1The first 30 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation.AND WHETHER IT BE AN OX OR A SHEEP, YE SHALL NOT KILL IT AND ITS YOUNG BOTH ON ONE DAY. R. Jose said ‘This must be taken to refer to the mother, since the young goes after the mother and not the father,1v. T. B. Hullin, 78b, where two views are given. nor do we know which it is. Why must not both be killed on one day?’
R. Judah said: ‘If it is to avoid giving pain to the animal, we could kill one in one place and the other in another, or one somewhat later than the other.’ He replied: ‘Some actually allow this, but this is not correct; the prohibition relates to the whole of the same day.’
Observe now that we have learnt that “a fast is as good for a dream as fire for flax”,1T. B. Taanith, 12b. but it must be on the same day, because every day below is controlled by a day above, and therefore if the man fasts, that day does not pass till the adverse decree is annulled, but if he puts it off to another day, then the control belongs to that day. Thus over every day below is appointed a day above, and a man should take heed not to impair that day.
Now the act below stimulates a corresponding activity above. Thus if a man does kindness on earth, he awakens lovingkindness above, and it rests upon that day which is crowned therewith through him. Similarly if he performs a deed of mercy, he crowns that day with mercy and it becomes his protector in the hour of need.
So, too, if he performs a cruel action, he has a corresponding effect on that day and impairs it, so that subsequently it becomes cruel to him and tries to destroy him, giving him measure for measure.
(ויקרא כ״ב:כ״ח) וְשׁוֹר אוֹ שֶׂה אוֹתוֹ וְאֶת בְּנוֹ. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ לָהּ וְלִבְרָהּ. דְּעִקָרָא דְּאִימָּא לְמִנְדַּע בְּרָהּ, וְאָזִיל בַּתְרָהּ, וְלָא אָזִיל בָּתַר אֲבוּהָ, וַאֲנָן לָא יַדְעֵינָן מַאן הוּא. לֹא תִשְׁחֲטוּ בְּיוֹם אֶחָד.
1The first 30 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation.AND WHETHER IT BE AN OX OR A SHEEP, YE SHALL NOT KILL IT AND ITS YOUNG BOTH ON ONE DAY. R. Jose said ‘This must be taken to refer to the mother, since the young goes after the mother and not the father,1v. T. B. Hullin, 78b, where two views are given. nor do we know which it is. Why must not both be killed on one day?’
אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, מַאי טַעְמָא. אִי תֵּימָא מִשּׁוּם עַגְמַת נֶפֶשׁ דִּבְעִירָא, נֵיכוּס לְהַאי בְּבֵיתָא חַד, וּלְהַאי בְּבֵיתָא אָחֳרָא. אוֹ לְהַאי הַשְׁתָּא, וּלְהַאי לְבָתַר. אָמַר לֵיהּ, אִית מַאן דְּשָׁרֵי, וְלָאו הָכֵי, אֶלָּא בְּיוֹם אֶחָד מַמָּשׁ.
R. Judah said: ‘If it is to avoid giving pain to the animal, we could kill one in one place and the other in another, or one somewhat later than the other.’ He replied: ‘Some actually allow this, but this is not correct; the prohibition relates to the whole of the same day.’
תָּא חֲזֵי תָּנֵינָן יָפָה תַּעֲנִית לַחֲלוֹם, כְּאֵשׁ לַנְּעוֹרֶת. וְעִקָּרָא דְּתַעֲנִיתָא בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא מַמָּשׁ, וְלָאו בְּיוֹמָא אָחֳרָא. מַאי טַעֲמָא. בְּגִין דְּלֵית לְךָ יוֹם לְתַתָּא, דְּלָא שַׁלְטָא בֵּיהּ יוֹמָא אָחֳרָא עִלָּאָה. וְכַד אִיהוּ שָׁארֵי בְּתַעֲנִיתָא דְּחֶלְמָא, אוֹלִיפְנָא דְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא לָא אִתְעָדֵי, עַד דְּאִתְבְּטַל הַהוּא גְּזֵרָה. וְאִי דָּחֵי לֵיהּ לְיוֹמָא אָחֳרָא, הָא שׁוּלְטָנָא דְּיוֹמָא אָחֳרָא הוּא, וְלָא עָאל יוֹמָא בְּיוֹמָא אָחֳרָא דְּחַבְרֵיהּ. כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא, לֵית לָךְ יוֹם דְּלָא אִתְמָנָא עָלֵיהּ יוֹמָא עִלָּאָה לְעֵילָּא. וּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא, דְּלָא יַעְבִּיד פְּגִימוּ בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא, וְלָא יִתְפְּגִים קַמֵּי שְׁאָר יוֹמִין אָחֳרָנִין.
