1like thorns for palm trees, as the thorns prevent people and animals from touching and ruining the dates. The fever is advantageous if its incidence is once in thirty days, and it is like an antidote [ tiraiki ] for poison in the body. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: It is preferable for one to have neither fever nor the benefits of its capacity to serve as an antidote.
2Rabba bar Yonatan said that Rav Yeḥiel said: Arsan is beneficial for the sick person for his cure. The Gemara asks: What is arsan ? Rabbi Yonatan said: It is old hulled barley from the beginning of the sifting process. Abaye said: And that barley requires extensive cooking like the meat of a bull. Rav Yosef said: Arsan is fine flour [ semida ] ground from old barley from the beginning of the sifting process. Abaye said: And that flour requires extensive cooking like the meat of a bull.
3Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One does not visit a person suffering from buredam , an intestinal illness, nor is the name of that illness mentioned, because it is embarrassing for the one suffering from the illness. The Gemara asks: What is the reason that one does not visit him? Rabbi Elazar said: It is due to the fact that he is like a flowing spring, as the symptom of the illness is severe diarrhea. And Rabbi Elazar said: Why is the illness called buredam ? It is due to the fact that the one suffering from the illness is like a flowing spring, a bottomless pit [ bor ] of blood [ dam ].
4§ We learned in the mishna that if one is prohibited by a vow from deriving benefit from another, that other person heals him with a cure of the nefesh but not a cure of property [ mamon ]. The Gemara asks: How is the mishna taught? If we say that cure of the nefesh means that he cures him for free and cure of mamon means that he cures him for a fee, then let the mishna teach this: He cures him for free but not for a fee. Rather, cure of the nefesh means that he cures his body, and cure of mamon means that he cures his animal. Rabbi Zutra bar Toviya said that Rav said: It is prohibited to cure the animal. However, he says to him: Such and such medicine is beneficial for the animal, and such and such medicine is harmful for the animal. Advice, as opposed to treatment, is not considered benefit.
5MISHNA: And with regard to another person who is prohibited from deriving benefit from him, one may bathe with him in a large bath [ ambati ], in which his presence does not affect the other person. However, he may not bathe with him in a small bath, as his presence moderates the temperature of water if it is too hot or too cold, thereby benefiting the other person. And he may sleep with him in one bed.
6Rabbi Yehuda says: That is permitted during the days of summer, but he may not sleep with him in one bed during the rainy season, i.e., the winter, because he benefits him by warming the bed. And he may recline with him on a divan even during the rainy season, as no benefit is involved. And he may eat with him at the same table, but not from a common platter from which several people eat, as if one leaves food on the platter, the other derives benefit from him. However, he may eat with him from a platter that returns to the host, as everyone takes a small portion and leaves food on the platter. No benefit is derived. Since there is enough food for everyone, none of the diners receives part of another’s portion.
7GEMARA: It is taught in a baraita : One may neither bathe with him in a bath nor sleep with him in a bed, and there is no difference whether it is a large bed or whether it is a small bed; this is the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says: It is permitted for him to sleep with him in a large bed during the rainy season and a small bed during the days of summer, as no benefit is derived. He may bathe with him in a large bath and sweat with him in a small one, as his presence provides no benefit for the other. However, he may recline with him on a divan, and he may eat with him at the same table but not from a common platter. However, he may eat with him from a platter that returns. Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: That means a platter that returns to the host.
8MISHNA: One may neither eat with him from the large vessel of food placed before the laborers, nor may he work with him in the same row in a vineyard; this is the statement of Rabbi Meir. And the Rabbis say: He may work in the same row with him provided that he is at a distance from him. If he is close, the other would derive forbidden benefit from him.
9GEMARA: In a case where one is proximate to the other, the tanna’im do not disagree that it is prohibited for them to work together. When they disagree, it is in a case where one is distant from the other. Rabbi Meir holds: We issue a decree prohibiting their working together when one is distant from the other, due to the prohibition against their working together when one is proximate to the other, as he loosens for him the earth before him. And the Rabbis hold: We do not issue a decree.