Pt1 The Talmudic Sugya of Remedies (Gittin 69a-b)

This is the first part of a three-part series.

Outline of My Intro

1. Intro

   1. Major Themes

   2. Numerological Significance

   3. Medical Manual Organization

   4. Formulaic Phrases

   5. Some Ingredients Mentioned

   6. Plants

   7. Animal products

   8. Minerals/processed

   9. Procedural Instructions

   10. Ritual Healing Formulas

2. Technical

3. Outline of the Sugya

Intro

This sugya provides an extended window into Talmudic approaches to health and healing, where natural remedies, ritual practices, and symbolic actions intersect. In an era with an intrinsic belief in the interplay of the physical and spiritual, this sugya compiles a wide array of treatments for ailments ranging from fevers and intestinal pain to chronic illnesses, skin conditions, and even mystical afflictions. They reveal a holistic worldview, blending practical applications of herbs, minerals, and animal products with ritualistic and often symbolic practices.

The remedies reflect an extensive usage of natural ingredients, such as the use of leeches for spleen disorders or wheat oil for skin conditions like lichen planus. Simultaneously, the symbolic rituals, such as invoking the drying of a spleen with a goat’s organ or employing moonlight as part of a fever treatment, emphasize the supernatural dimensions of healing. These approaches not only sought to address physical symptoms but also engaged with the metaphysical, where illnesses were often perceived as tied to environmental influences, dietary practices, or even celestial phenomena.

The compilation also highlights the diversity of techniques in addressing specific ailments, often offering multiple alternatives based on the patient's resources or circumstances. For example, treatments for fever include everything from straightforward hydration to elaborate processes involving roasted hens, bloodletting, or immersion in water. Similarly, remedies for ailments like toothaches or intestinal pain could range from using natural oils and peppers to engaging in detailed ritual chants and actions.

Thes sugya capture the varied approaches of the Talmudic sages in addressing health challenges. Whether through detailed instructions for mixing herbs, warnings about dangerous practices like drinking uncovered water, or careful guidance on the symbolic placement of items like crimson strings.

Major Themes

Numerological Significance

• 3: Represents completeness/perfection (e.g. three cups of medicine)

• 7: Divine/magical number¹ (seven-colored scorpion, seven fistfuls, seven houses)

• 60 and 300: Babylonian base-60 (sexagesimal) numerical system influence; likely represents comprehensive treatment (e.g. pouring 60 or 300 cups of medicine on each side of the head)

Medical Manual Organization

• Anatomical progression (head to internal organs; see my outline later showing this)

• Symptom-based categorization

• Some demarcation between conditions

• Some cross-referencing between related conditions

• Some integration of case studies and empirical observations

Formulaic Phrases

• "[As a remedy] for" (ל...) - Section headers

• "He should bring" (לייתי) - Standard opening for prescriptions, listing the ingredients to use

• "He should take" (ונישקול) - Procedural steps

• "And if not" (ואי לא) - Consistent transition between alternatives

Some Ingredients Mentioned

Plants

• Cypress (שורבינא)

• Myrtle (אסא)

• Olive (זית)

• Roses (ורדא)

• Beets (סילקא)

• Leeks (כרתי)

• Chamomile (חומתי ; סיסין)

• Cumin (כמונא)

• Fenugreek (שובלילתא)

Animal products

• Rooster (תרנגולא)

• Dog feces (נפקא)

• Goat milk

• Goat spleen

• Leeches (ביני דמיא)

• Pigeon droppings (שיאפא דחמימתא)

Minerals/processed

• Silver (כספא): silver water; silver dross; Silver Dinar

• Kohl (כוחלא)

• Ammonia (נישדור)

• Clay (טינא)

• Wine (חמרא)

• Beer (שיכרא)

• Vinegar (חלא)

Procedural Instructions

• Some precise quantities:²

  • Fistfuls (כוני)

  • Egg-bulks (ביעי)

  • Walnut-size (כאמגוזא)

  • Spoonful (תרוודא)

  • Cups (כסי)

  • Quarter log (אנפקא ; רביעתא)

  • Se'a (גריבי)

  • Log (נטלא בת מחוזא)

• Specific timing requirements

• Detailed preparation methods

• Environmental conditions (shade vs. sun, summer vs. winter)

• Application methods

• Storage instructions

• Safety warnings

Ritual Healing Formulas

• Sympathetic magic: E.g. "Just as (כי היכי) this spleen is dried..." (in 69b #10)

• Name formulas: "so-and-so, son of so-and-so"³

• Directional specifications (east to west)

• Numerical repetitions

• Verbal incantations: “and let him say...” (ונימא)

• Symbolic actions (tying, hanging, burning)

• Time-specific requirements (Shabbat death)

Technical

For this sugya, I have approached my analysis a bit differently than usual:

1. I restrict myself to summarizing and presenting the original Hebrew/Aramaic text without additional commentary (again, because of the sugya's length).

