Lives, Loves, and Hatreds: Psychological and Social Commentary on Human Behaviors, Group Dynamics, and Animal Traits (Pesachim 113b)
Appendix: Numbered Lists in the Talmud, "And Some Say," and Further Examples
Outline
Three Types of People Who Endure Psychologically Challenging Lives1
Intragroup Dynamics: Eight Groups Marked by Mutual Hatred or Love Among Members
Five Types of People Who Are Unbearable
A Slave’s Nature: Five Traits Attributed to Canaan's Descendants
Six Characteristics of the Horse
Appendix 1 - Numbered Lists in the Talmud, "And Some Say," and Further Examples
10 to 13 Things Created on Friday Afternoon at the Close of the Six Days of Creation, Just Before Shabbat (Pesachim 54a)
Version 1
Version 2
7 things were created before the world itself: Torah, repentance, Eden, Gehenna, God’s throne, the Temple, and the name of the Messiah (Pesachim 54a)
List of 7 Types of Info Withheld From Human Awareness (Pesachim 54b)
3 to 4 Things That Entered God's Mind to Create (Pesachim 54b)
10 to 11 Things Said About the Cup of Blessing (Berakhot 51a)
10 to 12 Things That Trigger a More Severe Relapse in a Recovering Patient (Berakhot 57b)
10 to 11 Things That Cause Hemorrhoids (Berakhot 55a)
10 to 11 Things That Hinder Study (Horayot 13b)
Appendix 2 - Temperaments that lead to Good and Bad lives (Bava Batra 145b)
Appendix 3 - The Wicked Raven in Noah’s Ark (Sanhedrin 108b)
The Passage
Three Types of People Who Endure Psychologically Challenging Lives
Three types of people have difficult lives:2 those who are especially compassionate (רחמנין), easily angered (רתחנין), or psychologically sensitive (אניני הדעת).3
Rav Yosef declared that he identifies with all three traits.
תנו רבנן:
שלשה חייהן אינם חיים:
הרחמנין,
והרתחנין,
ואניני הדעת.
ואמר רב יוסף: כולהו איתנהו בי.
The Sages taught:
There are three types of people whose lives are not lives, due to their constant suffering:
The compassionate,
the hot tempered,
and the delicate.
Rav Yosef said: All of these attributes are found in me.
Intragroup Dynamics: Eight Groups Marked by Mutual Hatred or Love Among Members
Members of certain groups harbor mutual hatred (i.e intragroup hatred: their members hate other members of the same group): dogs, chickens, Magi,4 prostitutes, and Babylonian Torah scholars (תלמידי חכמים).
In contrast, mutual love is found among converts, slaves, and ravens.5
תנו רבנן:
שלשה שונאין זה את זה, אלו הן:
הכלבים,
והתרנגולין,
והחברין.
ויש אומרים: אף הזונות.
ויש אומרים: אף תלמידי חכמים שבבבל.
תנו רבנן:
שלשה אוהבין זה את זה, אלו הן:
הגרים,
ועבדים,
ועורבין.
Furthermore, the Sages taught:
Members of three groups hate other members of the same group:
Dogs,
roosters,
and the Persian priests.
And some say: Also prostitutes.
And some say: Also Torah scholars in Babylonia.
Likewise, the Sages taught:
Members of three groups love one another:
Converts,
slaves,
and ravens.
Five Types of People Who Are Unbearable
The Talmud lists types of individuals who “the mind cannot bear” (אין הדעת סובלתן; i.e. are unbearable):
An arrogant pauper (דל גאה)
A wealthy person who “denies” (מכחש - i.e. denies legitimate monetary claims against him),
An old man who engages in adultery (מנאף; i.e. has sex with married women)
A leader (פרנס) who “who lords (מתגאה) over the community (ציבור) for no cause (בחנם)” (meaning: abuses power).
A man who repeatedly divorces and remarries the same wife.6
ארבעה אין הדעת סובלתן, אלו הן:
דל גאה,
ועשיר מכחש,
וזקן מנאף,
ופרנס מתגאה על הציבור בחנם.
ויש אומרים: אף המגרש את אשתו פעם ראשונה ושניה, ומחזירה.
[...]
Four types of people cannot be endured by anyone:
An arrogant pauper;
a wealthy person who denies monetary claims against him;
a lecherous old man;
and a leader who lords over the community for no cause.
