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Daf Ditty

A wide-ranging commentary on the daily page of Talmud.

Pesachim 110: יוסף שידא

jyungar March 11, 2021

For the source text click/tap here: Pesachim 110

To download, click/tap here: PDF

The Me’iri points out that during Talmudic times there were popular beliefs in destructive forces, amulets, etc. – ideas that today would be considered superstition.

One of these beliefs was the danger of zugot – that is to say, that doing things in pairs was hazardous. This concern leads to a question being raised about the Seder night. How can the Sages obligate participants to drink four cups of wine, when doing so would be involving oneself in zugot?

This leads us to the character of Joseph the demon who advises on the respective dangers of one set of wine cups zugot (two) vs two sets of zugot (four).

What is the attitude of our talmudic sages to demons and their advice?

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Julian Ungar-Sargon

This is Julian Ungar-Sargon's personal website. It contains poems, essays, and podcasts for the spiritual seeker and interdisciplinary aficionado.​