Commentary: On the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Mo‘ed Katan

Rava went to the house of the exilarch and they prepared [fish] for him by pressing it sixty times, and he ate. Rav went to the house of Rav Shapir, and they brought before him that fish, one-third cooked, one-third salted, one-third broiled. Rav said: Adda the fisherman told me a fish that is close to spoiling is ma‘ali. And Rav said: Adda the fisherman told me: Broil a fish with its brother [i.e., with salt], put it in its father [i.e., in water], eat it with its son [i.e., brine], and drink its father after it. And Rav said: Adda the fisherman told me: Fish, taḥley, and ḥalba: let the body carry them rather than the bed carry them. [b. Mo‘ed Katan 11a]

Solomon ben ha-Yatom:

Rava went to the house of the exilarch: The Prince of Israel was known as the head of the exile, that is, the leader of the scattered and exiled nation of Israel.

Bar Shapir: Such was his name.

They brought before him that fish: A well-known type of fish, as the term “that” indicates a particular type, in accordance with the terminology of the Talmud.

One third, etc.: One third cooked in water, one third salted by pressing—a live fish crushed and flattened on that day—and one third roasted. This teaches that “pressing” is a type of cooking, and that this dish is similar to tarit fish [see m. Avodah Zarah 2:6].

Rav said: Adda the fisherman said to me that a fish [that is close to spoiling is ma‘ali]: Adda the fisherman gave Rav advice: If you want a fish to do you good and not harm, leave it until it spoils. This is similar to a statement in tractate Ḥullin: Conceal the fish’s worms, and I will eat the fish. Some explain close to spoiling [as] “close to the belly”—the fish has begun to spoil under the head, between the head and the belly. Ma‘ali: better.

Rav said: Adda the fisherman said to me: Fish, taḥley, and ḥalba: If you eat fish, or taḥley, a type of mustard, or swallow nasturtium. [This is] ḥabb al-rashād in Arabic. Some explain that taḥley means dates, as stated earlier regarding toḥalaney [unripe dates], or milk [ḥalav].

The body should carry them rather than the bed carry them: In other words, if you have eaten a lot of fish, get up and walk around so that it will be digested in your body. This is similar to a statement in tractate Nedarim [49b]: “Up to a mil, up to a parasang.” The same applies to taḥley. It stands to reason that taḥley means dates, which is a heavy food, like fish, but vegetables are like mustard, spicy foods that are more easily digested. And likewise, one who consumes a lot of milk. These three foods are heavy on the stomach, and consequently you should not sleep immediately after eating them, but rather you should take a walk so that they do not harm you.