And some say: Also one who divorces his wife once and twice and takes her back a third time. He should decide definitively whether or not he wants her.
[...]
A Slave’s Nature: Five Traits Attributed to Canaan's Descendants
The Talmud recounts that the biblical Canaan instructed his descendants in five traits typical of slaves:7 mutual love, love of theft (גזל), love of promiscuous sex (זמה), hatred of masters, and lying.
חמשה דברים צוה כנען את בניו:
אהבו זה את זה,
ואהבו את הגזל,
ואהבו את הזמה,
ושנאו את אדוניכם,
ואל תדברו אמת.
The Gemara continues:
Canaan commanded his sons with regard to five matters that are apparently normal behavior for slaves:
Love one another,
love robbery,
love promiscuity,
hate your masters,
and do not speak the truth.
Six Characteristics of the Horse
The Talmud characterizes the horse with a number of traits: it loves promiscuous sex (זנות), war, and has an arrogant demeanor (רוחו גסה); it despises sleep, consumes much (food) and expels little,8 and “attempts to kill its master in war”.9
ששה דברים נאמרים בסוס:
אוהב את הזנות,
ואוהב את המלחמה,
ורוחו גסה,
ומואס את השינה,
ואוכל הרבה
ומוציא קמעה.
ויש אומרים: אף מבקש להרוג בעליו במלחמה.
[...]
Six matters are said with regard to a horse:
It loves promiscuity,
it loves war,
its demeanor is arrogant,
it despises sleep,
it eats much,
and it excretes little.
And some say: Just as a horse always rushes straight into the heat of a battle, it also attempts to kill its master in war.
[...]
Appendix 1 - Numbered Lists in the Talmud, "And Some Say," and Further Examples
In many Talmudic numbered lists, items are appended with the phrase “and some say” (ויש אומרים). In our sections alone (in the main piece), "and some say" appears four times, always at the end of numbered lists.
However, I believe that in terms of content, these "additions" are not fundamentally different. In my opinion, this literary technique of introducing items with “and some say” is likely a rhetorical strategy to be able to expand the list and include additional entries.
Additional examples follow.
10 to 13 Things Created on Friday Afternoon at the Close of the Six Days of Creation, Just Before Shabbat (Pesachim 54a)
(See footnote.)10
Version 1
תנו רבנן:
עשרה דברים נבראו בערב שבת בין השמשות, ואלו הן:
באר,
ומן,
וקשת,
הכתב,
והמכתב,
והלוחות,
קברו של משה,
ומערה שעמד בה משה ואליהו,
פתיחת פי האתון,
ופתיחת פי הארץ לבלוע את הרשעים.
ויש אומרים: אף מקלו של אהרן, שקדיה ופרחיה,
ויש אומרים: אף המזיקין,
ויש אומרים: אף בגדו של אדם הראשון.
The Sages taught:
Ten phenomena were created on Shabbat eve during twilight (ערב שבת בין השמשות; i.e. late Friday afternoon of the Six days of Creation, right before Shabbat), and they were:
and manna,
and the rainbow,
writing,
and the writing instrument,
and the tablets,
the grave of Moses,
and the cave in which Moses and Elijah stood,
and the opening of the mouth of the earth to swallow the wicked in the time of Korah.
And some say that even Aaron’s staff was created then with its almonds and its blossoms.
Some say that even the demons (מזיקין - mazzikin) were created at this time.
And some say that even the garment of Adam, the first man, was created at this time, as it is stated: “And God made for Adam and his wife garments of skins and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21).
Version 2
תניא:
עשרה דברים נבראו בערב שבת בין השמשות,
אלו הן:
באר,
והמן,
וקשת,
כתב,
ומכתב,
והלוחות,
וקברו של משה,
ומערה שעמד בו משה ואליהו,
פתיחת פי האתון,
ופתיחת פי הארץ לבלוע את הרשעים.
רבי נחמיה אומר משום אביו:
אף האור
והפרד.
רבי יאשיה אומר משום אביו:
אף האיל,
והשמיר.
רבי יהודה אומר: אף הצבת.
[...]
taught in a baraita:
Ten miraculous phenomena were created in heaven on Shabbat eve during twilight, and were revealed in the world only later?
They were:
Miriam’s well,
and the manna that fell in the desert,
and the rainbow,
writing [ketav],
and the writing instrument [mikhtav],
and the tablets of the Ten Commandments,
and the grave of Moses,
and the cave in which Moses and Elijah stood,
the opening of the mouth of Balaam’s donkey,
and the opening of the earth’s mouth to swallow the wicked in the incident involving Korah.
