Old Superstitions Around Washing, Nails, and Fear
Old Superstitions Around Washing, Nails, and Fear
Part of Misc · 14:22
Covers folk-protections against fear and demons tied to eating without washing, cutting nails, and drinking -- plus the halacha of the four cups on Pesach night.
Audio Transcript
讚讗讻诇 转讞诇讬 讜诇讗 诪砖讬 讬讚讬讛, if someone eats tachli. Tachli is 砖讞诇讬讬诐, I don't know what English word for it is. What's an English word for it? And you don't wash your hand, if you eat this, bran? Is that what bran? No, it's 诪驻讞讬讚 讗专讘注讬谉 讬讜诪讬. You'll be afraid for 30 days... You'll have a certain like anxiety for 40 days, and the Gemara says later you won't know why. That's what will happen. Cress? If you eat 砖讞诇讬讬诐, cress. I don't know what cress is without washing your hands. Cress. 讚诪拽讬讝, water cress. 诪拽讬讝 讜诇讗 诪砖讬 讬讚讬讛, if someone draws blood and doesn't wash his hands, and in those days they used to do hakazat dam, they used to take out dam. 诪驻讞讬讚 砖讘注讛 讬讜诪讬. You'll be also afraid for seven days. Now, nowadays too, when you go and you know you get a blood test, Yeah, a blood sample. Is it the same thing? Yeah, you have to wash your hands. 讚砖拽诇 诪讝讬讬讛, if you take a haircut, 讜诇讗 诪砖讬 讬讚讬讛, and you don't wash your hands, 诪驻讞讬讚 转诇转讗 讬讜诪讬. You'll be afraid for three days. You have to wash your hands with a berachah, or without? No, no berachah. Now, the she'eilah is do you have to wash with a keli or is it enough just to wash? So, in Shulchan Aruch it says you this be'emet, this doesn't need a keli. Lefo'al, the minhag is that all these things, lemashel, when you get, take a haircut right away you have to wash your hands with, wash like 谞讙诇 讜讜讗住注专. And also here
讚砖拽诇 讟讜驻专讬讛, when you cut your nails 讜诇讗 诪砖讬 讬讚讬讛, and you don't wash your hands, 诪驻讞讬讚 讞讚 讬讜诪讬. You'll be afraid one day. The minhag is to wash three times, to wash like 谞讙诇 讜讜讗住注专. 讜诇讗 讬讚注 诪讗讬 拽讗 诪驻讞讬讚. You'll be afraid and you won't know why you're afraid. So, these the, that's why the the Shulchan Aruch, it mentions these things that you have to wash your hands after, after a haircut, after cutting your nails, but it doesn't say that you have to wash, it says be-feirush you do have to, do not need a keli. It's not regular 谞讙诇 讜讜讗住注专. The minhag is that you do wash with a keli like regular 谞讙诇 讜讜讗住注专. Even the kids are taught, you cut, get a haircut, same thing you go out of the shower. You go out of a shower, of the bath, you have to wash 谞讙诇 讜讜讗住注专. It doesn't say 谞讙诇 讜讜讗住注专, it says in Shulchan Aruch you have to wash. But lefo'al the My barber knows why the cup there. Huh? My barber has a cup there for washing. Oh, really? Oh. To wash 谞讙诇 讜讜讗住注专. Why out of the shower? Why? There's a, you go out of the 讘讬转 讛讻住讗, you go out of the 讘讬转 讛诪专讞抓. Yeah. So there's 讟讜诪讗讛, and then and the and the hands get whatever. And the hands get whatever. And here it says just to wash. I'm saying in Shulchan Aruch it mentions clearly this is one of those things that you do not need a keli. The 诪谞讛讙 讬砖专讗诇 is, I mean I mean 讘讬讬 讗讜谞讝, maybe 讘讬讬 讗讜谞讝. Huh? From 讘讬转 讛讻住讗, you don't
