A too-keen-by-half psychological insight

25 January 2006

Chullin 109b has these, er, comforting words:

Yalta said to Rav Nachman [her husband]: Because for everything that the Merciful One forbade us, He permitted something equal:

1. He forbade us blood—He permitted liver;

2. having sexual relations during menstruation—having sexual relations when the blood does not cause ritual impurity;

3. forbidden fat from a domesticated animal—the fat from the same place on a wild animal;

4. pork—shibuta brains;

5. giruta—lishna d’kavra [two species of bird, according to Rashi];

6. a married woman—a divorcée while her ex-husband is still alive;

7. a sister-in-law—a brother’s widow [cf. Deuteronomy 25:5–6];

8. a non-Jew—the beautiful woman captured in wartime [cf. Deuteronomy 21:10–14].

I’m trying not to think too much about #6, and failing. Ugh!

• Later: Toddler blogging (one in a very occasional series, I promise)
• Earlier: Only a frum parent…