## Menachot Daf 44a ###### Menachot 44a:1 [Menachot 44a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:1) זִיל טְפֵי. **William Davidson Edition - English:** is **more lowly** than a woman, and therefore it is appropriate to recite an additional blessing on not having been born a slave. ###### Menachot 44a:2 [Menachot 44a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:2) תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: חִלָּזוֹן זֶה, גּוּפוֹ דּוֹמֶה לַיָּם, וּבְרִיָּיתוֹ דּוֹמָה לְדָג, וְעוֹלֶה אֶחָד לְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה, וּבְדָמוֹ צוֹבְעִין תְּכֵלֶת, לְפִיכָךְ דָּמָיו יְקָרִים. **William Davidson Edition - English:** § **The Sages taught: This *ḥilazon*,** which **is** the source of the sky-blue dye used in ritual fringes, has the following characteristics: **Its body resembles the sea, its form resembles** that of **a fish, it emerges once in seventy years, and with its blood one dyes** wool **sky-blue** for ritual fringes. It is scarce, and **therefore it is expensive.** ###### Menachot 44a:3 [Menachot 44a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:3) תַּנְיָא, אָמַר רַבִּי נָתָן: אֵין לָךְ כׇּל מִצְוָה קַלָּה שֶׁכְּתוּבָה בְּתוֹרָה, שֶׁאֵין מַתַּן שְׂכָרָהּ בְּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְלָעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ כַּמָּה. צֵא וּלְמַד מִמִּצְוַת צִיצִית. **William Davidson Edition - English:** It **is taught** in a *baraita* that **Rabbi Natan says: There is no mitzva,** however **minor, that is written in the Torah, for which there is no reward given in this world; and in the World-to-Come I do not know how much** reward is given. **Go and learn from** the following incident concerning **the mitzva of ritual fringes.** ###### Menachot 44a:4 [Menachot 44a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:4) מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאָדָם אֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה זָהִיר בְּמִצְוַת צִיצִית, שָׁמַע שֶׁיֵּשׁ זוֹנָה בִּכְרַכֵּי הַיָּם שֶׁנּוֹטֶלֶת אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת זְהוּבִים בִּשְׂכָרָהּ, שִׁיגֵּר לָהּ אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת זְהוּבִים וְקָבַע לָהּ זְמַן, כְּשֶׁהִגִּיעַ זְמַנּוֹ, בָּא וְיָשַׁב עַל הַפֶּתַח. **William Davidson Edition - English:** There was **an incident involving a certain man who was diligent about the mitzva of ritual fringes.** This man **heard that there was a prostitute in** one of **the cities overseas who took four hundred gold coins as her payment. He sent her four hundred gold coins and fixed a time to** meet with **her. When his time came, he came and sat at the entrance** to her house. ###### Menachot 44a:5 [Menachot 44a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:5) נִכְנְסָה שִׁפְחָתָהּ וְאָמְרָה לָהּ: אוֹתוֹ אָדָם שֶׁשִּׁיגֵּר לִיךְ אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת זְהוּבִים בָּא וְיָשַׁב עַל הַפֶּתַח. אָמְרָה הִיא: יִכָּנֵס. נִכְנַס, הִצִּיעָה לוֹ שֶׁבַע מִטּוֹת, שֵׁשׁ שֶׁל כֶּסֶף וְאַחַת שֶׁל זָהָב, וּבֵין כׇּל אַחַת וְאַחַת סוּלָּם שֶׁל כֶּסֶף, וְעֶלְיוֹנָה שֶׁל זָהָב. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **The maidservant of** that prostitute **entered and said to her: That man who sent you four hundred gold coins came and sat at the entrance. She said: Let him enter. He entered. She arranged seven beds for him, six of silver and one of gold. Between each and every one** of them there was **a ladder** made **of silver, and the top** bed was the one that was made **of gold.** ###### Menachot 44a:6 [Menachot 44a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:6) עָלְתָה וְיָשְׁבָה עַל גַּבֵּי עֶלְיוֹנָה כְּשֶׁהִיא עֲרוּמָּה, וְאַף הוּא עָלָה לֵישֵׁב עָרוֹם כְּנֶגְדָּהּ, בָּאוּ אַרְבַּע צִיצִיּוֹתָיו וְטָפְחוּ לוֹ עַל פָּנָיו, נִשְׁמַט וְיָשַׁב לוֹ עַל גַּבֵּי קַרְקַע, וְאַף הִיא נִשְׁמְטָה וְיָשְׁבָה עַל גַּבֵּי קַרְקַע. אָמְרָה לוֹ: גַּפָּהּ שֶׁל רוֹמִי, שֶׁאֵינִי מַנִּיחָתְךָ עַד שֶׁתֹּאמַר לִי מָה מוּם רָאִיתָ בִּי. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **She went up and sat naked on the top** bed, **and he too went up** in order **to sit naked facing her.** In the meantime, **his four ritual fringes came and slapped him on his face. He dropped down and sat himself on the ground, and she also dropped down and sat on the ground. She said to him:** I take an oath by the ***gappa* of Rome that I will not allow you** to go **until you tell me what defect you saw in me.** ###### Menachot 44a:7 [Menachot 44a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:7) אָמַר לָהּ: הָעֲבוֹדָה, שֶׁלֹּא רָאִיתִי אִשָּׁה יָפֶה כְּמוֹתֵךְ, אֶלָּא מִצְוָה אַחַת צִיוָּנוּ ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְצִיצִית שְׁמָהּ, וּכְתִיב בָּהּ: ״אֲנִי ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם״ שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים – אֲנִי הוּא שֶׁעָתִיד לִיפָּרַע, וַאֲנִי הוּא שֶׁעָתִיד לְשַׁלֵּם שָׂכָר. עַכְשָׁיו נִדְמוּ עָלַי כְּאַרְבָּעָה עֵדִים. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **He said to her:** I take an oath by **the Temple** service **that I never saw a woman as beautiful as you. But** there is **one mitzva** that **the Lord, our God, commanded us, and its name is ritual fringes, and in** the passage where **it** is commanded, **it is written twice: “I am the Lord your God”** (Numbers 15:41). The doubling of this phrase indicates: **I am the one who will punish** those who transgress My mitzvot, **and I am the one who will reward** those who fulfill them. **Now,** said the man, the four sets of ritual fringes **appeared to me as** if they were **four witnesses** who will testify against me. ###### Menachot 44a:8 [Menachot 44a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:8) אָמְרָה לוֹ: אֵינִי (מניחך) [מַנִּיחָתְךָ] עַד שֶׁתֹּאמַר לִי מָה שִׁמְךָ, וּמָה שֵׁם עִירְךָ, וּמָה שֵׁם רַבְּךָ, וּמָה שֵׁם מִדְרָשְׁךָ שֶׁאַתָּה לָמֵד בּוֹ תּוֹרָה. כָּתַב וְנָתַן בְּיָדָהּ. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **She said to him: I will not allow you** to go **until you tell me: What is your name, and what is the name of your city, and what is the name of your teacher, and what is the name of the study hall in which you studied Torah? He wrote** the information **and placed** it **in her hand.** ###### Menachot 44a:9 [Menachot 44a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:9) עָמְדָה וְחִילְּקָהּ כׇּל נְכָסֶיהָ, שְׁלִישׁ לַמַּלְכוּת, וּשְׁלִישׁ לַעֲנִיִּים, וּשְׁלִישׁ נָטְלָה בְּיָדָהּ, חוּץ מֵאוֹתָן מַצָּעוֹת. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **She arose and divided all of her property,** giving **one-third** as a bribe **to the government, one-third to the poor, and she took one-third** with her **in her possession, in addition to those beds** of gold and silver. ###### Menachot 44a:10 [Menachot 44a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:10) וּבָאת לְבֵית מִדְרָשׁוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי חִיָּיא. אָמְרָה לוֹ: רַבִּי, צַוֵּה עָלַי וְיַעֲשׂוּנִי גִּיּוֹרֶת. אָמַר לָהּ: בִּתִּי, שֶׁמָּא עֵינַיִךְ נָתַתְּ בְּאֶחָד מִן הַתַּלְמִידִים. הוֹצִיאָהּ כְּתָב מִיָּדָהּ וְנָתְנָה לוֹ. אָמַר לָהּ: לְכִי זְכִי בְּמִקָּחִךְ. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **She came to the study hall of Rabbi Ḥiyya** and **said to him: My teacher, instruct** your students **concerning me and** have them **make me a convert.** Rabbi Ḥiyya **said to her: My daughter, perhaps you set your sights on one of the students** and that is why you want to convert? **She took** the **note** the student had given her **from her hand and gave it to** Rabbi Ḥiyya. **He said to her: Go take possession of your purchase.** ###### Menachot 44a:11 [Menachot 44a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:11) אוֹתָן מַצָּעוֹת שֶׁהִצִּיעָה לוֹ בְּאִיסּוּר, הִצִּיעָה לוֹ בְּהֶיתֵּר. זֶה מַתַּן שְׂכָרוֹ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְלָעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ כַּמָּה. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **Those beds that she had arranged for him in a prohibited** fashion, **she** now **arranged for him in a permitted** fashion. The Gemara completes its point about the reward of mitzvot and points out how this story illustrates the concept: **This is the reward given to him in this world, and** with regard **to the World-to-Come, I do not know how much** reward he will be given. ###### Menachot 44a:12 [Menachot 44a:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:12) אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: טַלִּית שְׁאוּלָה, כׇּל שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם פְּטוּרָה מִן הַצִּיצִית, מִיכָּן וְאֵילָךְ חַיֶּיבֶת. **William Davidson Edition - English:** § **Rav Yehuda says:** In the case of **a borrowed cloak, for** the first **thirty days it is exempt from ritual fringes; from then on** it is **obligated.** ###### Menachot 44a:13 [Menachot 44a:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:13) תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: הַדָּר בְּפוּנְדְּקִי בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהַשּׂוֹכֵר בַּיִת בְּחוּץ לָאָרֶץ – כׇּל שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם פָּטוּר מִן הַמְּזוּזָה, מִיכָּן וְאֵילָךְ חַיָּיב. אֲבָל הַשּׂוֹכֵר בַּיִת בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל – עוֹשֶׂה מְזוּזָה לְאַלְתַּר, מִשּׁוּם יִישּׁוּב דְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. **William Davidson Edition - English:** The Gemara notes: **That** distinction **is also taught** in a *baraita*: In the case of **one who resides in a guesthouse [*pundaki*] in Eretz Yisrael, or one who rents a house outside of Eretz Yisrael, for** the first **thirty days** he is **exempt from the** mitzva of ***mezuza*; from then on** he is **obligated. But one who rents a house in Eretz Yisrael** must **affix a *mezuza* immediately, due to** the **settlement of Eretz Yisrael.