have to wash with a keli? You don't have to wash with a keli. Oh, a keli. No, you have to wash! But it doesn't need with a keli, it's not like regular negel vasser. L'poal, l'poal is like this, I have to tell you the truth. People always washed with a keli a lot of time, so we looked for a makor. The only thing I found is I saw 讻转讘 讬讚 of the Rebbe, someone wrote this that you wash your hands, so the Rebbe wrote with the 讻转讘 讬讚 that 诪谞讛讙 讛讜讗, 讛诪谞讛讙 讛讜讗 to wash regular negel vasser. But it says With a keli. with a keli. But that only seems to be by gedolim, not by ketanim. Because in 讛砖讻讘转讗 讚专讘讬, Rav Rivkin wrote 讛砖讻讘转讗 讚专讘讬, describes the last week of the Rebbe Rashab and it's thought that he was meshamesh him. He's a big lamdan, so he wrote the minhagim of the Rebbe plus he'arot there, u'mekorot. So he writes there that the Rebbe is laying in bed and already couldn't do things, he needs help. So if he went ketanim, he washed the hand stam a way. And when he went for gedolim, he washed with a keli negel vasser. So there's a chiluk between both, which one. Now what the Rebbe writes that the minhag is, doesn't make it clear that it's different. He just writes that the minhag is after being in the 讘讬转 讛讻住讗 you wash negel vasser. But could be from that there it's mashma that it's only when gedolim not by ketanim. Okay, Vayter.
讬讚讜 注诇 讞讜讟诪讜, if someone is 专讙讬诇 usually puts his hand by his nose, 讚专讙讗 诇驻讞讚讗. That's a 讚专讙讗, a step to be afraid. I think because it's connected know when a person is afraid a lot of times you hold your nose, I don't know if this says it like that, afraid. So, this is a siman that you're going to be afraid. 讬讚讜 注诇 驻讚讞转讜, if someone puts his hand a lot of time on his forehead, 讚专讙讗 诇砖讬谞转讗. That's the stepping stone to sleeping, going to sleep. 转谞讜 专讘谞谉, we also learned: 讗讜讻诇讬谉 讜诪砖拽讬谉 转讞转 讛诪讟讛, if you have food and drink under your bed, 讗驻讬诇讜 诪讻讜驻讬谉 讘讻诇讬 讘专讝诇, even if they're covered in a metal 讻诇讬, 专讜讞 专注讛 砖讜专讛 注诇讬讛谉, there's a ruach ra'ah. You shouldn't keep things under your bed. Food, mainly it's food and drink. Yeah, that you shouldn't put anything. But the Gemara It talks, mainly it's food. 转谞讜 专讘谞谉, the 专讘谞谉, the 专讘谞谉 have learned: 诇讗 讬砖转讛 讗讚诐 诪讬诐, 诇讗 讘诇讬诇讬 专讘讬注讬讜转 讜诇讗 讘诇讬诇讬 砖讘转讜转. You shouldn't drink water, not Wednesday night, which means the night of Wednesday, which means Tuesday night, and not Friday night. Now, it doesn't mean you can't drink water or you should you're not allowed to drink water. No, it doesn't mean you have to drink water. It means from the from the makor, from the well, from the, because there the shedim are, there's a ruach ra'ah. 讜讗诐 砖转讛, 讚诪讜 讘专讗砖讜. If you drank, then your blood is in your head. It's an expression. It means you're taking your life into your own hands. 诪驻谞讬 讛住讻谞讛, the sakana. 诪讗讬 住讻谞讛? What sakana is there? Ruach ra'ah. The sakana of ruach ra'ah. I thought we learned that the shedim were on were on Wednesday, not Thursday, Wednesday night. Well, it says 诇讬诇讬 专讘讬注讬讜转. Some learn it's Wednesday night, most learn it's Tuesday night, the night to Wednesday, just like 诇讬诇讬 砖讘转, it's not Shabbos night, it's Friday night. But this is not when we learned last time Same thing. I said the same thing there also, it says 诇砖讜谉 诇讬诇讬 专讘讬注讬讜转, and b'klal it means Tuesday night. Some learn it means like Wednesday night, but b'klal it is the night to Wednesday. It says you can drink without a light. Huh? It says you can drink the water without a light. There's some mefarshim say that. You can hear what? Light. In the dark. If you drink the water in the dark. 讜讗讬 爪讞讬, if you're thirsty, 诪讗讬 转拽谞转讬讛?
