Zichronos book cover Zichronos is in print! Order your copy on Amazon
MISC

Old Remedies for Snakebite

Old Remedies for Snakebite

Part of Misc · 12:21

A grab-bag of historical folk remedies for snake venom -- rose and beer, milk, and an etrog-and-honey mixture -- alongside the Rebbe's warning about treating Yom Ha'atzmaut as true redemption.

Audio Transcript
Rebbe鈥檚 warning about Yom Ha'atzmaut and early redemption

Yes. Yeah, right. If the, the Rebbe said to somebody that if anybody who gives a hand to, yeah, the Rebbe, anybody gives the the Rebbe, if someone gives a hand to Yom Haatzmaut, 砖讟讜驻讟 讗驻 诪砖讬讞 诪讬讟 驻讜驻爪讬讙 讬讗专. Who said that? The Rebbe. The Rebbe. 砖讟讜驻讟 讗驻 诪砖讬讞 诪讬讟 驻讜驻爪讬讙 讬讗专, these words. The Rebbe had a problem with the going and saying it? The Rebbe spoke 爪讜讜讗谞爪讬拽注 砖讬讞讜转 against it. How many years ago the Rebbe said that? About the 讗转讞诇转讗 讚讙讗讜诇讛. The Rebbe said, once said, the reason they found korbanot by Yidden in Eretz Yisrael, that what people get killed, because they say 讗转讞诇转讗 讚讙讗讜诇讛. 专讗砖讬转, 专讗砖讬转 爪诪讬讞转 讙讗讜诇转谞讜, it's the beginning. That's apikorsut. Fine. Okay. Yasher koach. Okay. It says in the Mishnah, where? The Gemara quotes from the 诪砖谞讛, 讜砖讜转讬谉 讗讘讜讘专讜讗讛. It says Shabbos you're not allowed to take medicine. And, but if, there's like certain things which cure you, but if people that are not sick also take it, like certain things, certain foods they say if you're sick it's good to eat eat those foods, but other people also eat it, that you're allowed to. So it says you're allowed to drink drink 讗讘讜讘专讜讗讛. What's that? What's that? 驻专注讙讟 讚讬 讙诪专讗, your 拽砖讬讗, 诪讗讬 讗讘讜讘专讜讗讛? What's that? 诪讗讻诇 讘专讬讗, what do you call that, etc. In other words... No, 诪讗讻诇 讘专讬讗讬诐. 讘专讬讗讬诐, which means healthy people also eat it. Like someone say has a cold, he wants to drink orange juice because orange juice is vitamin C and it helps your cold. But normal people also drink it, so you're allowed to, even if you have intentions to do it because you're sick. Right? Huh? Vitamins? Vitamins itself is a shakla vetarya if you could take. Everybody takes vitamins. On Shabbos. Oh, I mean everyone takes normal, no, regular vitamins, yeah, but you take it for a specific it's still a type of vitamin. Yeah, things that you take every day that you're that you're allowed to, that's for sure. That's the whole klal. The klal is if it's a 诪讗讻诇 讘专讬讗讬诐 also, if healthy people take it, you're allowed to. But, so therefore he says you're allowed to drink 讗讘讜讘专讜讗讛.

