אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: בֵּיתָא דְּאִית בֵּיהּ שׁוּנָּרָא לָא נֵיעוּל בַּהּ אִינִישׁ בְּלָא מְסָנֵי. מַאי טַעְמָא — מִשּׁוּם דְּשׁוּנָּרָא קָטֵיל לְחִיוְיָא וְאָכֵיל לֵיהּ, וְאִית בֵּיהּ בְּחִיוְיָא גַּרְמֵי קַטִּינֵי, וְאִי יָתֵיב לֵהּ גַּרְמָא דְחִיוְיָא אַכַּרְעֵיהּ — לָא נָפֵיק וְאִסְתַּכַּן לֵיהּ. אִיכָּא דְאָמְרִי: בֵּיתָא דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ שׁוּנָּרָא — לָא נֵיעוּל בֵּיהּ אִינִישׁ בְּהַכְרָא, מַאי טַעְמָא — דִילְמָא מִיכְּרִיךְ בֵּיהּ חִוְיָא וְלָא יָדַע וּמִסְתַּכַּן.
Rav Pappa said: With regard to a house in which there is a cat, a person should not enter there barefoot. What is the reason? Because the cat might kill a snake and eat it, and the snake has small bones, and if a small bone gets into one’s foot it cannot be removed, and he will be in danger. Some say that Rav Pappa said: With regard to a house in which there is no cat, a person should not enter there in the dark. What is the reason? Since there is no cat to hunt snakes, perhaps a snake will wrap itself around him without him knowing and he will be in danger.
אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: עוֹר, דָּג, וְכוֹס, חַמִּין, וּבֵיצִים, וְכִנִּים לְבָנִים — כּוּלָּן קָשִׁין לְדָבָר אַחֵר. עוֹר — מַאן דְּגָנֵי אַמַּשְׁכָּא דְצַלָּא. דָּג — שִׁיבּוּטָא בְּיוֹמֵי נִיסָן. כּוֹס — שִׁיּוּרֵי כָּסָא דְהַרְסָנָא. חַמִּין — חַמִּימֵי דְחַמִּימֵי מְשַׁדְּרוּ עִילָּוֵיהּ. בֵּיצִים — מַאן דִּמְדָרֵךְ אַקְּלִיפִּים. כִּינִּים לְבָנִים — מַאן דִּמְחַוַּור לְבוּשֵׁיהּ וְלָא נָטֵיר לֵיהּ תְּמָנְיָא יוֹמֵי וַהֲדַר לָבֵישׁ לֵהּ — בָּרְיָין הָנָךְ כִּינִּים, וְקַשְׁיָן לְדָבָר אַחֵר.
Abaye said: Hide, fish, and a cup, hot water, and eggs, and white lice all cause the other matter, i.e., leprosy. The Gemara elaborates: Hide is referring to one who sleeps on a tanner’s hide before it has been tanned. Fish is referring to the shibuta fish in the days of Nisan. The cup is referring to one who eats the leftovers of small fried fish. Hot water is referring to very hot water that one pours on himself. Eggs means one who steps on eggshells. White lice is referring to one who washes his garment but does not keep it for eight days before wearing it again, a habit which creates these lice. And all of these practices cause the other matter, leprosy.
תָּנֵי רַב אוֹשַׁעְיָא: מַרְחִיקִין מִשּׁוֹר תָּם — חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה, מִשּׁוֹר מוּעָד — כִּמְלֹא עֵינָיו.
Rav Oshaya teaches with regard to the same issue: One distances himself fifty cubits from an innocuous ox [shor tam], an ox with no consistent history of causing damage with the intent to injure. From a forewarned ox [shor muad], an ox whose owner was forewarned because his ox already gored a person three times, one distances himself until it is beyond eyeshot.
וְאֶל תַּבְרִיחַ עַצְמְךָ מִן הַמֶּכֶס, דִּילְמָא מַשְׁכְּחוּ לָךְ וְשָׁקְלִי מִנָּךְ כׇּל דְּאִית לָךְ. וְאַל תַּעֲמוֹד בִּפְנֵי הַשּׁוֹר בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁעוֹלֶה מִן הָאֲגַם, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַשָּׂטָן מְרַקֵּד בֵּין קַרְנָיו. אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל: בְּשׁוֹר שָׁחוֹר, וּבְיוֹמֵי נִיסָן.
Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi continued: And do not avoid paying taxes, lest they find you and confiscate everything you own. And do not stand before an ox when it emerges from the marsh because Satan dances between its horns, i.e., an ox is particularly menacing at that time. Rabbi Shmuel said: This is referring to a black ox, and specifically during the days of Nisan, when the ox is most dangerous.