You're thirsty and there's water there, what do you do? You say you're not allowed to drink. So you learn this: 讗讬 讗讬讻讗 讞讘专讬讛 讘讛讚讬讛, if you have a friend next to you, 谞谞注专讬讛, wake him up, shake him up, 讜诇讬诪讗, you should say like this, 驻诇谞讬讗 爪讞讬谞讗 诪讬讗. Mention your own name. If your name is 讬注谞拽诇, say 讬注谞拽诇 needs to drink. Okay? Then that If you say that, the shedim are just They're scared. They're frightened, they go away. 讜讗讬 诇讗, if you don't have another guy there, 诇讬诪讗 讘专讬砖讗 砖讘注讛 拽讜诇讜转. You should say first, before you drink, say the seven 拽讜诇讜转 which is in 转讛讬诇讬诐 讚讗诪专 讚讜讚 注诇 讛诪讬诐, which is on the water, 讜讛讚专 谞讬砖转讬, and then you drink. Which pesukim? So he goes through them, 砖谞讗诪专, it says: 拽讜诇 讛' 注诇 讛诪讬诐 讗诇 讛讻讘讜讚 讛专注讬诐 讛' 注诇 诪讬诐 专讘讬诐. 拽讜诇 讛' 讘讻讞 拽讜诇 讛' 讘讛讚专. 拽讜诇 讛' 砖讜讘专 讗专讝讬诐 讜讬砖讘专 讛' 讗转 讗专讝讬 讛诇讘谞讜谉. 拽讜诇 讛' 讞讜爪讘 诇讛讘讜转 讗砖. 拽讜诇 讛' 讬讞讬诇 诪讚讘专 讬讞讬诇 讛' 诪讚讘专 拽讚砖. 拽讜诇 讛' 讬讞讜诇诇 讗讬诇讜转 讜讬讞砖讜祝 讬注专讜转 讜讘讛讬讻诇讜 讻诇讜 讗讜诪专 讻讘讜讚. Say all these pesukim. And these are five times 拽讜诇, and there's something to do with the water, so mimeila that also I guess frightens the 砖讚讬诐. 讜讗讬 诇讗, if you can't say that, okay, if you don't remember the pesukim by heart, or whatever you can't, 诇讬诪讗 讛讻讬, this is what you say. This is a real a real it sounds really You're going to remember, right? Huh? This one you're going to remember better than Tehillim, right? 诇讜诇 砖驻谉 讗谞讬讙专讜谉 讗谞专讚驻讜谉. These are all names of these 砖讚讬诐. 驻住讬 讻讜讻讘讬 讬转讘讬谉, they're sitting between the stars. 讝讬讬, 讘诇讬注讬 砖诪讬谞讗 讗讝讬诇谞讗, we're going between skinny and fat people. You say that, the 砖讚讬诐 go away. 讜讗讬 诇讗 讗讝讬诇谞讗 means \"I'm going\", what do you mean? Yeah. Yeah, I'm going and you're going also. It's it's The mefarshim say it means he's trying to tell him that you should know that the 砖讚讬诐, that your these bosses have left away. He says also, \"I'm going. I'm found there and you're found there.\" He doesn't say the lashon is not like that. Yeah. Also yeah, whatever. 讜讗讬 诇讗, if you can't say that, 讗讬 讗讬讻讗 讗讬谞讬砖 讘讛讚讬讛, if you have a person with you, 谞转注专讬讛, wake him up, 讜诇讬诪讗 诇讬讛, say like this: 驻诇谞讬讗 讘专 驻诇谞转讗 爪讞讬谞讗 诪讬讗. This person, the son of, and you mention the mother's name, is thirsty for water. 讜讛讚专 谞讬砖转讬, and then you drink. 讜讗讬 诇讗, and if not, there's neither one, 谞拽专拽砖 谞讬讻砖讗 讘诪讞爪驻讗, take the the the bang bang on the jar, make noise on the the the 讻诇讬 that you have, 讜讛讚专 谞讬砖转讬, and then you drink. Yeah, they'll wake your father-in-law up. Huh? Because fright? They get frightened, I guess, of the noise. 