Although I consider myself Jewish, I do not strictly follow the rules of Rabbinic Judaism. I do not keep kosher. I am not Shomer Shabbos. I could go on and on. Contrary to popular belief, Jews of past generations were not inherently more observant. There has always been a spectrum of compliance with Rabbinic Judaism. In much of today’s Daf we read of the Rabbis interactions with an Am Haaretz – literally a man of the earth or ground, but meaning an unlearned person. Amei Haaretz are contrasted with the Haverim– literally colleagues, but meaning scholars. Today’s Daf also contrasts Haverim with women, slaves and minors and with Cutheans. Cutheans were settled by the King of Assyria in Israel. They eventually adopted some Jewish practices and beliefs, but they did not relinquish their own cultic practices. (See II Kings 17:24-41). Our scholars saw themselves as something other than woman, minors, slaves, Cutheans or Amei Haaretz, so they had to regulate their interactions with each of these groups.

Today, the scholars ask if two scholars eat with an Am Haaretz have three people eaten together and thus the Zimun should be said before the Bircas HaMazon? Recall that Zimun requires three people eat together. The Daf notes that an Am Haaretz does not count as a person for purposes of Zimun. I find this position somewhat strange. If I go to an observant meal, I believe I would be counted for Zimun. A footnote to the text notes a contrary opinion of Rabbi Yose that we should not disenfranchise Amei Haaretz. A third opinion notes that the Torah scholars of today are nothing compared to the Torah scholars of Talmudic times and therefore people today cannot exclude less observant or less learned people. The Daf also contains a warning. Rami Bar Chama refused to make a Zimun because he did not believe that Rav Menashya bar Tachlifa was sufficiently learned to count. Later Rami Bar Chama passed away because he mistook Rav Menashya bar Tachlifa for an Am Haaretz. Looks can be deceiving. How do you know who is more leaned than you?

Today’s Daf gets into the minutiae of tithes and the order they are to be made and when. I found the discussion bewildering. There are also lots of nuggets about table etiquette in ancient times. We get a discussion about when it is proper to say “amen” and how we should say it. We are not supposed to say “amen” if we do not hear the blessing. A footnote states that in a later Daf we are going to learn of a synagogue so large in Alexandria that flag wavers had to show the congregation when to say amen. Rashi reconciles this contradiction by noting the congregation would know what blessing was being said, they just could not hear it.

We also learn again how the Rabbis adopted laws to practical realities. For instance, we are not supposed to eat Demai – that is produce from an unlearned person because we cannot be certain that unlearned person made the proper tithes. (I noted above that the minutiae of these laws make ever finer and finer distinctions). However, we can feed Demai to the poor and to soldiers. In some cases, the Rabbis realized that their rules led to illogical results. At some point, the rabbinic rules became more solidified and less concerned with illogical results.