** ###### Menachot 44a:14 [Menachot 44a:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:14) תְּפִלָּה שֶׁל יָד אֵינָהּ מְעַכֶּבֶת. אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ, אֲבָל אֵין לוֹ – מְעַכֶּבֶת. **William Davidson Edition - English:** § The mishna teaches: Absence of the **phylacteries of** the **arm does not prevent** fulfillment of the mitzva of the phylacteries of the head, and absence of the phylacteries of the head does not prevent fulfillment of the mitzva of the phylacteries of the arm. **Rav Ḥisda said: They taught** this **only** in a case **where one has** the other phylacteries, but they are not with him or he is unable to wear them for some reason. **But** if **he does not have** the other phylacteries at all, then their absence **does prevent** the fulfillment of the mitzva to don the phylacteries that he has. ###### Menachot 44a:15 [Menachot 44a:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:15) אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אָמַרְתָּ? אֲמַר לְהוּ: לָא, אֶלָּא מַאן דְּלֵית לֵיהּ תְּרֵי מִצְוֹת, חַד מִצְוָה נָמֵי לָא לֶיעְבֵּיד?! וּמֵעִיקָּרָא מַאי סְבַר? גְּזֵירָה שֶׁמָּא יִפְשַׁע. **William Davidson Edition - English:** Later on, the students **said to him:** Do **you** still **say** that? Rav Ḥisda **said to them: No, rather** I would say the opposite: Concerning **one who does not have** the ability to fulfill **two mitzvot, should he also not perform** the **one mitzva** that he does have the ability to fulfill? The Gemara asks: **And what did he hold initially** when he said not to don one of the phylacteries in the absence of the other? The Gemara answers: He held that it was due to a rabbinic **decree, lest he be negligent** and not try to acquire the phylacteries that he lacks. ###### Menachot 44a:16 [Menachot 44a:16](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:16) אָמַר רַב שֵׁשֶׁת: כֹּל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַנִּיחַ תְּפִילִּין עוֹבֵר בִּשְׁמוֹנָה עֲשֵׂה. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **Rav Sheshet says: Anyone who does not don phylacteries violates eight positive mitzvot.** This is referring to the mitzva to don phylacteries of the arm and head, each of which is mentioned in four different passages (Exodus 13:9; Exodus 13:16; Deuteronomy 6:8; Deuteronomy 11:18). ###### Menachot 44a:17 [Menachot 44a:17](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:17) וְכֹל שֶׁאֵין לוֹ צִיצִית בְּבִגְדוֹ עוֹבֵר בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עֲשֵׂה. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **And anyone who does not have ritual fringes on his garments violates five positive mitzvot.** This is because the mitzva of ritual fringes is stated four times in the primary passage concerning ritual fringes in Numbers: “That they prepare for themselves strings…and they shall put on the fringe of the corner a sky-blue thread. And it shall be to you for a fringe that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord” (Numbers 15:38–39). An additional command appears in the verse: “You shall prepare yourself twisted cords” (Deuteronomy 22:12). ###### Menachot 44a:18 [Menachot 44a:18](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:18) וְכׇל כֹּהֵן שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹלֶה לַדּוּכָן, עוֹבֵר בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה עֲשֵׂה. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **And any priest who does not ascend the platform** to recite the Priestly Benediction **violates three positive mitzvot** expressed in the verses: “So you shall bless the children of Israel; you shall say to them” (Numbers 6:23), and: “And they shall put My name upon the children of Israel” (Numbers 6:27). ###### Menachot 44a:19 [Menachot 44a:19](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:19) כֹּל שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מְזוּזָה בְּפִתְחוֹ עוֹבֵר בִּשְׁנֵי עֲשֵׂה, ״וּכְתַבְתָּם״ ״וּכְתַבְתָּם״. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **Anyone who does not have a *mezuza* in his doorway violates two positive mitzvot,** stated in the verses: **“And you shall write them** on the doorposts of your house” (Deuteronomy 6:9), and: **“And you shall write them** on the doorposts of your house” (Deuteronomy 11:20). ###### Menachot 44a:20 [Menachot 44a:20](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/44a:20) וְאָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: כׇּל הַמַּנִּיחַ תְּפִילִּין מַאֲרִיךְ יָמִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: **William Davidson Edition - English:** **And Reish Lakish says: Anyone who dons phylacteries lives** a **long life, as it is stated:**