Commentary for Shabbat 281:20

א"ר אבהו א"ר אלעזר אמר ר' ינאי מגררין מנעל חדש אבל לא ישן

four cubits in a <i>karmelith</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. ');">¹⁷</span> If so, when he enters<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'goes down'. ');">¹⁸</span> too, his force propels the water four cubits,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' His weight makes the water spurt that distance. ');">¹⁹</span> which is forbidden? — They did not prohibit one's force in a <i>karmelith</i>. Abaye — others state, Rab Judah — said: One may scrape off the clay from his foot on to the ground, but not on to a wall. Said Raba, Why not on to a wall? because It looks like building?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the addition of clay to the wall. ');">²⁰</span> but it is ignorant building?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a field labourer'. I.e., surely none but the ignorant would think of building in such a manner. ');">²¹</span> Rather said Raba: He may scrape it off on to a wall but not on to the ground, lest he come to level holes. It was stated, Mar son of Rabina said: Both are forbidden; R. Papa said: Both are permitted. According to Mar son of Rabina, whereon shall he scrape it? He scrapes it on a plank.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lying on the ground. ');">²²</span> Raba said: A man should not sit on the top of a stake,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At the entrance to an alley. whereby carrying therein is permitted; v. p. 30, n. 2. ');">²³</span> lest an article roll away from him<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Without the entrance, where it is public ground. ');">²⁴</span> and he come to fetch it. Raba also said: One must not bend sideways a cask [which is standing] on the ground,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Text as emended by BaH. ');">²⁵</span> lest he come to level hollows. Raba also said: One must not squeeze a cloth stopper into the mouth of a jug, lest he come to wring [it] out. R. Kahana said: As for the clay [mire] on one's garment, he may rub off from the inside but not from the outside.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the latter case he looks as though he desires to wash the garment, though it is not actual washing. ');">²⁶</span> An objection is raised: One may scrape off the clay from his shoes with the back of a knife, and that which is on one's garment he may scrape off with [even]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So Wilna Gaon. ');">²⁷</span> his finger nail, providing that he does not rub it. Surely that means that he must not rub it at all? — No: he must not rub it from the outside but only from the inside. R. Abbahu said in R. Eleazar's name in R. Jannai's name: A new shoe may be scraped, but not an old one.

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