R' Neḥemya said in the name of his father:
Even the fire (אור)
and the mule,11 which is a product of crossbreeding, were created at that time.
R' Yoshiya said in the name of his father:
Even the ram (איל) slaughtered by Abraham in place of Isaac,
and the shamir worm used to shape the stones for the altar, were created at that time.
R' Yehuda says: Even the tongs (צבת) were created at this time.12
Seven things were created before the world itself: Torah, repentance, Eden, Gehenna, God’s throne, the Temple, and the name of the Messiah (Pesachim 54a)
[...]
תניא:
שבעה דברים נבראו קודם שנברא העולם,
ואלו הן:
תורה,
ותשובה,
וגן עדן,
וגיהנם,
וכסא הכבוד,
ובית המקדש,
ושמו של משיח.
[...]
taught in a baraita:
Seven phenomena were created before the world was created,
and they are:
Torah,
and repentance,
and the Garden of Eden,
and Gehenna,
and the Throne of Glory,
and the Temple,
and the name of Messiah.13
List of 7 Types of Info Withheld From Human Awareness (Pesachim 54b)
A baraita lists seven unknowables:
The day of death
The day of comfort
The depth of judgment
Another’s thoughts
One’s future profits
The return of the Davidic monarchy (i.e. in the messianic future)
The end of the current oppressive empire
תנו רבנן:
שבעה דברים מכוסים מבני אדם,
אלו הן:
יום המיתה,
ויום הנחמה,
ועומק הדין,
ואין אדם יודע מה בלבו של חבירו,
ואין אדם יודע במה משתכר,
ומלכות בית דוד מתי תחזור,
ומלכות חייבת מתי תכלה.
Apropos the list of items created during twilight, the Talmud cites that A baraita states:
Seven matters are concealed from people,
and they are:
The day of death;
and the day of consolation from one’s concerns;
the profundity of justice, ascertaining the truth in certain disputes;
and a person also does not know what is in the heart of another;
and a person does not know in what way he will earn a profit;
and one does not know when the monarchy of the house of David will be restored to Israel;
and when the wicked Roman monarchy will cease to exist.
3 to 4 Things That Entered God's Mind to Create (Pesachim 54b)
תנו רבנן:
שלשה דברים עלו במחשבה ליבראות,
ואם לא עלו, דין הוא שיעלו:
על המת שיסריח.
ועל המת שישתכח מן הלב.
ועל התבואה שתרקב.
ויש אומרים: על המטבע שיצא.
The Sages taught on a similar note:
The thoughts of three matters arose in God’s mind to be created,
and if they did not arise in His thoughts, by right they should have arisen in His thoughts, as they are fundamental to the existence of the world.
God created a world in which a corpse rots, so that it requires burial and the family does not continually suffer by seeing the corpse;
that the deceased are forgotten from the heart, and the sense of pain and loss diminishes with time;
and that grain will rot so that it cannot be hoarded forever, and therefore one must sell his produce.
And some say: He instituted that currency will circulate so that people will accept money as a method of payment.
10 to 12 Things That Trigger a More Severe Relapse in a Recovering Patient (Berakhot 57b)
עשרה דברים מחזירין את החולה לחליו, וחליו קשה, אלו הן:
האוכל בשר שור,
בשר שמן,
בשר צלי,
בשר צפרים,
וביצה צלויה,
ותגלחת,
ושחלים,
והחלב,
והגבינה
והמרחץ.
ויש אומרים: אף אגוזים.
ויש אומרים: אף קשואים.
[T]here are ten matters that cause a sick person who has recovered to suffer a relapse of his illness, and his illness is even more severe, and they are:
Eating ox meat,
eating fatty meat in general,
eating roasted meat,
eating poultry (בשר צפרים - literally: “bird meat”),
eating a roasted egg,
shaving,
eating cress,
drinking milk,
eating cheese,
and bathing in a bathhouse.
And some say eating nuts,
and some say even eating cucumbers.
10 to 11 Things Said About the Cup of Blessing (Berakhot 51a)
אמר רבי זירא, אמר רבי אבהו,
ואמרי לה: במתניתא תנא:
עשרה דברים נאמרו בכוס של ברכה:
טעון הדחה
ושטיפה.
חי
ומלא.