Identifying 讗讘讜讘专讜讗讛 and 讞讜诪讟专讬讗 in the Gemara

驻专注讙讟 讚讬 讙诪专讗: 诪讗讬 讗讘讜讘专讜讗讛? Well, 讗讘讜讘专讜讗讛 that's 讞讜诪讟专讬讗. 讞讜诪讟专讬? Huh? What's 讞讜诪讟专讬讗? 诪讗讬 讞讜诪讟专讬讗? What's 讞讜诪讟专讬讗? The Gemara answers: 讞讜讟专讬 讚住讬讚讗讬. 讞讜讟专讬 讚住讬讚讗讬 means it's a kind of spice, a kind of herb that grows, it's thick by itself. There is a name for it, I have no idea what it is, maybe in English they have some name for it. 诇诪讗讬 讗讬转注讘讬讚, what is it good for? We said that you're allowed to drink it because other people also drink it. But Lemaaseh, even if you have a mind to drink it for a sickness, you're allowed to. What What problem do you drink? So he says: 诇讙诇讜讬讬讗. If someone drank 诪讬诐 诪讙讜诇讬诐. We know that in the time of the Gemara they made a issur, you're not allowed to drink water that was left uncovered, unguarded. If you leave a cup of water on the table, you turn away for one minute, you can't drink that cup. Why? Because we're afraid that a snake crept up and drank from it and left some venom in it. Thought you had to walk out of the room or something? No, no. If you're not watching... You just turned away? Yeah. Turned away for like a minute, a certain amount of time. So So if you did that, then you're then you're sick. Then you have venom in you, chas v'shalom. I think it's 讻讜住讘专转讗, no? You said... No, 讻讜住讘专转讗 讝讛 诇讗... No, 讻讜住讘专转讗. He said 讗讘讜讘专讜讗讛 and 讞讜诪讟专讬讗. 讗讘讜讘专讜讗讛 and 讞讜诪讟专讬讗. 讞讜诪讟专讬讗. It's and it's I guess, it's not Chinese. Yeah, I understand. So if a person drank 诪讬诐 诪讙讜诇讬诐, this is what is good for. Okay. 讜讗讬 诇讗, if he doesn't have this 讗讘讜讘专讜讗讛, what does he do if he drank 诪讬诐 诪讙讜诇讬诐? Oh, here they so here the Gemara goes into a lot of cures.

Rose and beer remedy for snake venom

诇讬讬转讬 讞诪砖讛 讻诇讬诇讬, bring five roses, 讜讞诪砖讛 讻住讬 讚砖讬讻专讗, and five cups of beer, 讜谞讘砖诇讬谞讛讜 讘讛讚讬 讛讚讚讬, cook it together and let it evaporate cooking, 注讚 讚拽讬讬诪讗 讗讗谞驻讬拽讗, till it becomes, you get a cup of of of liquid of beer which has this the the rose in it, the amount 讗讗谞驻讬拽讗, that's a certain amount, 讜谞讬砖转讬, and you drink it. If you do that, that kills the venom that you have inside you that the snake might have left. I'll tell my son-in-law about that. He loves beer, but I don't think he ever tried it with roses. Okay. All these are are no longer valid. If any, any interest in aggadata zone, or otherwise it's just... No. No, but it's Torah. Okay. Interesting, as anything else. That's true. No, I mean if you other things in Gemara, this guy did this, he went there, I mean... All these things are taken whole, they don't mean that. Why can't... No, no, this has nothing to do with Shabbos. No, you ask stam how you can't take medicine on Shabbos, because we're afraid that you might not have and you might make medicine by grinding. That's it. Nowadays we don't make medicine, like we don't make instruments, so... A modern zach. By the instruments, it says clearly you're allowed nowadays, not instruments, by the dancing and singing. You're allowed even though the chashash is you might make instruments, but because nowadays we can't, we don't know how, you're allowed, and this doesn't say. This is still assur. Medicine, that's still assur. We don't know how to make medicine either. The aggadata so it's even like Ein Yaakov is for all times. It's not just... Not Not this part, not the physical part. In other words, this not necessarily will help nowadays because the nature of the body, not because chas v'shalom the Torah is not true, but the Torah, the body changed. Mimela this doesn't apply. But in ruchniyut this applies. Now, whatever ruchniyut means in this case. 讗讬诪转 讚讗专讘注讛... 讗讞讗 讘专 讗诪讬, the mother of 专讘 讗讞讗 讘专 讗诪讬, 注讘讚讛 诇讬讛 诇讛讛讜讗 讙讘专讗, she, this was a guy who drank this 讙讬诇讜讬, 诪讬诐 诪讙讜诇讬谉. So she did for him this, 讞讚 讻诇讬诇讗 讜讞讚 讻住讗 讚砖讬讻专讗. What she did was not five and five, she did one. She took one rose, put it in one cup of beer, shalka, she cooked it, 讜讗砖拽讬转讬讛, and she gave him to drink. And then, I guess because it wasn't five, so she had to do extra stuff. 讜砖讙专讗 转谞讜专讗, she lit the oven, she made a heated up the oven, 讜讙专驻转讬讛, but then she took out the the ashes, so ashes which have some, you know, coal, which makes keeps it hot, took it out, it shouldn't be that hot. 讜讗讜转讬讘讗 诇讘讬谞转讗 讘讙讜讬讛, and she took a 诇讘谞讛, a a brick, brick, brick, and put it in so that he'll be able to sit on it. And she had the guy go into the oven, and sit on the brick. Why on the brick? Because the floor was very hot, so in order not to touch the floor, sat on the brick. 讜谞驻拽 讻讛讜爪讗 讬专拽讗. And this made that from his mouth came out the snake came out the the the the the leaf The venom came out in the shape of a leaf of a hadas. Detoxing, they do that, what do we call those things? You know, they sit in a tent with all these hot rocks and the Sweat sweat lodge. Sweat lodge, yeah. That's a thing? Yeah, yeah. Very it's very very hot. Like an oven. I guess it was both.