讜讗讬 诇讗, if you can't do that, 谞讬砖讚讬 讘讬讛 诪讬讚讬, put something into the water, 讜讛讚专 谞讬砖转讬, and then drink. I guess the first one is like 100% the strongest. The other ones, you could try that, hopefully it'll work. The person near you, can it be like your wife or a woman? Yeah, stam a person. Yeah, so the main thing, they're afraid of more than one person, so if they hear they hear there's another person there and you're talking, yeah. They don't like to be identified, that's the problem. They don't want anybody to see that they're there. Right. If there's two 注讬讚讬诐 If there's one guy they'll say, \"Oh, you have that shikosa.\" Clearly, it says by two they're afraid. In the Gemara that's the reason. It says, like, one they're mazik, two they're not mazik. Because two will come as an 注讚讜转 to say that they're there, that it's a whole Yeah, yeah. Yeah, they're afraid, that's why they don't Is the inyan of pesukim by them also? 转谞讜 专讘谞谉, the 专讘谞谉 have gezogt: 诇讗 讬砖转讛 讗讚诐 诪讬诐, 诇讗 诪谉 讛谞讛专讜转 讜诇讗 诪谉 讛讗讙诪讬诐. A person shouldn't drink water not from the rivers, not from the 讗讙诐, 讗讙诐 is a swamp, 讘诇讬诇讛, at night. 讜讗诐 砖转讛, if you drank, 讚诪讜 讘专讗砖讜, your blood is in your head, 诪驻谞讬 讛住讻谞讛, because of 住讻谞讛. Huh? Also, no, 诪讗讬 住讻谞讛? 住讻谞讛 砖讘专讬专讬. 住讻谞讛 you might get 砖讘专讬专讬. What's that? What's 砖讘专讬专讬? Blindness. Blindness. blindness. Okay, Rashbam. I don't know, okay. Oh, yeah. That's right, right. 砖讘专讬专讬 is a is a sickness of the eye. Blindness is a sickness of the eye, I don't know. 讗讬 爪讞讬, but if you're thirsty what you can't, what do you do? 讗讬 讗讬讻讗 讗讬谞讬砖 讙讘讬讛, if someone is with you, 谞讬诪讗 诇讬讛, say to him, 驻诇谞讬讗 讘专 驻诇谞讬转讗 爪讞讬谞讗 诪讬讗. Again, so this man, the son of this this woman, is thirsty for water. 讜讛讚专 谞讬砖转讬, and then you drink. 讜讗讬 诇讗, if there's nobody there, 诇讬诪讗 讛讜讗 诇谞驻砖讬讛, say it to yourself. Make it sound as if there is somebody there and say: 驻诇谞讬讗 讘专 驻诇谞讬转讗, that Mr. So-and-so, the son of Mrs. So-and-so, 讗诪专讛 诇讬 讗讬诪讬, said to me, said my mother, 讗讬讝讚讛讜专讬, 讗讬讝讚讛专讬, be careful of 砖讘专讬专讬, 讘专讬专讬, 专讬专讬, 讬专讬, 专讬! Something like that, yeah. Like 谞讞 谞讞 谞讞诪 谞讞诪谉. In reverse. And 爪讞讬谞讗 诪讬讗, I'm thirsty for is thirsty for water 讘讻住讗 讞讬讜专讬, in white 讻诇讬诐. And you say 砖讘专讬专讬, 讘专讬专讬, 专讬专讬, 讬专讬, 专讬, white 讻诇讬诐. Okay, finally we're The guy's crazy! Right, right. Exactly, exactly. Who knows what he'll do. Now we're finished with the 砖讚讬诐, we're going back to the Gemara now. Then
诇讗 讬驻讞转讜 诇讜 诪讗专讘注 讻讜住讜转 砖诇 讬讬谉, a person shouldn't of Pesach at night not have anything less than four cups of wine. 讜讗驻讬诇讜 诪谉 讛转诪讞讜讬, even if a person is poor and he doesn't have any money for food, and he himself collects money from 转诪讞讜讬. 转诪讞讜讬 was the they have two things, they have 拽讜驻讛 and 转诪讞讜讬. 