Commentary for Berakhot 71:3
הכא במאי עסקינן בחושש בגרונו דתניא החושש בגרונו לא יערענו בשמן תחלה בשבת אבל נותן שמן הרבה לתוך אניגרון ובולע
With what are we here dealing ? With the case of one who has a sore throat; for there is a teaching : One suffering from a sore throat may not directly mollify it with oil on the Sabbath, but he should put a large quantity of oil into an elaiogaron and swallow it.
Tosafot on Berakhot
HE SHOULD NOT GARGLE. Rashi explained that one may not put oil in his mouth when he has a sore throat with the intent of leaving it there for a while so that it will soothe his sore throat.
Tosfos understands that Rashi holds that if he would swallow the oil immediately without allowing the oil to bathe the sore area in his throat, that would be permissible. And if you ask: if so, let the Tano make a distinction within the case of drinking pure oil and teach us that it is sometimes permissible in the very same case. Why did the Tano have to speak of adding oil to anigron to show us a permissible case, even pure oil is permitted if one swallows it immediately, for it is only forbidden to bathe the throat, which is to keep the oil in the throat for some time?1See Artscroll note 3, for a defense of Rashi’s explanation. Tosfos is dissatisfied with Rashi’s explanation and offers his own. Rashi’s explanation is predicated on his translation of the word יערענו which means to bathe the throat by keeping the oil there for some time. Tosfos will explain that יערענו need not necessarily mean that one bathe the throat by keeping the oil there. Therefore R”I explains, that לא יערענו, means that it is forbidden to drink oil even if one swallows the oil immediately without keeping the oil in his throat for a while. For any drinking that is only for medicinal purposes is called ערעור even when one swallows it immediately. And this is the reason that it is forbidden because it is evident when one drinks pure oil that his intention is for medicinal purposes which is prohibited on Shabos.
Alternatively, we can defend Rashi’s explanation as follows: the first sentence of the Braiso remains the same do not bathe the throat by keeping the oil there for some time. In the second sentence of the Braiso we will have a new understanding of the words. We will divide the sentence in two. The first part of the sentence is: But he may put oil into anigron even to keep it in his throat for a while. The second part of the sentence is: Or he may swallow it unadulterated without keeping the oil in his throat.
Tosfos understands that Rashi holds that if he would swallow the oil immediately without allowing the oil to bathe the sore area in his throat, that would be permissible. And if you ask: if so, let the Tano make a distinction within the case of drinking pure oil and teach us that it is sometimes permissible in the very same case. Why did the Tano have to speak of adding oil to anigron to show us a permissible case, even pure oil is permitted if one swallows it immediately, for it is only forbidden to bathe the throat, which is to keep the oil in the throat for some time?1See Artscroll note 3, for a defense of Rashi’s explanation. Tosfos is dissatisfied with Rashi’s explanation and offers his own. Rashi’s explanation is predicated on his translation of the word יערענו which means to bathe the throat by keeping the oil there for some time. Tosfos will explain that יערענו need not necessarily mean that one bathe the throat by keeping the oil there. Therefore R”I explains, that לא יערענו, means that it is forbidden to drink oil even if one swallows the oil immediately without keeping the oil in his throat for a while. For any drinking that is only for medicinal purposes is called ערעור even when one swallows it immediately. And this is the reason that it is forbidden because it is evident when one drinks pure oil that his intention is for medicinal purposes which is prohibited on Shabos.
Alternatively, we can defend Rashi’s explanation as follows: the first sentence of the Braiso remains the same do not bathe the throat by keeping the oil there for some time. In the second sentence of the Braiso we will have a new understanding of the words. We will divide the sentence in two. The first part of the sentence is: But he may put oil into anigron even to keep it in his throat for a while. The second part of the sentence is: Or he may swallow it unadulterated without keeping the oil in his throat.
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Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot
When it is said oil requires a benediction.
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Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot
And uses oil as a remedy.
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