Mareh Mekomos for Video Shiur click here to listen: Psychology of the DAF Shabbos 109
DAF YOMI from a psychological perspective.
Mareh Mekomos 109a
וְאָמַר מָר עוּקְבָא: מִי שֶׁנִּגְּפָה יָדוֹ אוֹ רַגְלוֹ, צוֹמְתָהּ בְּיַיִן וְאֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁשׁ. אִיבַּעְיָא לְהוּ: חַלָּא מַאי? אָמַר רַב הִלֵּל לְרַב אָשֵׁי: כִּי הֲוֵינָא בֵּי רַב כָּהֲנָא אָמְרִי חַלָּא לָא. אָמַר רָבָא: וְהָנֵי בְּנֵי מָחוֹזָא, כֵּיוָן דִּמְפַנְּקִי — אֲפִילּוּ חַמְרָא נָמֵי מַסֵּי לְהוּ.
And Mar Ukva also said: One whose hand or foot was wounded may immerse it in wine on Shabbat to stop the flow of blood, and he need not be concerned that he is violating the prohibition against healing on Shabbat. A dilemma was raised before the Sages: With regard to vinegar, what is the ruling? May one immerse a wound in it? Rav Hillel said to Rav Ashi: When we were in Rav Kahana’s house they said that vinegar is not permitted, as it is considered actual medicine. Rava said: And these people from Meḥoza, since they are delicate, even wine heals them. Therefore, they may not immerse their wounds in wine. Rashi ibid דמפנקי - מעונגין הן וכל דבר שהוא חזק קצת קשה לבשרן וצומתה: Mind Body Connection.They believed a person who was of delicate sensitivity actually physically responded differently, so much so that the weaker mixture of wine would act as a blood coagulant and stop bleeding, while regular folk required vinegar .
The psychology of a Mefunak
משלי כ״ט:כ״א מְפַנֵּ֣ק מִנֹּ֣עַר עַבְדּ֑וֹ וְ֝אַחֲרִית֗וֹ יִהְיֶ֥ה מָנֽוֹן׃ A slave pampered from youth Will come to a bad end.
ברכות טז, ב מַתְנִי׳ רָחַץ לַיְלָה הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁמֵּתָה אִשְׁתּוֹ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ תַּלְמִידָיו: לִמַּדְתָּנוּ רַבֵּינוּ שֶׁאָבֵל אָסוּר לִרְחוֹץ? אָמַר לָהֶם אֵינִי כִּשְׁאָר בְּנֵי אָדָם, אִסְטְנִיס אֲנִי.
MISHNA: The mishna relates another episode portraying unusual conduct by Rabban Gamliel. He bathed on the first night after his wife died. His students said to him: Have you not taught us, our teacher, that a mourner is prohibited to bathe? He answered them: I am not like other people, I am delicate [istenis]. For me, not bathing causes actual physical distress, and even a mourner need not suffer physical distress as part of his mourning.
רש״׳ שם רחץ לילה הראשון שמתה אשתו – ונקברה בו ביום ואע"פ שאבל אסור ברחיצה הוא רחץ כדאמר טעמא אסטניס אני והוא אדם מעונג ומפונק: E
rnest Klein’s Dictionary author of A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English (1987): אִסְטְנִיס adj. PBH sensitive, fastidious, squeamish. [Gk. asthenes (= weak), lit.: ‘without strength’, from privative pref. a-, and sthenos (= strength), which is of uncertain origin.] Derivative: אִסְטְנִיסוּת ב״ח תרי״ד:ט Discusses possible scenarios such as rain where some poskim might allow a מפונק or איסתניס to wear leather סנהדרין עה, א Case of the Lovesick Ma
Psychology of the DAF Shabbos 109
Photo by Matteo Maretto on Unsplash
Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation 
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