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1) PROFESSIONS INVOLVING WOMEN

(a) (Mishnah): A bachelor should not teach children; a woman should not teach children;

1. R. Elazar says, even a man without a wife should not teach children.

(b) R. Yehudah says, a bachelor should not graze animals; bachelors should not sleep in 1 cloak;

1. Chachamim permit this.

(c) (Gemara): Why shouldn't a bachelor teach children?

1. Suggestion: We are concerned that he will have relations with the boys.
2. Rejection (Beraisa): Chachamim said to R. Yehudah, Yisrael are not suspected of homosexual relations nor bestiality.

(d) Answer: Rather, we are concerned that he will be alone with the children's mother when she comes for them; likewise, a woman should not teach, for the children's fathers come for them.
(e) (Mishnah): R. Elazar says, even a man without a wife...
(f) Question: Does he mean, a single man - or, even a married man whose wife is not with him?
(g) Answer (Beraisa): Even a married man whose wife is not with him should not teach children.
(h) (Mishnah): R. Yehudah says, a bachelor should not graze...
(i) (Beraisa): Chachamim said to R. Yehudah, Yisrael are not suspected of homosexual relations nor bestiality.
(j) (Mishnah): Anyone whose profession involves women may not be secluded with women.

1. A person should not teach his son such a profession.

(a) (Continuation of Mishnah - R. Meir): A man should teach his son a clean, easy profession and pray to Hash-m, for wealth or poverty is not a result of the profession, rather of merit.
(b) R. Shimon ben Elazar: Animals do not have professions, they get their needs without pain - and they were only created to service man!

1. Man was created to serve Hash-m - all the more so, he should get his needs without pain!
2. Man's bad deeds caused that he must acquire his needs through toil.

(c) Aba Guryon of Tzadyin: A person should not train his son to drive donkeys, camels, wagons or ships, nor to be a shepherd or grocer, for such people steal.
(d) R. Yehudah: Most donkey drivers are evil; most camel drivers are Kesherim; most ship drivers are very pious (they pray fervently to Hash-m).

1. The best of doctors and butchers are evil.

(e) R. Nehurai: I will not teach my son any profession, only Torah, for a person enjoys reward in this world, and the principle remains intact for the next world.

1. By a profession, if a person is sick or old and cannot work, he will starve;
2. But Torah guards a person in his youth - "Those that hope to Hash-m will get renewed strength";
3. It gives him a good end in his old age - "They will still flourish when old"; "Avraham was old, Hash-m blessed Avraham with everything".

i. Avraham kept the entire Torah before it was given - "Because Avraham heard my voice, and kept my statues and Mitzvos".

(f) (Gemara): Professions involving women lead to bad conduct, such as jewelry makers, flax combers, people that fix grinders, peddlers, weavers, barbers, launderers, bloodletters, bathhouse attendants, and tanners.

1. We do not appoint a king or Kohen Gadol that was 1 of these.
2. Technically, these professions do not disqualify a person, but it is a disgrace to appoint such a person.

(g) (Beraisa): Bloodletters generally have these 10 Midos: they walk erect, are haughty, they support themselves to sit, they are stingy, envious, they eat much, they excrete little, they are suspected of adultery, theft, and murder. (h) (Bar Kapara): A man should teach his son a clean, easy profession.

1. (Rav Yehudah): This is embroidery.

(i) (Beraisa - Rebbi): There are always people to fill every profession - happy is the man whose parents have a proper profession, woe to one whose parents have an improper profession.

1. The world needs perfumers and tanners - happy is the perfumer, woe to the tanner.

(j) The world needs males and females - happy is the father of sons, woe to the father of daughters.
(k) (Mishnah - R. Meir): A man should teach his son a clean, easy profession and pray to the Source of wealth;

1. Wealth or poverty are not from the profession, rather from Hash-m - "Mine is the silver and gold".

(l) (Mishnah - R. Shimon ben Elazar): Animals do not have professions...
(m) (Beraisa - R. Shimon ben Elazar): I never saw a deer that dries figs, or a lion that bears burdens, or a fox grocer - they get their needs without pain, and they were only created to service man;

1. Man was created to serve Hash-m - all the more so, he should get his needs without pain;
2. The reason we are financed through pain is our sins - "Your sins caused this".

(n) R. Nehurai: I will not teach my son any profession, only Torah;

1. Professions only help a person in his youth; when he is old, he will starve;
2. But Torah helps a person in his youth - "Those that hope to Hash-m will get renewed strength; they will grow wings as vultures";
3. It gives him a good end in his old age - "They will still flourish when old, they will be fresh".