עיטור
ועיטוף.
נוטלו בשתי ידיו,
ונותנו בימין.
ומגביהו מן הקרקע טפח,
ונותן עיניו בו.
ויש אומרים: אף משגרו במתנה לאנשי ביתו.
R’ Zeira said that R’ Abbahu said,
and some say that this halakha was taught in a baraita:
Ten things were said with regard to a cup of blessing (כוס של ברכה), e.g., the cup of wine over which Grace after Meals is recited:
It requires rinsing
and washing;
it must be undiluted wine,
and full;
it requires adorning
and wrapping;
he takes it in his two hands
and places it in his right hand,
and he lifts it at least one handbreadth from the ground,
and when reciting the blessing he fixes his eyes upon it.
And some say: He also sends it as a gift to members of his household.
10 to 11 Things That Cause Hemorrhoids (Berakhot 55a)
[…]
תניא:
עשרה דברים מביאין את האדם לידי תחתוניות:
האוכל עלי קנים,
ועלי גפנים,
ולולבי גפנים,
ומוריגי בהמה,
ושדרו של דג,
ודג מליח שאינו מבושל כל צרכו,
והשותה שמרי יין,
והמקנח בסיד
ובחרסית.
והמקנח בצרור שקנח בו חברו,
ויש אומרים: אף התולה עצמו בבית הכסא יותר מדאי.
[…]
It [was] taught in a baraita:
Ten things bring a person to suffer from hemorrhoids (תחתוניות):
One who eats the leaves of bulrushes,
grape leaves,
tendrils of grapevines,
the palate and tongue (מוריגי) of an animal, as well as any other part of the animal which is not smooth and which has protrusions,
the spine of a fish,
a salty fish that is not fully cooked,
and one who drinks wine dregs,
and one who wipes himself with lime and clay, the materials from which earthenware is made,
and one who wipes himself with a stone with which another person wiped himself.
And some say: One who suspends himself too much in the bathroom as well.
10 to 11 Things That Hinder Study (Horayot 13b)
עשרה דברים קשים לתלמוד:
העובר תחת האפסר [הגמל], וכל שכן תחת גמל [עצמו],
והעובר בין שני גמלים,
והעובר בין שתי נשים,
והאשה העוברת בין שני אנשים,
והעובר מתחת ריח רע של נבילה,
והעובר תחת הגשר שלא עברו תחתיו מים ארבעים יום,
והאוכל פת שלא בשל כל צרכו,
והאוכל בשר מזוהמא ליסטרון,
והשותה מאמת המים העוברת בבית הקברות,
והמסתכל בפני המת.
ויש אומרים: אף הקורא כתב שעל גבי הקבר.
Ten factors are detrimental for Torah study:
One who passes beneath the bit of the camel, and all the more so one who passes beneath a camel itself;
and one who passes between two camels;
and one who passes between two women;
and a woman who passes between two men;
and one who passes beneath a place where there is the foul odor of an animal carcass;
and one who passes under a bridge beneath which water has not passed for forty days;
and one who eats bread that was not sufficiently baked;
and one who eats meat from zuhama listeron, a utensil consisting of a spoon and a fork, used to remove the film on the surface of soup;
and one who drinks from an aqueduct that passes through a cemetery;
and one who gazes at the face of the dead.
And some say: Also one who reads the writing that is on the stone of a grave.
Appendix 2 - Temperaments that lead to Good and Bad lives (Bava Batra 145b)
Delicate people (איסטניס) and empathetic people (רחמן) are stated to have bad lives, along with people who have bad wives and those who are impatient (דעתו קצרה).
רבי חנינא אמר:
״כל ימי עני רעים״ – זה שיש לו אשה רעה.
״וטוב לב משתה תמיד״ – זה שיש לו אשה טובה.
רבי ינאי אמר:
״כל ימי עני רעים״ – זה איסטניס.
״וטוב לב משתה תמיד״ – זה שדעתו יפה.
רבי יוחנן אמר:
״כל ימי עני רעים״ – זה רחמן.
״וטוב לב משתה תמיד״ – זה אכזרי.
ורבי יהושע בן לוי אמר:
״כל ימי עני רעים״ – זה שדעתו קצרה.
״וטוב לב משתה תמיד״ – זה שדעתו רחבה
R’ Ḥanina says:
“All the days of the poor are terrible”; this is referring to one who has a bad wife.