2. Steinsaltz’s section numbers are included in the section headers.

3. I made only minimal changes to Steinsaltz’s translation and explanation.

Outline of the Sugya

The remedies are organized by body part, beginning with the head, progressing to the heart, and concluding with the intestines. There are approximately fifty total remedies in the sugya.

1. Head

   1. Remedies for Headache Due to Excess Blood (68b, #21-22)

      1. Option 1

      2. Option 2

   2. Remedy for Migraine (#23)

2. Eye

   1. Remedy for Eye Disease (69a, #1)

   2. Remedy for Night Blindness (#2)

   3. Remedy for Day Blindness (#3)

3. Nose

   1. Remedies for Nosebleed (#4-7)

      1. Option 1

      2. Option 2

      3. Option 3

      4. Option 4

      5. Option 5

      6. Option 6

4. Mouth

   1. Diagnosis of Blood from the Mouth (#9)

   2. Remedy for Lung-Origin Blood (#10)

   3. Remedy for Tooth Pain (#11)

   4. Remedies for Gum Pain (#12-13)

      1. Stabilizing the Illness

      2. Opening Wounds for Pus Removal

      3. Opening the Blister

      4. Healing the Blister

5. Lungs

   1. Remedies for Bronchial Infection (#14)

      1. Option 1

      2. Option 2

      3. Option 3

6. Stinging Pain

   1. Remedy for Stinging Pain (69b, #2a)

      1. Option 1

      2. Option 2

7. Remedy for Drinking Uncovered Water (#2b)

8. Remedy for Pus-Filled Wounds (#3)

9. Heart

   1. Remedy for Heart Heaviness (#4)

   2. Remedy for Heart Palpitations (#5)

   3. Remedy for Heart Pain (#6)

10. Intestines

    1. Remedy for Intestinal Pain (#7)

    2. Remedy for Roundworm (#8a)

    3. Remedy for White Worm (#8b)

    4. Remedies for Bowel Issues (#9)

    5. Remedies for Illness of the Spleen (#10-13)

       1. Option 1

       2. Option 2

       3. Option 3

       4. Option 4

       5. Option 5

       6. Option 6

    6. Remedies for Hemorrhoids (#14)

       1. Option 1

       2. Option 2

    7. Remedy for Rheumatism (#15)

    8. Remedies for a Bladder Stone (#16-18)

       1. Option 1

       2. Option 2

       3. Option 3

       4. Option 4

11. Remedy for External Fever (#19)

12. Remedy for Internal Fever (#20)

13. Remedy for Lichen Planus (70a, #2)

14. Appendix - Table Summarizing

The Passage

Gittin.68b.21-70a.2

Head

Remedies for Headache Due to Excess Blood (68b, #21-22)

Remedies for Headache Due to Excess Blood (דמא דרישא):

לדמא דרישא –

As a remedy for a headache caused by excessive blood in the head,

Option 1

Ingredients:

1. Cypress (שורבינא)

2. Willow (בינא),

3. Fresh myrtle (אסא דרא)

4. Olive,

5. Poplar (חילפא)

6. Sea willow (חילפי דימא)

7. Cynodon grass (יבלא)

Preparation: Boil the ingredients together.

Application: Pour 300 cups on each side of the head.

ליתי

1. שורבינא,

2. ובינא,

3. ואסא דרא,

4. וזיתא,

5. וחילפא,

6. וחילפי דימא,

7. ויבלא;

ולישלוקינהו בהדי הדדי;

ולנטול

• תלת מאה כסי אהאי גיסא דרישא,

• ותלת מאה כסי אהאי גיסא דרישא.

let him bring

1. cypress [shurvina],

2. willow,

3. fresh myrtle [asa dara],

4. olive,

5. poplar,

6. sea willow,

7. and cynodon grass

and boil them together.

And he should pour

• 300 cups of this liquid on one side of his head

• and 300 cups on this, the other side of his head.

Option 2

Alternative:

Boil a solitary (קאי בחד דרא) white rose (ורדא)

Pour 60 cups on each side of the head.

