shabbat 152

the process of ageing, dying and decomposing.

transition from a rose, to thorn, to dust.
the body closes and becomes frail and crumbles and the soul is at rest.
but the wicked have no rest and are thrown from one end of the world to the other.

(for english translation of this strange page of Talmud that details the many ways the body decays, see here)

shabbat 112

the angelic man who understands the purity of shoes.

(this page discusses the prohibition of tying and untying knots and if they apply to shoes. or just the type of knot that a professional shoemaker would use in the actual making of the shoe, that is not designed to be undone by an ordinary person. so, a drawing of a maolo blahnick shoe with a knot as an integral part of the design. When discussing sandals, there is a debate about different types of broken straps on a sandal, if they make it an unusable object, and therefore cannot become ritually impure and is therefore considered pure. Hizkiya is so impressed with his student, R. Yochanan's reasoning that he considers him like an angel, or the ideal man. for english translation of this talmud page, see here)

shabbat 88

the precarious happenings at Horeb (mt. Sinai)

on the mountain-top the fiery angels threatened and tried to prevent the giving of the torah to humans.

but at the base of the mountain 600,000 angels crowned all the humans who accepted the torah the way angels do.

for english translation of this page of talmud, see here

shabbat 67

for healing one might resort to all sorts of strange, weird and wonderful remedies
evoking the burning bush, appealing to angels, send away demons

but only effective cures are permitted.
not crazy ones like those superstitious idolatrous Ammorites. (who have some very strange cooking methods)

(list of various cures and remedies include carving and reciting verses about the burning bush to treat a fever, calling to various angels and demons, and what is permitted to be carried on shabbat as they have effective healing - locust egg, splinter from a crucified/hanging post, fox's tooth.... for english translation of this talmud page, see here)

shabbat 55

who is safe from the six angels of destruction?
only those branded with ink, not blood.

who is without sin, and only dies because of a snake?

(from discussion about holding leaders to account for the actions of the people. to a strange tale that God was going to brand the righteous with a tav in ink on their forehead, the wicked are branded with a tav of blood, only for the attribute of justice to protest, saying if they were truly righteous then they would have protested what the wicked were up to. So the 6 destructive angels gather, and one appears with an inkpot... does everyone die on account of their own sins? the talmud starts to list those who are without sin... for english translation of this talmud page see here)

brachot 4

the rabbis make hazardous fences and say that the shema can be said up til midnight.
but without a clock who knows when midnight is?

a pious king is woken at midnight by the wind-played instrument and sings alphabetical praises,

and the angels take flight.













(english translation of this page of talmud can be read here)