Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Shabbath

Folio 49a

But the Rabbis imposed a preventive measure in respect of defilement, when they are not in use,¹  on account of defilement when they are in use;²  and in respect of sprinkling, when they are in use,³  on account of when they are not in use.

WHEN THEY ARE MOIST. The Scholars propounded: Naturally moist, or artificially moist?⁴  — Come and hear: [WE MAY NOT STORE …] IN STRAW, GRAPE-SKINS, FLOCKING OR HERBAGE WHEN THEY ARE MOIST. Now, if you say [that it means] artificially moistened, it is well; but if you say, naturally moist, how can flocking be naturally moist? — [It is possible] in the case of wool plucked from between the flanks.⁵  And as to what R. Oshaia taught: We may store [food] in a dry cloth⁶  and in dry produce, but not in a damp cloth or moist produce, — how is naturally damp cloth possible? — In the case of- wool plucked from between the flanks.

MISHNAH. WE MAY STORE [FOOD] IN, GARMENTS, PRODUCE,⁷  DOVES' WINGS, CARPENTERS' SAWDUST⁸  AND THOROUGHLY BEATEN HATCHELLED FLAX. R. JUDAH FORBIDS [STORING] IN FINE, BUT PERMITS [IT] IN COARSE [BEATEN FLAX].

GEMARA. R. Jannai said: Tefillin⁹  demand a pure body, like Elisha, the man of wings. What does this mean? — Abaye said: That one must not pass wind while wearing them; Raba said: That one must not sleep in them.¹⁰  And why is he called the man of wings'? Because the wicked Roman government once proclaimed a decree against Israel that whoever donned tefillin should have his brains pierced through;¹¹  yet Elisha put them on and went out into the streets. [When] a quaestor saw him, he fled before him, whereupon he gave pursuit. As he overtook him he [Elisha] removed them from his head and held them in his hand. 'What is that in your hand?' he demanded. 'The wings of a dove,' was his reply. He stretched out his hand and lo! they were the wings of a dove. Therefore he is called 'Elisha the man of the wings'. And why the wings of a dove rather than that of other birds? Because the Congregation of Israel is likened to a dove, as it is said, as the wings of a dove covered with silver:¹²  just as a dove is protected by its wings, so is Israel protected by the precepts.¹³

IN CARPENTERS' SAWDUST, etc. The scholars propounded: Does R. Judah refer to carpenters' sawdust or to hatchelled flax? Come and hear: R. Judah said: Fine hatchelled flax is like foliage.¹⁴  This proves that he refers to hatchelled flax. This proves it.

MISHNAH. WE MAY STORE [FOOD] IN FRESH HIDES, AND THEY MAY BE HANDLED;¹⁵  IN WOOL SHEARINGS, BUT THEY MAY NOT BE HANDLED.¹⁶  WHAT THEN IS DONE? THE LID [OF THE POT] IS LIFTED, AND THEY [THE SHEARINGS] FALL OFF OF THEIR OWN ACCORD. R. ELEAZAR B. AZARIAH SAID: THE BASKET¹⁷  IS LIFTED ON ONE SIDE AND [THE FOOD] IS REMOVED, LEST ONE LIFT [THE LID OF THE POT] AND BE UNABLE TO REPLACE IT.¹⁸  BUT THE SAGES SAY: ONE MAY TAKE AND REPLACE [IT].¹⁹

GEMARA. R. Jonathan b. Akinai and R. Jonathan b. Eleazar were sitting, and R. Hanina b. Hama sat with them and it was asked: Did we learn, FRESH HIDES belonging to a private individual, but those of an artisan, since he is particular about them²⁰  may not be handled; or perhaps, we learnt about those of an artisan, and all the more so those of a private individual? — Said R. Jonathan b. Eleazar to them: It stands to reason that we learnt about those belonging to a private individual, but as for those of an artisan, he is particular about them. Thereupon R. Hanina b. Hama observed to them: Thus did R. Ishmael b. R. Jose say:

1. That both limbs should count as one.
2. To prevent laxity in the latter case,
3. That they should not count as one.
4. Lit., 'through themselves or through something else'. The former throws out more heat.
5. Of a living animal: this contains its own moisture.
6. Lit., 'raiment'.
7. E.g., corn or pulse.
8. Or, shavings.
9. V. Glos.
10. Phylacteries used to be worn all day.
11. V. infra 130a.
12. Ps. LXVIII, 14.
13. In Gen. R. XXXIX, 8 the point of comparison is stated thus: all birds fly with both wings, and when exhausted they rest on a crag or rock; but the dove, when tired, rests on one wing and flies with the other. So Israel, when driven from one country, finds refuge and rest in another; v. also note a.l. in Sonc. ed.
14. Which may not be used; supra 47b.
15. Whether food was put away in them or not. They are fit for reclining upon, and therefore rank as utensils, which may be handled.
16. Because they are mukzeh, being set aside to be woven and spun.
17. Containing the pot and the shearings,
18. If the pot is bodily lifted out, the shearings may all collapse, and since they must not be handled, they cannot be parted in order to replace the pot.
19. This is discussed in the Gemara.
20. He has to sell, and is therefore particular not to spoil them. This may render them mukzeh.