“And for the good-hearted it is always a feast”; this is referring to one who has a good wife.
R’ Yannai says:
“All the days of the poor are terrible”; this is referring to one who is delicate (איסטניס) and overly sensitive, because he constantly encounters unpleasant situations.
“And for the good-hearted it is always a feast”; this is referring to one who is relaxed14 and not particular with regard to his food or his surroundings.
R’ Yoḥanan says:
“All the days of the poor are terrible”; this is referring to an empathetic person (רחמן), because he is constantly affected by the suffering in the world.
“And for the good-hearted it is always a feast”; this is referring to a cruel person (אכזרי), who is not pained by the suffering of others.
And R’ Yehoshua ben Levi says:
Appendix 3 - The Wicked Raven in Noah’s Ark (Sanhedrin 108b)
The raven is viewed quite negatively, and is said to have been cursed together with the dog and the biblical Ham at the time of the biblical Flood, as a punishment for having sex while in the ark (the raven also accuses Noah of wanting to have sex with its female raven mate, to which Noah addresses it as ‘wicked’ - רשע).
“וישלח את הערב”
אמר ריש לקיש:
תשובה ניצחת השיבו עורב לנח
אמר לו:
רבך שונאני, ואתה שנאתני
רבך שונאני,
מן הטהורין שבעה, מן הטמאים שנים
ואתה שנאתני
שאתה מניח ממין שבעה, ושולח ממין שנים
אם פוגע בי שר חמה, או שר צנה, לא נמצא עולם חסר בריה אחת?!
או שמא לאשתי אתה צריך?!
אמר לו:
!רשע
במותר לי נאסר לי, בנאסר לי לא כל שכן?!
[…]
With regard to the verse: “And he sent forth the raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from the earth” (Genesis 8:7),
Reish Lakish says:
The raven provided a convincing response to Noah; when it did not wish to leave the ark
the raven said to him:
Your Master, God, hates me, and you hate me.
Your Master hates me,
as He commanded to take from the kosher species seven and from the non-kosher species two.
And you hate me,
as you disregard those from the species of seven, i.e., the kosher birds, and instead dispatch one from the species of two, i.e., the non-kosher birds.
If the angel of heat or the angel of cold harms me and kills me, will the world not be lacking one species of creature, as there was only one pair of ravens?!
Or perhaps you are sending me because it is my wife that you need, in order to engage in intercourse with her?!
Noah said to the raven:
Wicked one!
If with the woman who is generally permitted to me, my wife, intercourse is forbidden to me, then with regard to domesticated and undomesticated animals, which are generally forbidden to me, is it not all the more so the case that they are forbidden to me?!
[…]
תנו רבנן:
שלשה שמשו בתיבה, וכולם לקו:
כלב
ועורב
וחם
כלב — נקשר
עורב — רק
חם — לקה בעורו
The Sages taught:
Three violated that directive and had sex while in the ark, and all of them were punished for doing so. They are:
The dog,
and the raven,
and Ham, son of Noah.
The dog was punished in that it is bound;17
the raven was punished in that it spits,
and Ham was afflicted in that his skin turned black.
These passages are situated in the middle of the sugya on advice, which I explored in detail in my recent three-part series, “Rabbinic Advice: Practical Guidance from the Talmud (Pesachim 112a-114a)“.
Specifically, they appear between the sections in Part 3 of that series, between “Divine Praise for a Bachelor With Sexual Restraint” and “Rabba bar bar Ḥana (via R' Yoḥanan)'s Advice to R' Yehuda son of R' Elai”.
חייהן אינם חיים - literally: “their life isn’t life”.
Analysis:
Each of the three categories critiques a distinct behavioral or emotional pattern:
The Merciful (הרחמנין): Excessive compassion can lead to personal suffering, as overly merciful individuals may sacrifice their own well-being for others, struggle to set boundaries, or feel overwhelmed by the burdens of empathy. The critique is presumably not of mercy itself, but of mercy taken to an unhealthy extreme.
The Hot-Tempered (והרתחנין): A quick temper is associated with instability, poor decision-making, and damaged relationships. The passage suggests that anger, when unchecked, consumes the individual emotionally, creating a life filled with conflict.
The Overly Delicate (ואניני הדעת): This term likely refers to those who are overly refined, fastidious, or particular. Their inability to tolerate discomfort or imperfection results in constant dissatisfaction, making life difficult to enjoy.
