Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Reference for Shabbat 205:13

אי מאחת יכול אפילו לא כתב אלא אות אחת ולא ארג אלא חוט אחד ולא עשה אלא בית אחד בנפה

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. HE WHO WRITES TWO LETTERS, WHETHER WITH HIS RIGHT OR WITH HIS LEFT HAND, OF THE SAME DESIGNATION OR OF TWO DESIGNATIONS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the same letter twice or two different letters. ');"><sup>21</sup></span> OR IN TWO PIGMENTS,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., one letter in black and one in red. ');"><sup>22</sup></span> IN ANY LANGUAGE, IS CULPABLE. SAID R. JOSE: THEY DECLARED ONE CULPABLE [FOR WRITING] TWO LETTERS ONLY BECAUSE [HE MAKES] A MARK, BECAUSE THUS DID THEY WRITE ON EACH BOARD OF THE TABERNACLE, TO KNOW WHICH WAS ITS COMPANION.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that when the Tabernacle was dismantled and subsequently re-erected. the boards should remain in the same order as before. Therefore if one makes any two marks, not particularly letters, he is guilty in R. Jose's view. ');"><sup>23</sup></span> R. JUDAH SAID: WE FIND A SHORT NAME [FORMING PART] OF A LONG NAME: SHEM AS PART OF SHIME'ON OR SHEMUEL, NOAH AS PART OF NAHOR, DAN AS PART OF DANIEL, GAD AS PART OF GADDI'EL.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If one commences writing long names, but writes only part thereof, which forms a complete name in itself, he is liable. The actual transliteration is employed here and in the Gemara below, to show the exact letters referred to. ');"><sup>24</sup></span> <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. As for his being culpable on account of his right hand, that is well, since that is the [usual] way of writing; but why on account of his left hand, seeing that it is not the [usual] way of writing? — Said R. Jeremiah, They learnt this of a left-handed person. Then let his left hand be as the right hand of all [other] people, and so let him be liable on account of his left, but not his right hand? — Rather said Abaye: [They learned this] of one who can use both hands. R. Jacob the son of Jacob's daughter<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi in 'Er. 8 states that the father was an unworthy person, and so he is not mentioned. ');"><sup>25</sup></span> said: The author of this is R. Jose, who said: THEY DECLARED ONE CULPABLE [FOR WRITING] TWO LETTERS ONLY BECAUSE [HE MAKES] A MARK.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even a right-handed person can do that quite easily with his left. ');"><sup>26</sup></span> But since the second clause is R. Jose['s], the first clause is not R. Jose? — The whole is R. Jose. R. JUDAH SAID: WE FIND, [etc.] Then according to R. Judah, one is culpable only on account of two letters of two designations,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., two different letters, since he does not give an example of two identical letters, e.g., SHesh as part of SHishak. ');"><sup>27</sup></span> but not two letters of the same designation? But surely it was taught: [<i>If a soul shall sin unwittingly against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done,] and shall do of one [of them]</i>:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. IV, 2; lit. translation. In a way, 'of' and 'one' are contradictory. since 'of' denotes a portion of an act, whereas 'one' implies a complete act. This is discussed here, the various views put forward really being attempts to harmonize the two. ');"><sup>28</sup></span> I might think that one must write the whole noun or weave a whole garment or make a whole sieve [before he is guilty]; hence 'of <i>one'</i> is stated. If <i>'of one'</i>, I might think that even if one writes only one letter or weaves a single thread or makes only one mesh of a sieve, [he is culpable];

Jastrow

Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy

Jastrow

Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy

Jastrow

Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy

Jastrow

Available for Premium members only

Jastrow

Available for Premium members only

Jastrow

Available for Premium members only

Jastrow

Available for Premium members only

Jastrow

Available for Premium members only

Jastrow

Available for Premium members only

Jastrow

Available for Premium members only

Jastrow

Available for Premium members only

Jastrow

Available for Premium members only

Jastrow

Available for Premium members only

Jastrow

Available for Premium members only

Jastrow

Available for Premium members only

Jastrow

Available for Premium members only
Previous VerseFull Chapter