Rabbi Kohen began: “Through slothfulness the ceiling sags [and through idleness of the hands the house leaks]” (Ecclesiastes 10:18). Because Israel was slothful from encamping before Mount Sinai in dispute,22Although the Israelites had engaged in disputes in their other encampments, when they encamped at Sinai they did so peacefully. “the ceiling sags,” – “the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai” (Exodus 19:20); “He bent the heavens and descended” (Psalms 18:10).23God descended to them and rested His presence in their midst.
“And through idleness of the hands,” because Israel was idle from encamping in dispute, “the house leaks,” “the clouds, too, dripped water” (Judges 5:4). Another matter, “through slothfulness the ceiling sags,” because Israel was slothful in repenting during the days of Jeremiah, “the ceiling sags” – “He uncovered the covering of Judah” (Isaiah 22:8); He exposed what was concealed. “And through idleness of the hands,” because they were idle from repenting during the days of Jeremiah, “the house leaks” – “for, behold, the Lord commands, and He will shatter the great house24The ten tribes of the kingdom of Israel. into smithereens and the small house25The two tribes of the kingdom of Judah. into fragments” (Amos 6:11).
This shattering into smithereens is unlike the shattering into fragments. This shattering into smithereens, there are slivers from it, while the shattering into fragments, there are no slivers from it.26When something is shattered into smithereens the tiny slivers cannot possibly be reconstructed into a whole. When something is broken into fragments the pieces are large enough to be usable and reconstructed (Etz Yosef).
They are not identical. Another matter, “through slothfulness the ceiling sags” – because a person is too slothful to cover his head properly, “the ceiling sags,” he becomes congested with a head cold. “And through idleness of the hands,” because a person is idle and does not dry his body properly, “the house leaks,” he develops infections. Rabbi Abahu interpreted the verse regarding a woman.
Because a woman is too slothful to cover herself properly, “the ceiling sags,” that is what is written: “And he uncovered her nakedness, he has probed her source and she has exposed the source of her blood” (Leviticus 20:18). “And through idleness of the hands,” because a woman is idle and does not examine herself at her proper time, “the house leaks,” she will be inundated with blood. That is what is written: “And a woman, if her bloody discharge will flow many days.”
Tavita, the maidservant of Rabban Gamliel, was examining barrels [of wine]. When she had a sensation,27She sensed that she was experiencing menstrual bleeding. she sat. He said to her: ‘Are they sour?’ She said to him: ‘No.’ When he understood, he said: ‘Alas, the wine is lost!’28He was assuming that she had impurified all the barrels due to her status as a menstruating woman, and bemoaning the fact that he would be unable to partake of the wine in ritual purity.
She said to him: ‘For each and every barrel I would examine myself, and I had a sensation only with this one.’ He said to her: ‘May the tranquility of your soul be given to you, just as you gave the tranquility of my soul to me.’