Alternative cures: milk, etrog with honey, and hops

Yeah. Rav Avya 讗诪专, Rav Avya says like this, I have another etzah for this 讙讬诇讜讬. 专讘讬注转讗 讚讞诇讘讗 诪注讬讝讗 诪注讬讝讗 讞讬讜专讗, a 专讘讬注讬转 of milk from a white goat. Rav Huna bar Yehuda 讗诪专, Rav Huna bar Yehuda says, I have another etzah. 诇讬讬转讬 讗转专讜讙讗 讞诇讬讗, bring a sweet 讗转专讜讙, 讜诇讞讬讬拽讬讛, carve out, carve out a hole in it, 讜诇诪诇讬讬讛 讚讜讘砖讗, fill it up with honey, 讜诇讜转讘讬讛 讗诪讬诇讗 讚谞讜专讗, and put it into the fire, put it into the coal of the fire, and let it dry up, cuz from the heat it will dry up and the I guess the honey will be absorbed in the 讗转专讜讙, 讜诇讬讻诇讬讛, let him eat it. That will take care of it. Are sweet 讗转专讜讙讬诐 relatively sweet or are naturally sour? So asking, take a, he says, take a sweet 讗转专讜讙. How do you know? I guess there are 诪讬谞讬诐, there's certain kinds of 讗转专讜讙讬诐. Like you have oranges, sweet oranges and not so sweet oranges. Hey, put it in honey, it becomes sweet. No, it says lechatchilah take a take a sweet one. Rav Chanina 讗诪专, Rav Chanina says a different etzah. Now this is a little bit strange. 诪讬 专讙诇讬诐 讚讗专讘注讬谉 讬讜诪讬谉. You should drink urine that's forty days old. Or, Rashi another peshat, that's taken from a baby that's forty days old. Okay. Then it continues The same thing, the 讙讬诇讜讬, that he drank from water that was uncovered and you're afraid there was a venom from a snake there. Drink urine? I'd rather have forty-day-old urine, fresh urine though. Forty-day-old baby. No, there's two peshatim, one is that the urine is forty-eight, forty days laying, or forty, from a forty-day-old baby. Okay. Then it says like this, Probably a better etzah if it's looks for forty day old, so when the the the urine has sat around for forty days. That you can always find. Who keeps urine around for forty days? In the refrigerator, why? What has forty got to do with it? I don't know that. Got to be at least forty or not to forty? Forty is a special number. Remember when you were forty? Think I had leave it on, Okay. About the snake, they were still careful about the water though, right? Even though Nowadays? No. No, we don't talk about snake. No, there's no issur anymore. Meaning? I understand because Water left alone in the room, you don't have to No, nowadays, no. No issur because what? Cuz no snakes around. Don't we have 砖诪讬专转 谞驻砖? Even so, 砖诪讬专转 谞驻砖, no 砖诪讬专转 谞驻砖. No, that's something else that is it. Water stayed in a metal 讻诇讬 overnight. Different thing altogether. Has nothing to do with snake. Not the snake. But some people But some people camping out, who you have to be worried about it, But some people, but let it drop off in the cup. That's a different thing. That has nothing to do with this. It's a different thing. Why do they do Yeah, but it's nothing to do with 讙讬诇讜讬. Why do they do that? That's a different din. It's a din in Shulchan Aruch. The Alter Rebbe brings this in Gemara. Drop off on the It has nothing to do with 讙讬诇讜讬. It's not because of the snake or anything. There is a little thing the first the the the 砖讚讬诐 are there in the first drop of water. Okay. Now, this 诪讬 专讙诇讬诐, this urine, as we said, 驻讝讬讬谞讗, 驻讝讬讬谞讗 is a small small 讻诇讬, very small amount. That if you drink a little bit, so then 诇讝讬讘讜专讗, that helps if you got a bite from a a a wasp. A hornet? Wasp. A wasp. Now, 专讘讬注转讗, a 专讘讬注讬转 诇注拽专讘讗 is good if you got a bite from a scorpion. 驻诇讙讗 讚专讬讘注讗, half of a 诇讜讙, 专讬讘注讗 is a 诇讜讙, 诇讙讬诇讜讬. Is it half a 诇讜讙? No. Half a 诇讜讙. 专讘讬注讬转? Quarter of a 诇讜讙. Quarter of a 诇讜讙. 专讘讬注讬转 诇讜讙 讛讜讗. No, it's 讞爪讬 诇讜讙, Rashi. 专讬讘注讗, that's not a 专讘讬注讬转, half a 专讘讬注讬转? 专讬讘注讗 is a half a 诇讜讙. 专讬讘注讗 is half. Is a half a 诇讜讙. Yeah. Then he says, 专讬讘注讗, that's 专讬讘注讗. Then he says 专讬讘讗, no 驻诇讙讗 did he say, I used the wrong 讙专住讗. 驻诇讙讗, the half of a 诇讜讙. 专讬讘讗, a whole 诇讜讙, that is so good until his urine. Drink! 讜讗驻讬诇讜 诇讻砖驻讬诐 诪注诇讬, it's even good for magic. If someone hurts you with magic, you drink that? Chaim. They do that in India. Really? 40 days, almost. There are people that do this. Why? Why do they drink? There's special diets where this It's got a lot of the hormones People do drink it? Yeah, people drink urine. Okay. Then 讗诪专 讗讘讬讬, 讛谞讬 讙讬专讚讗 讚讗住谞讗, 谞讬讙专讚, 讜讗诪讙专, 讜转讬专讬讬拽讗, these are three types of herbs, maybe in English they have some kind of names for them. 诪注诇讜, they're good, 讘讬谉 诇讙讬诇讜讬 讘讬谉 诇讻砖驻讬诐, they're good for 讙讬诇讜讬, 诪讬诐 诪讙讜诇讬诐, and also for 讻砖驻讬诐.

