"Clever Speech": Seven Talmudic Riddles, Rebuses, and Bilingual Wordplays (Eruvin 53b)
"Clever Speech": Seven Talmudic Riddles, Rebuses, and Bilingual Wordplays (Eruvin 53b)
A series of seven enigmatic statements and riddles attributed to R’ Yehudah HaNasi's maidservant, R' Yosi bar Asyan, R' Abahu and R' Elai
Outline
Intro
The Wit and Wisdom of Judean Speech: Enigmatic Sayings from R' Yehuda HaNasi's Maidservant
Uncorking Generosity: A Symbolic Invitation in R' Yehuda HaNasi's Household
Bilingual Rebus Riddles: A Talmudic Example of Linguistic Ingenuity and Bilingual Wordplay
Cryptic Hospitality: Unraveling Bilingual Wordplay in Talmudic Riddles about Innkeepers
Enigmatic Metaphors: Decoding Symbolic Language in R' Abbahu's Talmudic Riddles
Double Entendre and Cryptic Language: Unpacking R' Abbahu's Multifaceted Talmudic Riddle
R’ Abbahu's Discreet Journey South: Seeking Counsel with the Sages
Appendix - Hebrew Structure
The Passage
Intro
This sugya is a continuation of the one contrasting the speech of Judeans and Galileans, which I analyze here.
This passage contains a series of seven enigmatic statements and riddles attributed to “The maidservant of Rabbi” (אמתא דבי רבי - meaning, the maidservant of R’ Yehudah HaNasi) , R' Yosi bar Asyan, R' Abahu, and R' Elai.
These statements are said to be in "Lashon Chokhmah (or: Chakhama)" (לשון חכמה), “a language of wisdom” i.e. riddles, which involve metaphorical or coded/cryptic language.
The formula used is as follows:
פלוני, כי הוה משתעי בלשון חכמה, אמר:
א
ב
Refer to the appendix at the end of this piece for the complete Hebrew structure, presented in a structured format.
See the detailed scholarly discussion in this Hebrew article by Shalom Ratsabi, "Casual Conversations in the Babylonian Talmud - Chapter 3."1
Ratsabi writes there, inter alia (my translation):
The knowledge of the lower class (such as the maidservant) was technical knowledge acquired naturally and was not necessarily related to wisdom and intellectual ability. Rabbi's maidservant does not express wisdom but conveys information incidentally without being aware of its importance.
There is also a Babylonian version of the stories about Rabbi's maidservant, presented with slight changes in Rosh Hashanah 26b2 and in Megillah 18a. The story in both sources differs from the story found in the sources from the Land of Israel and describes a series of separate and incidental encounters between the sages and Rabbi's maidservant, in all of which circumstances arose by chance, allowing her to teach them Hebrew. She does so assertively and with special intention. The repeated coincidence seems artificial and suggests that the Babylonian story is a less successful adaptation of the original from the Land of Israel.
Since the Babylonian version is secondary, it is worth adhering to the conclusions drawn from the content and style of the story in the Jerusalem Talmud, and assuming that the households of the sages, including the lower class like the maidservant, used the high Hebrew they absorbed from their environment naturally and unconsciously, rather than out of an intention to polish their language and create linguistic innovations.
It appears that the story about Rabbi's maidservant in the Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin, is based on the information from the Land of Israel about her. Therefore, the high language attributed to her does not indicate that she was wise or creative, but rather that she used expressions she absorbed in Rabbi's household to convey Rabbi's wishes to his students, who were also familiar with his language. She is not portrayed as creating the imagery and expressions, but as using a rich language because that is the language known to her. (The abundance of Aramaic words makes it clear that these are not authentic words spoken by the maidservant, as she was known for her Hebrew, but words attributed to her by the Babylonian editor according to the image known to him.)
The Wit and Wisdom of Judean Speech: Enigmatic Sayings from R' Yehuda HaNasi's Maidservant
The Talmud contrasts the speech of the Galileans, with their ignorance and roughness, with the clever and enigmatic speech of the Judeans and the Sages (see my intro).
