A Sequence of Twelve Statements of Practical Advice to Young Yeshiva Students by Rav Ḥisda (Shabbat 140b)

Part of a series on notable instances of highly formulaic Talmud structure. See previous entry here. 

Illustration by Dall-e. Description: “An ancient scene depicting various advice from Rav Ḥisda to poor scholars. In the foreground, a Torah academy student is purchasing long vegetables from a market stall, illustrating the concept of getting more for the same price. Another student is selecting long reeds from a bundle, emphasizing the value of length. In the background, a student is eating a large piece of bread in one helping, adhering to Rav Ḥisda's advice about bread consumption. Nearby, another student is smearing himself with ditch water as a substitute for oil. A student is seen buying meat from the neck area, and another is purchasing a linen shirt from river workers. In another corner, a student carefully avoids sitting on a new mat, and a student refrains from giving his clothes to a host for washing. The scene is bustling with activity, each part representing a piece of Rav Ḥisda's wisdom for living modestly and wisely.”

This sugya is notable for the high number of statements in a row by a single sage (twelve statements), and for the highly formulaic literary style of the statements. Ten of the thirteen statements start with “A student of a Torah academy who [X]” (בר בי רב ד), meaning, explicitly targeted at a young, presumably poor, Torah scholar.

The sage responsible for the statements is Rav Hisda. He was a Babylonian amora of the third generation (circa second half of 3rd century CE). From my analysis, which I plan to elaborate on in a future post, Rav Hisda ranks sixth in the number of aggadic statements attributed to him in the Talmud.¹

First he offers practical guidance (#1-12). Then he tempers the practical guidance with one piece of moral guidance (#13). The final pieces of advice were given to his daughters. 

The passage - practical advice for young yeshiva students

Shabbat 140b (sections #5-14), I added numbering:

1. ואמר רב חסדא: בר בי רב דזבין ירקא — ליזבין אריכא, כישא כי כישא, ואורכא ממילא. 

2. ואמר רב חסדא: בר בי רב דזבין קניא — ליזבין אריכא, טונא כי טונא, ואורכא ממילא. 

3. ואמר רב חסדא: בר בי רב [דלא נפישא ליה ריפתא] — לא ליכול ירקא, משום דגריר. 

4. ואמר רב חסדא: אנא לא בעניותי אכלי ירקא, ולא בעתירותי אכלי ירקא. בעניותי — משום דגריר. בעתירותי — דאמינא: היכא דעייל ירקא, ליעול בשרא וכוורי. 

5. ואמר רב חסדא: בר בי רב דלא נפישא ליה ריפתא — לא ליבצע בצועי.

6.  (ואמר רב חסדא: בר בי רב דלא נפישא ליה ריפתא — לא ליבצע. מאי טעמא? — דלא עביד בעין יפה.) 

7. ואמר רב חסדא: אנא מעיקרא לא הואי בצענא עד דשדאי ידי בכולי מנא, ואשכחי [ביה כל צרכי]. 

8. ואמר רב חסדא: האי מאן דאפשר ליה למיכל נהמא דשערי ואכל דחיטי קעבר משום ״בל תשחית״ [...]

9. ואמר רב חסדא: בר בי רב דלית ליה משחא — נימשי במיא דחריצי. 

10. ואמר רב חסדא: בר בי רב דזבין אומצא — ליזבין אונקא, דאית ביה תלתא מיני בישרא. 

11. ואמר רב חסדא: בר בי רב דזבין כיתוניתא — ליזבן מדנהר אבא, וניחוורה כל תלתין יומין, דמפטיא ליה תריסר ירחי שתא, ואנא ערבא [...] 

12. ואמר רב חסדא: בר בי רב לא ליתיב אציפתא חדתא, דמכליא מאניה. 

13. ואמר רב חסדא: בר בי רב לא לישדר מאניה לאושפיזיה לחווריה ליה, דלאו אורח ארעא, דילמא חזי ביה מידי ואתי למגניא. 

Ed. Steinzaltz translation and explanation: 

1. On the topic of the bundle of vegetables, the Gemara cites additional advice on similar issues that Rav Ḥisda said to poor scholars experiencing difficulty earning a livelihood: A student of a Torah academy who buys vegetables should buy long ones. A bundle is a bundle, and they have a standard thickness at a standard price. However, the addition of length comes on its own for free. 

2. And Rav Ḥisda also said: A student of a Torah academy who buys reeds should buy long ones, since a bundle is a bundle. Bundles of reeds have a standard thickness, but the length comes on its own for free. 

3. And Rav Ḥisda further said: A student of a Torah academy who does not have much bread should not eat a vegetable, because it whets the appetite. 