ואי לא –

ליתי ורדא חיורא דקאי בחד דרא,

ולישלקיה,

ולינטול

• שיתין כסי אהאי גיסא דרישא,

• ושיתין כסי אהאי גיסא דרישא

And if it is not effective or he is unable to obtain all of these ingredients

then let him bring a white rose [varda] that stands in one row, meaning that it was growing alone,

and he should boil it.

And he should pour

• 60 cups on this side of his head

• and 60 cups on this side of his head.

Remedy for Migraine (#23)

Remedy for migraine (צליחתא):

1. Procedure: Use a wild (ברא) rooster, slaughter it with a silver (חיורא) dinar (זוזא), letting the blood flow over the hurting (כייב) side of the head.

2. Caution: Avoid letting the blood blind (סמינהו) the eye.

3. Ritual: Hang the rooster on the doorpost (סיפא דבבא) and ensure contact (חייף) when entering or exiting.

לצליחתא –

ליתי תרנגולא ברא;

ולישחטיה בזוזא חיורא –

אההוא גיסא דכייב ליה,

ונזדהר מדמיה דלא לסמינהו לעיניה;

וליתלייה בסיפא דבבא –

• דכי עייל

  • חייף ביה,

• וכי נפיק

  • חייף ביה.

As a remedy for a migraine —

let him bring a wild rooster

and slaughter it using a silver dinar,

so that the blood flows over the side of his head that hurts him.

And he should be careful of its blood so as not to blind his eye.

And he should hang it on the doorpost of his house,

• so that when he enters

  • he rubs against it

• and when he exits

  • he rubs against it.

Eye

Remedy for Eye Disease (69a, #1)

Remedy for Eye Disease (ברוקתי):

Ingredients:

1. Seven-colored (חומרי) scorpion

2. The previous should be dried in the shade (טולא) and ground

3. Ground kohl (כוחלא) in a 1:2 ratio.

Application: Place three eyebrushes (מכחלי) of the mixture in each eye.

Excessive use may cause the eye to burst (פקע).

לברוקתי –

ליתי

עקרבא דשב חומרי,

ונייבשיה בטולא;

ונישחוק

• תרתי מנתא כוחלא,

• וחדא מנתא מיניה;

ולימלי

• תלתא מכחלי בהאי עינא,

• ותלתא מכחלי בהאי עינא;

טפי לא לימלי,

דאי לא –

פקע עיניה

§ As a remedy for eye disease [beroketi] —

let him bring the body of a seven-colored scorpion,

dry it in the shade,

and grind together

• 2 portions of stibium

• and 1 portion of the dried scorpion.

And let him place

• 3 eyebrushes full in this eye,

• and 3 eyebrushes full in that eye.

But he should not place more,

as if he does not heed this advice and he does place more —

his eye will burst.

Remedy for Night Blindness (#2)

Remedy for Night Blindness (שברירי דליליא):

Tools: Rope of animal hair (שודרא ברקא).

Procedure:

1. Tie the rope around one leg and the leg of a dog.

2. Children (ינוקי) throw (ניטרפו) pottery shards (חספא) after him and chant:

   1. "The dog is old (אסא)

   2. and the rooster is foolish (אכסא)."

3. Additional Steps: Collect (ליגבי) seven raw meat pieces (אומצי) from seven houses, leave them in the door-socket (צינורא דדשא), and he eats them in the city’s junkyard (קלקולי דמתא).

4. Untie the rope and recite the following formula:

   1. “The blindness (שברירי) of so-and-so (פלוני), son of so-and-so (פלוניתא);

   2. leave so-and-so, son of so-and-so”,

5. Blow (ליחרו) into the pupil (בביתא) of the dog’s eye.

לשברירי דליליא –

ניתי שודרא ברקא,

וניסר

• חדא כרעא מיניה,

• וחדא כרעא מכלבא;

וניטרפו ינוקי חספא אבתריה,

ולימרו ליה:

• ״אסא כלבא

• אכסא תרנגולא״;

וליגבי שב אומצי משבעה בתי,

וליתבינהו ניהליה בצינורא דדשא,

וניכלינהו בקלקולי דמתא.

בתר הכי,

לפשוט שודרא ברקא,

ונימרו הכי:

• ״שברירי דפלוני בר פלוניתא

• (שבקינהו) [לישבקוה] לפלוני בר פלוניתא",

וליחרו לכלבא בבביתא דעיניה.

