Monday, January 9, 2017

Breaking the Language Barrier

נדרים דף סו ע"ב
ההוא בר בבל דסליק לארעא דישראל נסיב איתתא אמר לה בשילי לי תרי טלפי בשילה ליה תרי טלפי רתח עלה למחר אמר לה בשילי לי גריוא בשילה ליה גריוא אמר לה זילי אייתי לי תרי בוציני אזלת ואייתי ליה תרי שרגי אמר לה זילי תברי יתהון על רישא דבבא הוה יתיב בבא בן בוטא אבבא וקא דאין דינא אזלת ותברת יתהון על רישיה אמר לה מה הדין דעבדת אמרה ליה כך ציוני בעלי אמר את עשית רצון בעליך המקום יוציא ממך שני בנים כבבא בן בוטא

Nedarim 66b

There was once a man who moved from Bavel to Israel. He married an Israeli girl, but he and his wife spoke different dialects of Aramit.
One day, he came home from work pretty hungry. "Honey," he told his wife, "Can you cook me a couple of lentils?"
"Sure," she said, and cooked him two lentils.
The next day, he came home from work hungry and annoyed at his incompetent wife. "This time, cook a ton!" So she cooked a barrel full of lentils for him.
"Go get two melons from the supermarket!" he told his wife, giving up on her ability to cook.
"Sure, honey!" she said, and came back with two candles.
When she came back from the supermarket with candles, he lost his temper. "GO SMASH THOSE CANDLES ON THE HEAD OF THE DOORPOST (bava)!" he shouted at her.
Teary eyed and heartbroken, but determined to please her husband and fulfill his request, she went and smashed the candles on the local Rabbi, Bava b. Buta's head.
"Why??!" R Bava b. Buta asked her, bewildered.
"I'm sorry, k'vod harav, but my husband told me to! I just wanted him to be happy!" she explained through tears.
"In that case," the Rav told her, "May you merit to two sons as great as Bava b. Buta!"