Commentary for Avodah Zarah 55:3
מהיכן מכה של חלל פירש רבי אמי מן השפה ולפנים בעי רבי אליעזר ככי ושיני מאי כיון דאקושי נינהו כמכה דבראי דמו או דלמא כיון דגואי קיימי כמכה של חלל דמו
Where does an internal wound begin? R. Ammi explained: On the lip and inward. R. Elazar asked: How about the gums and the teeth: Since they are hard, should they be regarded as external; or do we say that, since they are placed within [the mouth], they are to be regarded as internal?
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
Do pain in the gums and teeth count as internal wounds?
Abaye quotes a baraita saying that one should not rinse one’s teeth with vinegar on Shabbat, for this was a form of healing and healing is prohibited on Shabbat. [This is a topic we will not get into here, but will learn when we learn Tractate Shabbat. Healing is a big issue on Shabbat, and generally the rabbis did not allow it]. But this is only if one is “troubled.” If the pain is bad, it would seem that he would be allowed to rinse with vinegar. Thus, gums and teeth are internal wounds.
The Talmud rejects this—it could be that by the word “troubled” the Talmud means even a lot of pain. No matter what, one may not heal wounds in the mouth.
Abaye quotes a baraita saying that one should not rinse one’s teeth with vinegar on Shabbat, for this was a form of healing and healing is prohibited on Shabbat. [This is a topic we will not get into here, but will learn when we learn Tractate Shabbat. Healing is a big issue on Shabbat, and generally the rabbis did not allow it]. But this is only if one is “troubled.” If the pain is bad, it would seem that he would be allowed to rinse with vinegar. Thus, gums and teeth are internal wounds.
The Talmud rejects this—it could be that by the word “troubled” the Talmud means even a lot of pain. No matter what, one may not heal wounds in the mouth.
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