Observe now that we have learnt that “a fast is as good for a dream as fire for flax”,1T. B. Taanith, 12b. but it must be on the same day, because every day below is controlled by a day above, and therefore if the man fasts, that day does not pass till the adverse decree is annulled, but if he puts it off to another day, then the control belongs to that day. Thus over every day below is appointed a day above, and a man should take heed not to impair that day.
וְתָנֵינָן, בְּעוֹבָדָא דִּלְתַתָּא אִתְּעַר עוֹבָדָא דִּלְעֵילָּא. אִי בַּר נָשׁ עָבִיד עוֹבָדָא לְתַתָּא כִּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, הָכִי אִתְּעַר חֵילָא כִּדְקָא יֵאוֹת לְעֵילָּא, עָבִיד בַּר נָשׁ חֶסֶד בְּעָלְמָא, אִתְּעַר חֶסֶד לְעֵילָּא, וְשָׁארִי בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא, וְאִתְעַטָּר בֵּיהּ בְּגִינֵיהּ. וְאִי אִתְדַּבֵּר בַּר נָשׁ לְרַחֲמֵי לְתַתָּא, אִתְּעַר רַחֲמֵי עַל הַהוּא יוֹמָא, וְאִתְעַטָּר בְּרַחֲמֵי בְּגִינֵיהּ. וּכְדֵין הַהוּא יוֹמָא קָאִים עָלֵיהּ לְמֶהֱוִי אֲפּוֹטְרוֹפָּא בְּגִינֵיהּ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ.
Now the act below stimulates a corresponding activity above. Thus if a man does kindness on earth, he awakens lovingkindness above, and it rests upon that day which is crowned therewith through him. Similarly if he performs a deed of mercy, he crowns that day with mercy and it becomes his protector in the hour of need.
כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, בְּהִפּוּכָא דְּדָא. (ועל כלא) אִי עָבִיד בַּר נָשׁ עוֹבָדָא דְּאַכְזָרִי, הָכִי אִתְּעַר בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא, וּפָגִים לֵיהּ, וּלְבָתַר קָאִים עָלֵיהּ לְאַכְזָרִי לְשֵׁיצָאָה לֵיהּ מֵעָלְמָא. בְּהַהִיא מִדָּה דְּבַר נָשׁ מוֹדֵד, בָּהּ מוֹדְדִין לֵיהּ.
So, too, if he performs a cruel action, he has a corresponding effect on that day and impairs it, so that subsequently it becomes cruel to him and tries to destroy him, giving him measure for measure.
תְּנָן, דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אַכְזָרִיוּת אִתְמְנַּע מִנַּיְיהוּ, מִכָּל שְׁאָר עַמִּין, וְלָא יִתְחֲזוּן מִנֵּיהּ עוֹבָדָא בְּעָלְמָא. דְּהָא כַּמָּה מָארֵי דְּעַיְינִין קַיְימִין עָלֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ בְּהַהוּא עוֹבָדָא, זַכָּאָה מַאן דְּאַחְזֵי עוֹבָדָא דְּכַשְׁרָא לְתַתָּא, דְּהָא בְּעוֹבָדָא תַּלְיָיא מִלְּתָא בְּכֹלָּא, לְאִתְּעָרָא מִלָּה אָחֳרָא.
Israel are withheld from cruelty more than all other peoples, and must not manifest any deed of the kind, since many watchful eyes are upon them.’