On the last item (one overly delicate - אניני הדעת) compare the Greek loanword often used in the Talmud to describe such people: איסטניס, from Greek asthenḗs, meaning “without strength, weak, feeble, sickly“.
For example in Bava_Batra.145b.11-12, where delicate people (איסטניס) and empathetic people (רחמן) are again stated to have bad lives, along with people who have bad wives and those who are impatient (דעתו קצרה). I quote the full passage at the appendix at the end of this piece: “Appendix 2 - Temperaments that lead to Good and Bad lives (Bava Batra 145b)“.
חברין - i.e. Persian priests.
For additional references to the Magi in the Talmud, see, for instance, my following pieces:
Broader analysis:
Hating Groups:
Dogs and Roosters: Apparently, these animals are seen as archetypal examples of territorial and aggressive behavior, with their hatred of one another and intraspecific competition emblematic of natural rivalry.
(Compare Wikipedia “Dominance hierarchy“, section “Birds“:
“The concept of dominance, originally called "pecking order", was described in birds by Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe in 1921 under the German terms Hackordnung or Hackliste and introduced into English in 1927.
In his 1924 German-language article, he noted that "defense and aggression in the hen is accomplished with the beak".
This emphasis on pecking led many subsequent studies on fowl behaviour to use it as a primary observation; however, it has been noted that roosters tend to leap and use their claws in conflicts.
Wild and feral chickens form relatively small groups, usually including no more than 10 to 20 individuals. It has been shown that in larger groups, which is common in farming, the dominance hierarchy becomes less stable and aggression increases.
Dominance hierarchies are found in many species of bird.“)
Ḥabbarin: Referring to Magi (Zoroastrian priests). Their inclusion reflects tension between Jews and Zoroastrians in Babylonian society, likely due to religious or cultural clashes. It aligns with the Babylonian context, where Zoroastrians played a prominent societal role, suggesting a critique of local dynamics.
Prostitutes: Their “hatred” for each other likely refers to competition for clients.
Babylonian Torah Scholars: This inclusion is likely both humorous and critical. It likely reflects intra-Jewish tensions, perhaps teasing the intense rivalries among Babylonian scholars for recognition and prestige. The Talmud often contains self-referential critique. (For another place where Magi and Babylonian Torah Scholars are juxtaposed, see Kiddushin.72a.10: “Show me Ḥabbarin […] Show me Torah scholars of Babylonia […]”).
Loving Groups:
Converts: Likely due to shared experiences of marginalization and integration into the Jewish community.
Slaves: Likely viewed as a unified group due to their shared oppression and subordinate status, fostering camaraderie. (This is reiterated in the next section, as the first “commandment” of Canaan to his slave descendants, that they should “love one another“.)
Ravens: Apparently due to their gregariousness and communal feeding behavior, they serve as an emblem of mutual support in the natural world.
On the final item, ravens, elsewhere in the Talmud, the raven is viewed quite negatively, and is said to have been cursed together with the dog and the biblical Ham at the time of the biblical Flood, as a punishment for having sex while in the ark (the raven also accuses Noah of wanting to have sex with its female raven mate, to which Noah addresses it as ‘wicked’ - רשע), in Sanhedrin.108b.12-15. I quote the full passage in an appendix at the end of this piece: “Appendix 3 - The Wicked Raven in Noah’s Ark (Sanhedrin 108b)“.
Broader analysis:
Each of the four types highlights behaviors that undermine social cohesion or moral order:
A Proud Poor Person (דל גאה): This juxtaposition critiques the dissonance between one's social or economic status and their attitude. Poverty is typically associated with humility, and arrogance in such a context is seen as both incongruous and socially disruptive.
A Dishonest Wealthy Person (עשיר מכחש): A wealthy individual who denies their obligations (whether financial or moral) violates societal expectations. Wealth is associated with responsibility, and dishonesty erodes trust and community stability.
An Adulterous Elderly Person (זקן מנאף): This behavior is particularly scandalous because it defies expectations of dignity, self-restraint, and wisdom that come with age. It represents a failure to embody the virtues traditionally associated with advanced years.
A Leader Who Needlessly Dominates the Public (פרנס מתגאה על הציבור בחנם): This critique targets leaders who exploit their position for personal aggrandizement rather than serving their community. Such behavior undermines trust in leadership and disrupts the communal order.