An example is given of the maidservant in the house of R' Yehuda HaNasi, who would speak in riddles or metaphors (לשון חכמה - literally: “wise speech”, see my intro). For instance, she would say:
"The ladle (עלת) used for drawing wine from the jug is already knocking against the bottom of the jug," meaning the wine jug is almost empty,
"Let the eagles fly (ידאון - a biblical Hebrew verb used for eagle’s flight) to their nests," meaning the students should go home because there is no more wine left.
(For more examples of oracular and riddle-like speech in the Talmud, see my previous pieces.)3
אמהתא דבי רבי,
כי הוה משתעיא בלשון חכמה,
אמרה הכי:
עלת נקפת בכד,
ידאון נישריא לקיניהון.
In contrast to the speech of the Galileans, which indicates ignorance and loutishness, the Gemara cites examples of the clever phraseology of the inhabitants of Judea and the Sages: The maidservant in the house of R' Yehuda HaNasi,
when she would speak enigmatically, employing euphemistic terminology or in riddles,
she would say as follows:
The ladle used for drawing wine from the jug is already knocking against the bottom of the jug, i.e., the wine jug is almost empty.
Let the eagles fly to their nests, i.e., let the students return home, as there is nothing left for them to drink.
Uncorking Generosity: A Symbolic Invitation in R' Yehuda HaNasi's Household
The passage describes a scene where R’ Yehuda HaNasi wanted his students or guests to sit down, and the afore-mentioned female servant would suggest opening another jug of wine, using a metaphorical expression.
She would say:
"Let us remove the stopper from another jug," implying opening a new jug of wine,
and "let the ladle float in the jug” (the same line as in the previous section)
“like a ship (אילפא) sailing in the sea," suggesting that they should serve and enjoy the wine freely.
וכד הוה בעי דליתבון,
הוה אמרה להו:
יעדי בתר חברתה מינה,
ותתקפי עלת בכד,
כאילפא דאזלא בימא.
And when R' Yehuda HaNasi wanted them to sit,
she would say to them:
Let us remove the stopper from another jug,
and let the ladle float in the jug
like a ship sailing in the sea.
Bilingual Rebus Riddles: A Talmudic Example of Linguistic Ingenuity and Bilingual Wordplay
The Talmud recounts that R' Yosei bar Asyan would speak in riddles by combining Hebrew and Aramaic words.
For instance, he would say, "Prepare for me an ox in judgment on a poor mountain," which translates to a request for "beets with mustard."
He arrived at this by merging the Aramaic word for ox ("tor") and the Hebrew word for judgment ("din") to form "teradin" (beets), and the Hebrew word for mountain ("har") with the Hebrew word for poor ("dal") to form "ḥardal" (mustard).
"Ox in judgment": Ox (Aramaic: Tor - שור = תור) + Judgment (Hebrew: Din - משפט = דין) = Teradin (Beets - תרדין)
"On a poor mountain": Mountain (Hebrew: Har - הר) + Poor (Hebrew: Dal - מסכן = דל) = Ḥardal (Mustard - חרדל)
Final Request: Beets in mustard.4
רבי יוסי בר אסיין,
כי הוה משתעי בלשון חכמה,
אמר:
עשו לי:
שור במשפט
בטור מסכן.
The Gemara also relates that when R' Yosei bar Asyan would speak enigmatically,
he would say:
Prepare for me
an ox in judgment
on a poor mountain.
His method was to construct words by combining words from Aramaic translations of Hebrew words or Hebrew translations of Aramaic words. Ox is tor in Aramaic; judgment is din. Combined they form teradin, beets. Mountain in Hebrew is har, which they pronounced ḥar; poor is dal. Together it spells ḥardal, mustard. Thus, R' Yosei bar Asyan was requesting beets in mustard.