4. And Rav Ḥisda said: I neither ate a vegetable in my state of poverty, nor did I eat a vegetable in my state of wealth. In my poverty, I did not eat a vegetable because it whets the appetite. In my wealth, I did not eat a vegetable because I said: Where a vegetable enters, let meat and fish enter instead. 

5. And Rav Ḥisda said: A student of a Torah academy who does not have much bread should not cut it into thin slices; rather, he should eat what he has in one helping. 

6. And Rav Ḥisda said: A student of a Torah academy who does not have much bread should not break it for guests. What is the reason? As he will not do so in a generous manner. 

7. And Rav Ḥisda said: Originally, I would not break bread until I placed my hand in the entire dish to assure that I found that there was enough bread to meet my needs. 

8. And Rav Ḥisda also said: One who is able to eat barley bread and nevertheless eats wheat bread violates the prohibition against wanton destruction. One who wastes resources is comparable to one who destroys items of value [...]

9. And Rav Ḥisda said: A student of a Torah academy who has no oil should wash, i.e., smear himself, with ditch water, as the scum that accumulates in it is as useful as oil. 

10. And Rav Ḥisda said: A student of a Torah academy who buys meat should buy from the neck [unka], as there are three types of meat there. 

11. And Rav Ḥisda said: A student of a Torah academy who buys a linen shirt [kitonita] should buy it from those who work by the river Abba, and should wash it every thirty days, so that it will last him for the twelve months of the year. And I guarantee that the shirt will remain in good shape [...]

12. And Rav Ḥisda said: A student of a Torah academy should not sit on a new mat, as its dampness ruins his garments. 

13. And Rav Ḥisda said: A student of a Torah academy should not give his clothes to his host to wash for him, as that is not proper behavior, for the host might see something on it, such as signs of a seminal emission, and he will be demeaned in the eyes of his host. 

Summary and categorization

This Talmudic passage from Rav Ḥisda can be divided into a few general categories:

1. Food advice:

   1. Vegetables and Bread: Rav Ḥisda advises scholars to buy long vegetables and reeds as they come at a standard price regardless of length, offering more value (#1-2). He suggests not eating vegetables if one has little bread, as vegetables increase appetite (#3-4). He advises against slicing bread into thin slices and against breaking bread for guests if it can't be done generously (#5-7)

   2. Wheat and Barley: Rav Ḥisda discourages eating wheat bread when barley bread suffices (#8)

   3. Meat: Recommendation to buy meat from specific parts of the animal for better value (#10)

2. Clothing and hygiene advice:

   1. Oil and Ditch Water: He suggests using alternatives like ditch water in the absence of oil (#9).

   2. Clothing Choices: where to purchase, and how to maintain linen shirts efficiently (#11).

   3. Avoiding Damage to Possessions: He advises against sitting on new mats to prevent damage to clothing (#12)

3. Modesty:

   1. Behavior Towards Hosts: Scholars should not give their clothes to hosts for washing to avoid potential embarrassment, as they might see emissions (#13)

Rav Hisda’s Advice to His Daughters

Ibid., sections #15-18:

אמר להו רב חסדא לבנתיה: תיהויין צניען באפי גברייכו, לא תיכלון נהמא באפי גברייכו. 

לא תיכלון ירקא בליליא, לא תיכלון תמרי בליליא, ולא תשתון שיכרא בליליא, ולא תיפנון היכא דמפנו גברייכו. 

וכי קא קארי איניש אבבא — לא תימרון ״מנו״, אלא ״מני״. 

נקיט מרגניתא בחדא ידיה וכורא בחדא ידיה. מרגניתא — אחוי להו, וכורא — לא אחוי להו עד דמיצטערן, והדר אחוי להו.

After citing Rav Ḥisda’s recommendations to students, the Gemara cites his advice to his daughters. Rav Ḥisda said to his daughters: Be modest before your husbands; do not eat bread before your husbands, lest you eat too much and be demeaned in their eyes. 

Similarly, he advised: Do not eat vegetables at night, as vegetables cause bad breath. Do not eat dates at night and do not drink beer at night, as these loosen the bowels. And do not relieve yourself in the place where your husbands relieve themselves, so that they will not be revolted by you. 

And when a person calls at the door seeking to enter, do not say: Who is it, in the masculine form, but rather: Who is it, in the feminine form. Avoid creating the impression that you have dealings with other men. 

In order to demonstrate the value of modesty to his daughters, Rav Ḥisda held a pearl in one hand and a clod of earth in the other. The pearl he showed them immediately, and the clod of earth, he did not show them until they were upset due to their curiosity, and then he showed it to them. This taught them that a concealed object is more attractive than one on display, even if it is less valuable.

1. In my collection of approximately 3,500 aggadic statements, Rav Hisda is the author of 93 statements, which constitutes 3% of the entire collection.