Repeated Divorce and Remarriage: A person who divorces and remarries the same spouse multiple times creates instability and potential harm to familial and societal norms. This behavior might also reflect indecision or manipulation, both of which are seen as intolerable.
As in Greco-Roman philosophy, particularly in the works of Aristotle and Seneca, virtue and social harmony are emphasized. Behaviors that disrupt societal roles or expectations—like arrogance, dishonesty, or lack of temperance—are similarly condemned.
See Wikipedia, “Curse of Ham“ (and see my previous footnote, quoting the Talmud in Sanhedrin 108b:
In the Book of Genesis, the curse of Ham is described as a curse which was imposed upon Ham's son Canaan by the patriarch Noah. It occurs in the context of Noah's drunkenness and it is provoked by a shameful act that was perpetrated by Noah's son Ham, who "saw the nakedness of his father".
The exact nature of Ham's transgression and the reason Noah cursed Canaan when Ham had sinned have been debated for over 2,000 years.
The story's original purpose may have been to justify the biblical subjection of the Canaanites to the Israelites, or a land claim to a portion of New Kingdom of Egypt which ruled Canaan in the late Bronze Age.
In later centuries, the narrative was interpreted by some Jews, Christians and Muslims as an explanation for black skin, as well as a justification for enslavement of black people.
Nevertheless, many Christians, Muslims and Jews now disagree with such interpretations, because in the biblical text, Ham himself is not cursed, and neither race nor skin color are ever mentioned
קמעה - i.e. little waste, when it defecates.
This idiom (“eats much, and expels little”) appears elsewhere in the Talmud, specifically in a list of traits attributed to bloodletters. See my piece here, section “The Ten Characteristics of Bloodletters, All Negative”. ( I cite the current section there in a footnote.)
Analysis:
Each trait reflects either practical experience with horses or symbolic associations:
"Loves Promiscuity" (אוהב את הזנות): This likely refers to the horse’s natural breeding instincts, observed in its unrestrained mating behavior. Metaphorically, this could symbolize recklessness or lack of restraint, traits often attributed to the horse. (Compare “Horse symbolism“, section “Fertility and sexuality“. And compare the Talmudic analogy in in Yevamot.98a.3, comparing the mating and breeding of male horses and donkeys to those of male non-Jews:
שמע מינה:
אפקורי אפקריה רחמנא לזרעיה,
דכתיב:
״בשר חמורים בשרם
וזרמת סוסים זרמתם״.
Learn from this that
the Merciful One dispossesses the male gentile of his offspring,
as it is written with regard to Egyptians:
“Whose flesh is the flesh of donkeys,
and whose semen is the semen of horses” (Ezekiel 23:20), i.e., the offspring of a male gentile is considered no more related to him than the offspring of donkeys and horses.
"Loves War" (אוהב את המלחמה): Horses were central to warfare in the ancient world, and their readiness to charge into battle could give the impression of an affinity for conflict. This association aligns with biblical and Near Eastern imagery, where horses symbolize martial strength (e.g., Zechariah 6:2-3). (And compare Wikipedia ibid., section “War animal“.)
"Arrogant Spirit" (ורוחו גסה): This reflects the horse’s proud and spirited demeanor, often celebrated in ancient texts. Horses were seen as symbols of majesty but also of unchecked ego, embodying traits admired and feared in leaders. (Compare Wikipedia ibid., section “Royal symbol“.)
"Hates Sleep" (ומואס את השינה): Horses require relatively little sleep compared to humans, a fact likely observed by those who cared for them. This trait could also serve as a metaphor for vigilance or restlessness, qualities associated with warriors or ambition.
"Eats Much and Produces Little" (ואוכל הרבה ומוציא קמעה): Horses eat a relatively large amount.
"Seeks to Kill Its Master in War" (ויש אומרים: אף מבקש להרוג בעליו במלחמה): See the previous item: "Loves War". This addition adds a dramatic element: In the chaos of war, a horse’s uncontrollable nature might endanger its rider.
Compare a version of this list in tractate Avot chapter 5, in my “Pt1 Aggadic Lists of Ten, Seven, Four, and Two Items in Tractate Avot Chapter 5 (Avot 5:1-19)“, section “Twilight Creations - 10/14 created at twilight - Manna, Tablets, “the mouth of the earth” (that swallowed Korah), Balaam's donkey’s speech, the rainbow, etc (5:6)“.
פרד.
On the primordial creation of these two things—fire and mule—see later in the sugya, Pesachim.54a.14:
[...]
