Shabbat 67: Medical Remedies, Ways of the Amorite, Punishments for Transgressions on Shabbat

Today's daf has rabbis other than Abaye and his mother teaching us about remedies for different ailments.  There are rituals to address tertian fevers which comes ever three days, burning fevers, boils, wounds, demons, and those particular demons of the bathroom.  Each remedy includes reciting verses and performing ritualistic actions.  We learn that princes, which may refer to all of the sons of Israel, may walk to the bathrooms with bells sewn into their clothing.  

A new Mishna teaches Rabbi Meir's opinion that we may go out on Shabbat with a locust egg, a fox tooth, and a nail from the crucified for the purpose of healing.  The rabbis prohibit these remedies at all times because they are the ways of the Amorites.  The Gemara teaches that the locust egg is used to cure earaches and fox teeth are used for sleep.  The tooth of a love fox will help one wake up and the tooth of a dead fox will one who does not sleep enough.  The nail can cure infection.  The Gemara notes that Abaye and Rava both agree that anything that helps to heal is not subject to the prohibition against following the ways of the Amorite.   We end this conversation with rituals addressing sick trees and people with bones stuck in their throats.

The Gamara continues to examine ways of the Amorite.  Many things contain an element of their ways.  One of those is a woman who dances and counts the chicks until she reaches the number of seventy-one chick so that they don't die.  Another is a woman who dances to ensure that the kutach and silences bystanders to ensure that lentils will cook properly and who screams to ensure that pearl barley cooks properly all contain an element of the ways of the Amorite.  Women who urinate in front of their pots so that it will cook quickly is also mimicking the Amorites.  

Finally, as we begin Perek VII, we learn a new Mishna.  It begins with a principal regarding the halachot of Shabbat: one who forgets the essence of Shabbat and performs numerous prohibited labours on multiple Shabbatot is liable to bring only one sin-offering for all of those transgressions.  One who knows the essence of Shabbat but forgets the day of the week is liable to bering a sin-offering for each Shabbat where one has transgressed.  One who is aware that the day is Shabbat but forgets that certain labours are prohibited and performs many of them on may Shabbatot is liable to bring a sin-offering for each primary category of labour performed.  If one performs numerous prohibited labours within one single category of labour, one is liable to bring only one sin-offering.