As a remedy for night blindness —

he should bring a rope of animal hair [shudra barka],

and he should tie together with the rope

• one of his own legs

• and one leg of a dog

And let children throw pottery shards behind him,

and let them say to him:

• The dog is old

• and the rooster is foolish.

And let him take 7 pieces of raw meat from 7 houses

and let him leave them for him in the socket of the door.

And let him then eat them in the junkyard of the city.

Afterward,

he should untie the rope of hair

and say as follows:

• The blindness of so-and-so, son of so-and-so;

• leave so-and-so, son of so-and-so;

and then they say: Let them blow into the dog’s eye.

Remedy for Day Blindness (#3)

Remedy for Day Blindness (שברירי דיממא - Hemeralopia):

1. Tools: Seven animal spleens (סומקי מגווא דחיותא) and a pottery shard (חספא) of a bloodletter (אומנא). Roast (ניטוינהו) the spleens on the pottery shard.

2. Ritual:

   1. Perform a call-and-response between "blind man" (עוירא) outside and "seeing man” (פתיחא) inside

   2. Eat the spleens, and break the shard afterward to prevent recurrence.

לשברירי דיממא –

ליתי שבעה סומקי מגווא דחיותא,

וניטוינהו אחספא דאומנא;

וליתיב

• איהו מגואי,

• ואיניש אחרינא מאבראי,

• ונימא ליה עוירא:

  • ״הב לי דאיכול״,

• ונימא ליה האיך פתיחא:

  • ״סב איכול״;

ובתר דאכיל —

ליתבריה לחספא,

דאי לא –

הדרי עילויה.

As a remedy for day blindness —

hemeralopia, which is the inability to see clearly in bright light,

let him bring 7 animal spleens,

and let the patient roast them on the pottery shard of a bloodletter.

And let sit

• the patient on the inside of the house

• and another person sit on the outside,

• and let the patient say to himself:

  • Blind man!

  • give me something to eat,

• and let the other one say to the patient:

  • Seeing man!

  • take and eat.

And after the patient eats —

let him break the shard,

as if not —

the blindness will follow him.

1. See also: 7 (מספר) – ויקיפדיה, section “ביהדות”.

2. Compare Wikipedia, “Biblical and Talmudic units of measurement“, section “Volume“:

These measurements were related as follows:

• 1½ eggs = Quarter of a log (also used for a cup of wine)

• 6 eggs (beitza) = 1 log

• 4 log (24 eggs) = 1 kab

• 6 kab (144 eggs) = 1 se'ah

• 3 se'ah (432 eggs) = 1 ephah

• 5 ephah = 1 lethek

• 2 lethek = 1 kor

The kezayit is, by different sources, considered equal to ¹⁄₂ a beitza, ¹⁄₃ of a beitza, or not directly related to the other units of volume […]

For liquid measure, the main units were the Log, Hin, and Bath, related as follows:

• 1 Log (לֹג) = 4 Revi'ith (רביעית, lit. 'quarter [Log]')

• 1 Hin (הין) = 12 Logs

• 1 Bath (בת) = 6 Hin

[…]

In Talmudic times many more measures of capacity were used, mostly of foreign origin, especially from Persia and Greece, which had both held dominance over Judea by the time the Talmud came to be created. The definitions for many of these are disputed.

Those that were certain (disputed) fractions of the Kab include, in increasing order of size, ukla (עוכלא), tuman (תומן), and kapiza (קפיזא). Those that were larger, in increasing order of size, included the modius (מודיא), geriwa (geriwa), garab (גרב). Of unidentified size were the ardaba (אדרב), the kuna (כונא), and the qometz (קמץ); the latter two of these were said to equate to a handful.

Some dry measures were used for liquids as well, e.g. se'eh. The kortov (קורטוב) was used for very small amounts (1/64 of a log).

3. פלוני בר פלוניתא. The phrase Ploni bar P’lonita is a placeholder name meaning "[name], son of [mother's name]." Its modern English equivalent would be "John Doe, son of Jane Doe."

See Wikipedia, “List of placeholder names“, section “Hebrew“:

The traditional terms are פלוני (ploni) and its counterpart אלמוני (almoni) (originally mentioned in Ruth 4:1).

See Ruth.4.1:

ובעז עלה השער, וישב שם

והנה הגאל עבר, אשר דבר־בעז

ויאמר: סורה, שבה־פה, פלני אלמני

ויסר וישב

Meanwhile, Boaz had gone to the gate and sat down there.

And now the redeemer whom Boaz had mentioned passed by.

He called, “Come over and sit down here, So-and-so (פלני אלמני)!”

And he came over and sat down.