תניא,
רבי יוסי אומר:
שני דברים עלו במחשבה ליבראות בערב שבת,
ולא נבראו עד מוצאי שבת,
[...]
it was taught in a baraita that
R' Yosei says:
The thoughts of two phenomena arose in God’s mind on Shabbat eve,
but were not actually created until the conclusion of Shabbat.
ובמוצאי שבת
נתן הקדוש ברוך הוא דיעה באדם הראשון מעין דוגמא של מעלה,
והביא שני אבנים
וטחנן זו בזו,
ויצא מהן אור,
At the conclusion of Shabbat,
God granted Adam, the first man, creative knowledge (דיעה) similar (מעין דוגמא) to divine knowledge,
and he brought two rocks
and rubbed them against each other,
and the first fire (אור) emerged from them.
והביא שתי בהמות
והרכיב זו בזו
ויצא מהן פרד.
רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר:
פרד בימי ענה היה,
שנאמר:
״הוא ענה
אשר מצא את הימם במדבר״.
Adam also brought two animals, a female horse and a male donkey,
and mated them with each other,
and the resultant offspring that emerged from them was a mule (פרד).
Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel disagrees and says that
the first mule was in the days of Anah,
as it is stated:
“And these are the children of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; this is Anah
who found the mules (ימם) in the wilderness, as he fed the donkeys of Zibeon his father” (Genesis 36:24).
The Talmud goes on to state that R’ Yehuda argues that since tongs require tongs to make, the first must have been a divine creation. An objection proposes a mold solves the infinite regress.
The full passage, Pesachim.54a.7:
הוא היה אומר:
צבתא בצבתא מתעבדא,
וצבתא קמייתא מאן עבד?
הא לאי בריה בידי שמים היא.
אמר ליה: אפשר יעשנה בדפוס ויקבענה כיון.
הא לאי בריה בידי אדם היא.
He would say:
Tongs can be fashioned only with other tongs,
but who fashioned the first tongs?
Indeed, the first pair of tongs was fashioned at the hand of Heaven.
An anonymous questioner said to him: It is possible to fashion tongs with a mold and align it without the need for other tongs.
Indeed, the first tongs were a creation of man.
The Talmud (or the baraita itself) goes on to provide sources for the notion that each of these phenomena was created before the world was, Pesachim.54a.9-11:
תורה,
דכתיב: ״ה׳ קנני ראשית דרכו״.
תשובה,
דכתיב: ״בטרם הרים ילדו״,
וכתיב: ״תשב אנוש עד דכא ותאמר שובו בני אדם״.
גן עדן,
דכתיב: ״ויטע ה׳ אלהים גן בעדן מקדם״.
גיהנם,
דכתיב: ״כי ערוך מאתמול תפתה״.
כסא הכבוד
ובית המקדש,
דכתיב: ״כסא כבוד מרום מראשון מקום מקדשנו״.
שמו של משיח,
דכתיב: ״יהי שמו לעולם לפני שמש ינון שמו״!
Torah was created before the world was created,
as it is written: “YHWH made me as the beginning of His way, the first of His works of old” (Proverbs 8:22), which, based on the subsequent verses, is referring to the Torah.
Repentance was created before the world was created,
as it is written: “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God,”
and it is written immediately afterward: “You return man to contrition; and You say: Repent, children of man” (Psalms 90:2–3).
The Garden of Eden was created before the world was created,
as it is written: “And God planted the Garden of Eden in the east [mikedem]” (Genesis 2:8). The term: In the east [mikedem] is interpreted in the sense of: Before [mikodem], i.e., before the world was created.
Gehenna was created before the world was created,
as it is written: “For its hearth is ordained of old” (Isaiah 30:33). The hearth, i.e., Gehenna, was created before the world was created.
The Throne of Glory
and the Temple were created before the world was created,
as it is written: “Your Throne of Glory on high from the beginning, in the place of our Sanctuary” (Jeremiah 17:12).
The name of Messiah was created before the world was created,
as it is written in the chapter discussing the Messiah: “May his name endure forever; his name existed before the sun” (Psalms 72:17). The name of Messiah already existed before the creation of the sun and the rest of the world.
דעתו יפה - literally: “a good mind/temperament“.
דעתו קצרה - literally: “a short mind/temperament”.
דעתו רחבה - literally: “a wide mind/temperament”.
I.e. it is “tied” during sex.