My father was a hide worker, and he would say: Fetch hides and that we may sit on them.¹

An objection is raised: Boards belonging to a householder may be handled; those of an artisan may not be handled;²  but if one intended to place bread upon them for guests, in both cases they may be handled? — Boards are different, for one is [certainly] particular about them.

Come and hear: Hides, whether tanned or not, may be.handled on the Sabbath, 'tanned' being specified only in respect to uncleanness.³  Now surely, no distinction is drawn whether they belong to a householder or an artisan? — No: [It means those] of a householder. But what of those of an artisan? They may not be handled? If so, when it is taught, "'tanned" being specified only in respect to uncleanness,' let a distinction be drawn and taught in that itself: [viz.,] when is that said? [Only] of those belonging to a householder, but not concerning those of an artisan? — The whole deals with those of a householder.⁴

This is dependent on Tannaim: Hides of a private individual may be handled, but those of an artisan may not: R. Jose maintained: Either the one or the other may be handled.

Again they⁵  sat and pondered: Regarding what we learnt, The principal categories of labour⁶  are forty less one, — to what do they correspond?⁷ — Said R. Hanina b. Hama to them: To the forms of labour in the Tabernacle.⁸  R. Jonathan son of R. Eleazar said to them, Thus did R. Simeon b. R. Jose b. Lakonia say: They correspond to [the words] 'work' [melakah], 'his work' [melakto], and 'the work of' [meleketh], which are [written] thirty-nine times in the Torah.⁹  R. Joseph asked: Is 'and he went into the house to do his work'¹⁰  included in this number, or not? — Said Abaye to him, Then let a Scroll of the Torah be brought and we will count! Did not Rabbah b. Bar Hanah say in R. Johanan's name: They did not stir thence until they brought a Scroll of the Torah and counted them?¹¹  The reason that I am doubtful, replied he, is because it is written, for the work¹²  they had was sufficient:¹³  is that of the number, while this¹⁴  is [to be interpreted] in accordance with the view that he entered to perform his business;¹⁵  or perhaps and he went into the house to do his work' is of the number, while this 'for the work they had was sufficient' is meant thus: their business was completed?¹⁶  The question stands over.

It was taught as the opinion that it corresponds to the forms of labour in the Tabernacle. For it was taught: Liability is incurred only for work of which the same was performed in the Tabernacle. They sowed, hence ye must not sow; they reaped, hence ye must not reap;¹⁷  they lifted up the boards from the ground to the waggon,¹⁸  hence ye must not carry in from a public to a private domain; they lowered the boards from the waggon to the ground, hence ye must not carry out from a private to a public domain; they transported [boards, etc.,] from waggon to waggon, hence ye must not carry from one private to another private domain. 'From one private to another private domain'- what [wrong] is done? Abaye and Raba both explained — others say, R. Adda b. Ahabah: It means from one private to another private domain via public ground.

IN WOOL SHEARINGS, BUT THEY MAY NOT BE HANDLED. Raba said: They learnt this only where one had not stored [food] in them; but if one had stored food in them [on that Sabbath], they may be handled. A certain student of one day's standing¹⁹  refuted Raba: WE MAY STORE [FOOD] [H] IN WOOL SHEARINGS, BUT THEY MAY NOT BE HANDLED. WHAT THEN IS DONE?

1. This shows that he was not particular.
2. This shows that an artisan is particular.
3. Tanned hides are subject to the laws of defilement; untanned hides are not.
4. In whose case no distinction can be drawn between tanned and untanned skins save in respect of defilement.
5. The Rabbis maintained above.
6. Forbidden on the Sabbath; for aboth, lit., 'fathers', v. supra 2b.
7. On what basis are they selected?
8. Every form of labour necessary in the Tabernacle was regarded as a principal category of work forbidden on the Sabbath. This is learnt from the juxtaposition of the commands concerning the Sabbath and the erection of the Tabernacle, Ex. XXXV, 1-3, 4 seq.
9. Lit., 'forty times minus one'.
10. Gen. XXXIX, 11
11. Rashi conjectures that the reference may be to the waw (u) of gahown (iujd); v. Kid, 30a.
12. E.V. 'stuff'.
13. Ex. XXXVI, 7.
14. 'And he went into the house to do his work',
15. A euphemism for adultery; v. Sot. 36b. In that case melakto (his work) does not connote actual work, and is not included.
16. They had brought all the materials required. On this supposition the verse is translated as in the E.V.
17. Certain vegetables had to be sown and reaped to provide dyes for the hangings.
18. The ground was a public domain, while the waggon was a private domain.
19. I.e., who had come to the college for the first time that day. V. Hag. 5b.