Handling swallowed snakes and magical ailments

住诇讬拽 讚讗讬, 讛讗讬 诪讗谉 讚讘诇注 讞讬讜讬讗, someone swallowed a snake. What do you do? Okay, 诇讬讻讜诇 讻住讜住讗 讘诪讬诇讞讗, so you should eat 讻住讜住讗 in salt. 讻住讜住讗 in Yiddish is hops, what's in English? Is that for him? Yeah, it's for you, Rabbi. Tell him to call back. Did you get a letter today? You get a letter, text me. Did you get a letter? Text me. Did you answer it? No, I didn't. No. When it says a snake, does a worm also qualify as a snake? No, this is a snake. A worm is disgusting, but it's not venom. This is a snake, has venom. So you should eat this 讻住讜住讗, what did you say it means? Hops. Hops, whatever this is. Hops makes beer, yeah. Beer, hops. Yeah, 讘诪讬诇讞讗, eat it with salt. And then 讜讬专讛讜讟 转诇转讗 诪讬诇讬, and then run for three ma, three mil. Sweat it out. Three miles. What happen when you run, not miles, but three mil, and that gets the, the snake I guess very tired, exhausted, and he will get out. Okay? There are more things about swallowing these snakes. It could be something to move your bowels, the snake could move that way. No, it causes the, the snake to die, it says, it causes the snake to die inside because your body temperature raised. Okay, body temperature. Go figure. Yashar koach, Marty.

NOW PLAYING Choose a shiur to begin Rabbi Yehuda Leib Schapiro
0:00
0:00