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THE DAFYOMI DISCUSSION LIST
brought to you by Kollel Iyun Hadaf of Yerushalayim
Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld
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[REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE TO DISCUSS THE DAF WITH THE KOLLEL]
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Beitzah 015: Plant an "Eder" tree
David Wiseman asked:
>>4. Rashi also discusses the eder tree (or grass) as something that
>>can repel insects - esrogim were also used as insect repellents.
The Kollel replied:
>>Do you have a source that shows Esrogim were used as insect repellents?
----
David Wiseman responds:
Dear Rabbi Kornfeld,
Thank you for your reply.
The references for the use of esrog as a repellant are from my book
on the Esrog.
Theophrastes of Eresos, c.. 310BCE. Enquiry into Plants and Minor
Works on Odors and Weather Signs. Translated by Sir Arthur Hort. Loeb
Classical Library, London 1916.
For sandfly:
Rojas E, Scorza JV. The use of lemon oil as a sandfly repellent.
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 85;803, 1991; cited in Martindale: The Extra
Pharmacopoeia, Pharmaceutical Press, London, 1993, 30th Edition,
pp1382. - who speak of use of an oil extract fmro the leaves of the
citron (Citrus medica) as a sandfly repellant.
I have a source for the use of esrog as a snake repellant which IYH
will go in my 3rd edition:
I am grateful (4/12/2003) to Mr. Stanley Beck of Amsterdam, formerly
of Surinam, and a descendent of Abrabanel. He told me that in Surinam
one could cut pieces of Etrog (or Lemon) and place them in the
pocket, or rub the juice on the skin to repel snakes when trekking
through the jungle. He personally saw snakes recoil at the approach
of someone who had done this. He also told me that among the natives
of Surinam it was a superstition to bury an Etrog or lemon at the
four corners of one?s property to repel demons as well as snakes.
The only snake that was not affected by this was the Anaconda. In
thinking about the repulsion of the snake for the Etrog I am reminded
of the story of how Eve ate the fruit (= Etrog) of the tree of
Knowledge of Good and Evil. Perhaps part of the punishment of the
snake for having enticed Eve to eat the fruit was an eternal
revulsion of the Etrog and its kin, thus its usefulness as a snake repellant.
Thank you once again.
Sincerely,
David Wiseman
Zaide Reuven's Esrog Farm
Dallas, Texas
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