Moed Katan 18 Nails, Moustaches, and the Power of the Written Word

We learn about Pinchas and his brother, Mar Shmuel.  Pinchas tells his brother that he did not cut his fingernails because he has been in mourning for a friend.*  He says, "if your friend died, you wouldn't be thinking about your fingernails either." This is followed immediately by the loss of Mar Shmuel's friend. Mar Shmuel throws his cut fingernails at Pinchas, angry that Pinchas made a statement "like an error that stems from a ruler." (Ecclesiastes 10:5)  This euphemism suggests that people can be like kings who order that they wish someone dead, and the servant of the king carries out that task.

We learn a number of arguments regarding whether nails can be cut on intermediate Festival days. We learn about trimming moustaches The rabbis turn their thoughts to laundering clothing on the Moed as well.  We also learn that the Pharoh in Moses's time was said to be "the lowest of men", which was taken literally.  The rabbis agree that the Pharoh was one cubit tall.  The Gemara mentions that in addition to his short stature, the Pharoh had a beard one cubit long and a penis even more than one cubit long.

Daf (b) introduces a new Mishna that teaches us what we are permitted to write and what we are not allowed to write during the Intermediate Festival Days.  The first one listed, betrothal, is discussed at some length.  The rabbis wonder how betrothal is permitted when it clearly focuses many people on joy that has nothing to do with the Festival itself.  They suggest that writing ensures the intention to betroth without a formal betrothal.  This can come in handy when another man is also interested in marrying the bride.  

At the end of the amud. we learn a bit about the notion that all of the men in the camp were jealous of Moses because the women found him attractive.  They also consider when rumours are true.  They suggest that rumours that last more that one and one half days are false.  The rabbis consider other amounts of time as well.  They note that a person who has enemies is different: it will be assumed that those enemies are responsible for the rumour.

The very end of our daf includes a new Mishna.  We learn that bills of sale cannot be written  on Intermediate Festival Days - unless a person is not trustworthy.  In addition, religious documents are not written on the Moed.  

I wish that our rabbis were able to find and use more direct prooftexts.  As it stands, their interpretations are clearly interpretations. 

* Fingernails are disgusting, we are told, but toenails are less so.  Further, teeth and hands can be used to cut fingernails in otherwise prohibited circumstances, but scissors and tools cannot be used.  Finally we learn that the disgusting nature of fingernails should force us to throw them away or burn them.  If a pregnant woman steps over those nails, it is a "tradition" to believe that she will miscarry.