Some things don't change, even after 2,000 years

[rhu]

Near the beginning of Tractate Pesachim, the Talmud poses the following problem: If there is a deep hole in the wall, one is only obligated to search for chametz a short distance into the hole "because of the danger of scorpions;" yet there is a principle that "While one is engaged in a mitzvah one is protected from danger." Since the search for chametz is a mitzvah, why do we worry about scorpions?

The Talmud's answer is that one who is searching for chametz also invariably has in mind to find various things that got misplaced over the year, and so one's protection from danger is not absolute.

So far we've found the TV remote, two pennies, a tortilla chip (Chametz gamur! Jackpot!), an unpopped popcorn kernel (Kitnyot!), a handful of Lego pieces....

But no scorpions.

Comments

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Glad your search has been productive!

[rubrick.livejournal.com]

Judaism: a religion of, by, and for people with way too much time on their hands.

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Ha! If only!

Rather, Judaism: A religion for people who need to learn excellent time-management skills!

[rubrick.livejournal.com]

Well, that's the "for" part. I was more thinking of the rabbinical scholars debating how far one should reach into a deep hole, weighing the dangers of scorpions. I don't think the Roman Catholics ever spent much time on this sort of thing. I figure they were too busy persecuting heretics.