Talmudic Reflections with Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal

The Text:

Three people hear a heavenly voice, the Bat Kol – the small, still voice of God. According to our sages, the Bat Kol is the voice with which God speaks to us after the end of the prophetic era. In this sugia (thematic chapter), the Bat Kol doesn't seem to provide wisdom or insight, but simply a greeting – Shalom Aleichem – peace be upon you. These three people are Abba the Bloodletter, Abaye, and Rava. Abaye and Rava are well known in the Talmud, both 4th generation Amorim (contributors to the Gemara). Abaye rose to be the head of the Babylonian yeshiva, Pumbadita, while Rava continued to be his greatest sparring partner, challenging and learning with him in the study halls. Rava also has the distinction of being the most referenced Rabbi in the Talmud. Abba the Bloodletter is a strange companion to these distinguished scholars. Whereas Abaye and Rava are all over the pages of the Talmud, this sugia is where we learn the most about Abba and his profession of bloodletting. Whereas the Bat Kol only speaks to Abaye and Rava on a weekly and yearly basis, respectively, Abba the Bloodletter receives a heavenly greeting each day. The question arises: Why the disparity? And what does Abba the Bloodletter do that affords him such a spiritual connection?

Our discussion in class took many turns. Initially, we understood that being a medical professional is a higher and more holy occupation than the academic positions held by Abaye and Rava. However, this might be a modern value, superimposing our own twentieth century hierarchy. I'm not sure we could say that medicine and health care were held in such high esteem in the third and fourth centuries as it is today. Remember, it wasn't long ago in our own country that health care and medicine were seen through a skeptic's lens, sometimes considered to be witchcraft. Additionally, the Talmud, and generations of rabbis and sages to follow, are very clear about the place of scholarship and learning in the hierarchy of professions – it's on top! So, our sugia presents something out of the ordinary: two well learned sages are greeted by God less often than a bloodletter.

Within our sugia, the questions about the disparity are noticed by the characters themselves. Halsha Datay, his mind was disturbed concerning Abba the bloodletter, our text reports of Abaye. The Gemara speaks directly to Abaye answering his concern, "You can't do what he does." Wow – what a burn! That's got to hurt. The Gemara delves deeper – what does Abba the Bloodletter do? It's at this point we would expect to learn about the intricacies of relieving swelling, evacuating cysts and other sorts of medical procedures. However, we don't learn about the medical side. It's his bedside manner that is elevated. He respects people's modesty and upholds their dignity. His billing practices are equitable and seek to not embarrass people who have less. He also sees people holistically, not just offering his specialty but ensuring that other factors like nutrition, rest, and peace of mind are achievable. According to the Talmud this is the reason for God's attention and affection. Therefore, he hears the greeting each day of Shalom Aleichem, spoken by the Bat Kol.

Practical Spirituality:

In this section we seek to offer insight and guidance into our spiritual life based on the Talmud learning in this column.

Our Kabbalat Shabbat service usually begins with the prayer Shalom Aleichem. If not said during prayer services, it is recited at our Shabbat dinner table as a preface to the blessings over wine and challah. The more conventional understanding of this song is about welcoming the Shabbat Angels (Malachai HaSharet; lit: Ministering Angels) that our Midrashic tradition says accompany us throughout our Shabbat experience. What if our Friday night prayers weren't about welcoming Angels or any other sort of mystical divine entities? Could it be that the small, still voice of God is welcoming us into our synagogues or around the Shabbat table? Does it offer us an opportunity to reflect on our week gone by, asking how we conducted our business this past week? Did we offer kindness, respect, dignity, equity, and peace to those with whom we interacted? Did we seek to go above and beyond for the people in our midst? Did we conduct ourselves in a way that would invite the Bat Kol to greet us?

May our learning be found in our hands and not just on our lips.

Peace be unto you!

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This new column will share insights from our weekly Talmud class with Rabbi Rosenthal (Wednesdays at 5pm). Talmud classes seeks to unpack the many layers of rabbinic wisdom found in many streams of consciousness that pour into our sacred text of the Talmud. This course returns each week to a specific tractate (book) of Talmud, wading through the arguments, giving each participant a wider view of Talmudic learning. We do not just jump to the "greatest hits" but, instead, approach each sugia (thematic chapter) as imbued with wisdom and knowledge inviting us to darshan (expound upon). Join us any week and add your voice to our 2000-year conversation.