Cryptic Hospitality: Unraveling Bilingual Wordplay in Talmudic Riddles about Innkeepers
This example is another instance where R' Yosei bar Asyan employs linguistic creativity to ask about an innkeeper using an enigmatic phrase constructed from Hebrew words:
Syllable-by-Syllable Construction: The phrase "This man here is raw" (גבר פום דין חי) is constructed by breaking down the Hebrew words into their basic phonetic components:
Man (Hebrew: Ish - גבר = איש) + Here (Hebrew: Po - פום = פה) + This (Hebrew: Zeh - דין = זה) + Raw (Hebrew: Na - חי = נא) = Ish-po-zeh-na. When spoken together, they approximate the sound of Ushpazikhna (innkeeper).5
וכד הוה שאיל באושפיזא,
אמר הכי:
גבר פום דין חי,
מה זו טובה יש?
And when he would inquire about an inn,
he would say as follows:
This man here is raw;
what is this good that there is?
The phrase “this man here is raw” is used in a similar syllable-by-syllable translation: man in Hebrew is ish; here is po; this is zeh; and raw is na. All together, they sound like ushpazikhna, i.e., an innkeeper (Rabbeinu Ḥananel). In other words, R' Yosei bar Asyan was asking after the innkeeper.
Enigmatic Metaphors: Decoding Symbolic Language in R' Abbahu's Talmudic Riddles
This example of R' Abbahu’s enigmatic speech involves a form of metaphorical wordplay combined with enigmatic imagery to convey a specific request using creative and symbolic language:
The color of an etrog (אתריגו) is typically yellow, and the phrase "beat (ארקיעו) the golden ones" refers to the act of spreading out the coals, which glow red like gold when heated.
The phrase "two speakers (מגידי) in-the-dark (עלטה - a biblical Hebrew word)" is an indirect way of referring to roosters, which are known for crowing at dawn when it is still dark.
רבי אבהו, כי הוה משתעי בלשון חכמה,
הוה אמר הכי:
אתריגו לפחמין,
ארקיעו לזהבין,
ועשו לי: שני מגידי בעלטה.
[...]
When R' Abbahu would speak enigmatically,
he would say as follows:
Make the coals the color of an etrog;
beat the golden ones, i.e., spread out the coals, which redden like gold when they glow;
and make me two speakers-in-the-dark, i.e., roosters, which announce the dawn when it is still dark.
[...]
Double Entendre and Cryptic Language: Unpacking R' Abbahu's Multifaceted Talmudic Riddle
This example involves R' Abbahu’s use of cryptic language and double entendre to provide a clever response to an inquiry by anonymous rabbis (רבנן) as to the whereabouts of R' Elai: “Show us (הצפיננו) where R' Elai is hiding (צפון)”.
The phrase "He rejoiced (עלץ) with the latter Aharonic girl" can be read either literally, referring to a woman, or metaphorically, referring to a tractate of the Talmud.
אמרו ליה רבנן לרבי אבהו: הצפיננו היכן רבי אלעאי צפון.
אמר להן:
עלץ
בנערה
אהרונית
אחרונית
עירנית
והנעירתו.
אמרי לה: אשה.
ואמרי לה: מסכתא.
In a similarly clever manner, the Sages said to R' Abbahu: Show us [hatzpinenu] where R' Elai is hiding [tzafun], as we do not know his whereabouts.
He said to them:
He rejoiced
with the maiden [who is]6
latter [aḥaronit]
Aharonic [Aharonit]
lively [eiranit]
and kept him awake [vehiniratu].
There are two ways to understand this cryptic statement: Some say it refers to a woman, i.e., he married a young girl from a priestly family [Aharonic], who is his second [latter] wife, from a village [eiranit], and he is sleeping now because she kept him awake during the night.
And some say it refers to a tractate. The term girl refers to the tractate; Aharonic indicates that it is a tractate from the order of Kodashim, which deals with the priestly service. The phrase the latter means that it is his latest course of study, and lively alludes to the challenging nature of the subject matter. Since he was awake all night studying, he is presently sleeping.
