Em, Abaye’s Teacher
About This Entry
The Hebrew word ’em means “mother.” For this reason, the literary figure Em, who is frequently cited by the fourth-generation Babylonian amora Abaye as an expert in folk medicine, is usually understood to be Abaye’s mother or the woman who raised him. Some scholars, however, argue that ’em is an abbreviation of the word ’oman, meaning a male expert, and that the term was later reinterpreted. For more texts on Em, see MEDICINE.
b. Kiddushin 31b
R. Yoḥanan [never saw his parents]. When his mother was pregnant with him, his father died; [and when] she gave birth to him, his mother died. And the same [is true of] Abaye.
[The Gemara asks:] Is that so? But didn’t Abaye say [on many occasions], “My mother [Em—Ed.] told me?” [The Gemara answers:] That [mother] was [actually] his foster mother.
b. Shabbat 133b–134a
[We learned in the mishnah:] And [on Shabbat] one places on [the wound from the circumcision] a bandage. Abaye said: My nurse [Em—Ed.] said to me: A bandage for all wounds [should be made from] seven parts fat and one part wax. [ . . . ]
[We learned in the mishnah:] And [on Shabbat] one may not make a pouch [to place over the circumcision as a bandage] ab initio. Abaye said: My mother [Em—Ed.] told me: [With regard to] that pouch, [placed as a bandage over the circumcision] of a baby, let one place it on the upper side [with the threads below], lest a thread from it stick to [the place of circumcision and cause the baby] to become [one with] a severed urethra. [The Gemara relates that] Abaye’s mother would make a pouch [that covered] half [the place of circumcision so that it would not be damaged through contact with the threads emerging from the edge of the pouch]. Abaye said: [If] this baby does not have a pouch [to put on the place of the circumcision], let one bring a worn-out garment with a hem, and wrap the hem under, and fold [the garment] over, [so that the threads from the worn-out garment will not adhere to the wound].
And Abaye [also] said: My mother told me: [In the case of] a baby [the location of] whose exit, [i.e., anus,] is unknown, [as it is obscured by skin,] let one rub it with oil and stand it before [the light of] the day. And where [it appears] transparent, let one tear it with a barley grain widthwise and lengthwise. However, [one may] not [tear it] with a metal implement because it causes infection and swelling. And Abaye said: My mother told me: [If] a baby refuses to nurse, [that is because] its mouth is cold [and it is unable to nurse]. What is his remedy? They should bring a cup [of] coals and place it near his mouth, so that his mouth will warm and he will nurse. And Abaye said: My mother told me: [A] baby that does not urinate, let one place him in a sieve [and shake him], and he will urinate.
And Abaye said: My nurse told me: [If] a baby is not breathing, let them bring his mother’s placenta and place [the placenta] on him, and [the baby] will breathe. And Abaye said: My mother told me: [If] a baby is [too] small, let them bring his mother’s placenta and rub [the baby] with it from the narrow [end] to the wide [end of the placenta]. And if [the baby] is strong, [i.e., too large, let them rub the baby] from the wide [end of the placenta] to the narrow [end]. And Abaye said: My mother told me: [If] a baby is red, [that is because] the blood has not yet been absorbed in him. [In that case,] let them wait until his blood is absorbed and then circumcise him. [Likewise, if a baby is] pale and his blood has not yet entered him, let them wait until his blood enters him and then circumcise him.
b. Eruvin 29b
Abaye said: Mother told me: These roasted grains are good for the heart and drive away [worrisome] thoughts.
And Abaye said: Mother told me [about another remedy]. One who suffers from weakness of the heart should [go and] bring the meat of the right thigh of a ram, and [also] bring the dung of grazing cattle from [the month of] Nisan, and if there is no cattle dung he should bring willow twigs, and [then] roast [the meat on a fire made with the dung or twigs], and eat [it], and drink afterward [some] diluted wine.
b. Yoma 78b
Abaye said: [My] mother told me: A child’s growth [requires] hot water and oil [for smearing. When] he grows a little, [he must eat] egg with kutaḥa, [a pickled dip made with milk]. When he grows a little [more, he must have] vessels to break, [since he will enjoy breaking them. This is like] Rabbah [who] bought cracked ceramic vessels for his children, and they broke them [for their enjoyment].
b. Mo‘ed Katan 12a, 18b
12a
Abaye said: [My] mother [Em—Ed.] told me: [It is better to have a barrel] of six se’ah that is sealed than [a barrel] of eight [se’ah] that is not sealed, [as in the end more beer will remain in the smaller sealed barrel than in the larger unsealed one]. [ . . . ]
18b
This [is referring] to a rumor that stops, [and therefore it is possible that it is groundless, whereas] that [is referring] to a rumor that does not stop, [and in that case there must be a factual basis for the suspicion. To be considered] a rumor that does not stop, for how long [must it persist]? Abaye said: My nurse [Em—Ed.] told me: Local gossip lasts for a day and a half, [and then it is deemed to be a rumor that does not stop].
b. Ketubbot 10b, 39b, 50a
10b
Abaye said: My mother told me [that] dates [eaten] before [eating] bread [are destructive] like an ax to a palm tree; [dates eaten] after [eating] bread [are beneficial] like a bolt to a door, [which provides support]. [ . . . ]
39b
Don’t we see that [even a married woman] has [pain when she engages in sexual relations for the first time]? Abaye said: My mother told me [that the pain is] like hot water on the head of a bald [man]. Rava said: [My wife,] Rav Ḥisda’s daughter, told me [that it is] like the stab of a bloodletting knife. R. Papa said: [My wife,] Abba Sura’s daughter, told me [that it is] like [the feeling of] hard bread on the gums. [ . . . ]
50a
Abaye said: [My] mother told me [that] a six-year-old [is ready] for Bible [study and] a ten-year-old [is mature enough] to [study] Mishnah. [Additionally,] a thirteen-year-old [is sufficiently developed] to fast for twenty-four hours [like any other adult]. And [as] for a girl, [she must start observing fasts when she is] twelve years old.
Abaye said: [My] mother told me [that] a six-year-old [child] who is stung by a scorpion on the day that [he] completes six [years] will not live [without emergency treatment]. What is his cure? The bile of a white vulture in beer. One should rub him [with this mixture] and make him drink [it. She further said to him: A one-]year-old [child] who is stung by a hornet on the day that [he] completes a year will not live [without emergency treatment]. What is his cure? Palm-tree fiber in water. [Again,] one should rub him [with it] and make him drink [it].
Notes
Words in brackets appear in the original translation unless otherwise noted.
Credits
From Koren Talmud Bavli, Noé Edition, trans. Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz (Jerusalem: Koren Publishers Jerusalem, 2019). Accessed via the William Davidson digital edition, sefaria.org. Adapted with permission of Koren Publishers Ltd.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.