拽讜驻讛 was they give you money, and for the week they would give the poor people money. And 转诪讞讜讬 they would give food, they would go around collecting, people would put in food. Huh? Food stamps. Yeah. This used to be every day, whatever. So even if a guy collects from 转诪讞讜讬, so he's just, so for sure a person like that shouldn't collect for any luxuries, he only collects for what he needs. So you say Pesach night to drink four 讻讜住讜转 it's not something you must get it. So the Gemara: peshita? Obviously, if it's a mitzvah you got to do it. What's the chidush? Like, no, tzricha, it has to tell us like this. 讗驻讬诇讜 Rabbi Akiva, even according to Rabbi Akiva, 讚讗诪专, he says, 注砖讛 砖讘转讱 讞讜诇 讜讗诇 转爪讟专讱 诇讘专讬讜转. He says Shabbos you have to eat special food. So according to Rabbi Akiva, if the only way you can have special food is if you collect from other people, better don't do it. And the lashon he said was make your Shabbos like a weekday. Eat regular food like you eat in the weekdays, but don't go out asking for others. So 讛讻讗, that's what the chidush is, but here 诪砖讜诐 驻专住讜诪讬 谞讬住讗, because it's 谞讜讙注 to the 谞住 of of 讬爪讬讗转 诪爪专讬诐, and 驻专住讜诪讬 谞讬住讗, 诪讜讚讛, even Rabbi Akiva is 诪讜讚讛 that you should collect money and drink the 讗专讘注 讻讜住讜转. Tana D'vei Eliyahu, we learned in the yeshiva of Eliyahu: 讗祝 注诇 驻讬 砖讗诪专 专讘讬 注拽讬讘讗, even though 专讘讬 注拽讬讘讗 said, 注砖讛 砖讘转讱 讞讜诇 讜讗诇 转爪讟专讱 诇讘专讬讜转, make your Shabbos like a weekdays and don't come on to other people, 讗讘诇 注讜砖讛 讗讚诐 讚讘专 诪讜注讟 讘转讜讱 讘讬转讜, something you should do. You can't mamash make your Shabbos like the weekdays. You have to have something extra. 讜诪讗讬 谞讬讛讜, what is that something? 讗诪专 专讘 驻驻讗: 讻住讗 讚讛专住谞讗. 讻住讗 讚讛专住谞讗, kind of herring, like sardines, some kind of fishlach. Herring. Very, very cheap. At least that. Have something extra on Shabbos. Shouldn't be the same like the weekdays. Yeah. In this sefer, are all these things being recorded or is it In the Sefer Tana D'Bei Eliyahu? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, this is there. Yeah. And the reason is k'detanan, like we learned, 专讘讬 讬讛讜讚讛 讘谉 转讬诪讗 讗讜诪专, 专讘讬 讬讛讜讚讛 讘谉 转讬诪讗 says, 讛讜讬 注讝 讻谞诪专, you should be mechutzaf like a leopard, 拽诇 讻谞砖专, light like an eagle, 讜专抓 讻爪讘讬, run like a deer, 讜讙讘讜专 讻讗专讬, strong like a lion, 诇注砖讜转 专爪讜谉 讗讘讬讱 砖讘砖诪讬诐, to do what Hashem wants. In other words, you have to go out of your limits. You have to do everything to do something for Hashem. So here, even though you don't have any money and therefore don't, but something you got to do. You got to go out of your way, take extra courage and do something to have something extra for Shabbos. This thing is in Shulchan Aruch. Okay, we'll stop here. Do we have 20 people to have two minyanim? If we have 20 people, yeah. I think we have. We had before. Let's do a quick count. I think we have 20, so we're asking