R’ Abbahu's Discreet Journey South: Seeking Counsel with the Sages
People ask R' Elai to reveal R' Abbahu's location. R' Elai responds that R' Abbahu has consulted with “the one who crowns” (מכתיר - meaning, the Nasi, the authority who appoints sages), and “and has gone south (הנגיב) to Mephibosheth”
This is interpreted by commentators to mean that has traveled south to visit the Sages of the region, metaphorically referred to as Mephibosheth, an allusion to the wise grandson of King Saul. Presumably “south” here refers to Lod.
אמרי ליה לרבי אלעאי:
הצפיננו היכן רבי אבהו [צפון].
אמר להן:
נתייעץ במכתיר
והנגיב למפיבשת.
The Gemara continues: They said to R' Elai:
Show us where R' Abbahu is hiding, as we do not know where he is.
He said to them:
He has taken counsel with the one who crowns, i.e., the Nasi, who appoints the Sages,
and has gone south [hingiv] to Mephibosheth, i.e., he has headed to the Sages of the south, referred to here as Mephibosheth, who was King Saul’s grandson and a great Sage of his time.
Appendix - Table and Hebrew Structure
Maid of Rabbi - A
אמהתא דבי רבי, כי הוה משתעיא בלשון חכמה, אמרה הכי:
עלת נקפת בכד,
ידאון נישריא לקיניהון.
Maid of Rabbi - B
וכד הוה בעי דליתבון, הוה אמרה להו:
יעדי בתר חברתה מינה,
ותתקפי עלת בכד,
כאילפא דאזלא בימא.
R’ Yosi b. Asyan - A
רבי יוסי בר אסיין, כי הוה משתעי בלשון חכמה, אמר:
עשו לי שור במשפט
בטור מסכן.
R’ Yosi b. Asyan - B
וכד הוה שאיל באושפיזא, אמר הכי:
גבר פום דין חי,
מה זו טובה יש?
R’ Abahu
רבי אבהו, כי הוה משתעי בלשון חכמה, הוה אמר הכי:
אתריגו לפחמין,
ארקיעו לזהבין,
ועשו לי שני מגידי בעלטה [...]
R’ Abahu and R' Elai - A
אמרו ליה רבנן לרבי אבהו: הצפיננו היכן רבי אלעאי צפון.
אמר להן:
עלץ בנערה
אהרונית
אחרונית
עירנית
והנעירתו.
אמרי לה: אשה.
ואמרי לה: מסכתא.
R’ Abahu and R' Elai - B
אמרי ליה לרבי אלעאי: הצפיננו היכן רבי אבהו [צפון].
אמר להן:
נתייעץ במכתיר
והנגיב למפיבשת.
For that passage in tractate Rosh Hashana, on the Hebrew speech of R’ Yehudah HaNasi’s maidservant revealing the meaning of specific Hebrew words, see my piece here.
From a broader linguistic perspective, the riddles and wordplays used by R' Yosei bar Asyan, here and in the in the next example, are examples of bilingual rebus puzzles.
Bilingual Wordplay: The wordplay involves the interplay between the two languages of the Talmud: Hebrew and Aramaic. By combining words from the two languages, R' Yosei bar Asyan creates a new meaning that requires knowledge of both languages.
Rebus Puzzle: A rebus is a puzzle where words are represented by combinations of pictures, letters, or symbols that sound like the words they represent. In this case, R' Yosei bar Asyan creates a rebus by combining parts of words (in Hebrew and Aramaic) to form new words (in Hebrew) that sound like the desired items (beets and mustard).
The riddle relies on phonetic similarity between the combined words and the target words. Here, tor and din are combined to sound like teradin (beets), and har and dal combine to sound like hardal (mustard). The phonetic transformation is key to the wordplay.
אושפזיכנא - a loanword from Persian or Latin, see discussion of etymology here אשפיז - ויקימילון, and here.
I slightly adjusted Steinsaltz’s translation here. I added: “the maiden [who is]”, to translate the original Hebrew na’arah, this word is translated in the Steinsaltz translation as “girl", after the second descriptor (“Aharonic girl").