claims from you or you swear to him everything which he rolls over to you. How far does one roll over? Rebbi Joḥanan said, until he say to him, you are my slave. Think of it, could he be Cohen and Hebrew slave? Is there such a slave today?

Rabbah b. Bar Hannah said in the name of R. Johanan : During the day he rolls them up like a kind of book and places them in his hand opposite his heart, but at night he makes for them a kind of bag, a handbreadth in size, and places them therein.

Rab Huna ate thirteen rolls, three to a Kab in size, and said no Grace. Rab Nahman said to him, "Is there still hunger!" But everything which others fix as a meal requires Grace.

Our Rabbis taught: [The one who reads] opens the scroll and sees [the place], then rolls it together and says the blessing, then opens it again and reads, the words of R. Meir. R. Judah says: He opens and looks and says the blessing, and reads.

Sheftiah said in the name of R. Yohanan: One who rolls up a Sefer Torah, he should make it close at a seam.

Shefatiah further said in the name of R. Yohanan: One who rolls together a Sefer Torah should roll it from outside and should not roll it from within,

Shefatiah further said in the name of R. Yohanan: If ten have read in the Torah, the greatest among them rolls up the Sefer Torah. He who rolls it up receives the reward of all of them, since R. Joshua b. Levi said: If ten have read from the Torah, the one who rolls it up receives the reward of all of them. The reward of all of them, do you really think? Rather say he receives a reward equal to that of all of them.

Shefatiah further said in the name of R. Yohanan: If ten have read in the Torah, the greatest among them rolls up the Sefer Torah. He who rolls it up receives the reward of all of them, since R. Joshua b. Levi said: If ten have read from the Torah, the one who rolls it up receives the reward of all of them. The reward of all of them, do you really think? Rather say he receives a reward equal to that of all of them.

Shefatiah further said in the name of R. Yohanan: If ten have read in the Torah, the greatest among them rolls up the Sefer Torah. He who rolls it up receives the reward of all of them, since R. Joshua b. Levi said: If ten have read from the Torah, the one who rolls it up receives the reward of all of them. The reward of all of them, do you really think? Rather say he receives a reward equal to that of all of them.