Shabbat 149

שכן יריעה שנפל בה דרנא קורעין בה ותופרין אותה

A curtain which was attacked by a moth was torn [round the moth hole] and resewn. R. Zutra b. Tobiah said in Rab's name: He who pulls the thread of a seam<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the seam gapes, and he pulls the thread to draw the pieces together. This constitutes sewing. ');">¹</span>

אמר רב זוטרא בר טוביה אמר רב המותח חוט של תפירה בשבת חייב חטאת והלומד דבר אחד מן המגוש חייב מיתה והיודע לחשב תקופות ומזלות ואינו חושב אסור לספר הימנו

on the Sabbath is liable to a sin-offering; and he who learns a single thing from a Magian<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' One of the priestcraft of Ancient Persia. ');">²</span> is worthy of death;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is an idiom expressing strong abhorrence, cf. similar expressions in Sanh. 58b and 59a. The Magi were hostile to Jews, and caused them much suffering in various ways; cf. Sanh., Sonc. ed., p. 504, n. 6 and 98a: Yeb. 63b; Git. 17a. This evoked the present remark. ');">³</span>

מגושתא רב ושמואל חד אמר חרשי וחד אמר גדופי תסתיים דרב דאמר גדופי דאמר רב זוטרא בר טוביה אמר רב הלומד דבר אחד מן המגוש חייב מיתה דאי ס"ד חרשי הכתיב (דברים יח, ט) לא תלמד לעשות אבל אתה למד להבין ולהורות תסתיים

and he who is able to calculate the cycles<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. of the seasons. ');">⁴</span> and planetary courses but does not, one may hold no conversation with him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The science of astronomy was necessary for the fixing of the calendar, upon which Jewish Festivals depended. In early times this was done by observation, but gradually calculation took its place. Hence Rab's indignation at one who fails to employ such knowledge. ');">⁵</span>

אר"ש בן פזי א"ר יהושע בן לוי משום בר קפרא כל היודע לחשב בתקופות ומזלות ואינו חושב עליו הכתוב אומר (ישעיהו ה, יב) ואת פועל ה' לא יביטו ומעשה ידיו לא ראו א"ר שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יוחנן מנין שמצוה על האדם לחשב תקופות ומזלות שנאמר (דברים ד, ו) ושמרתם ועשיתם כי היא חכמתכם ובינתכם לעיני העמים איזו חכמה ובינה שהיא לעיני העמים הוי אומר זה חישוב תקופות ומזלות:

As to magianism, Rab and Samuel [differ thereon]: one maintains that it is sorcery; the other, blasphemy. It may be proved that it is Rab who maintains that it is blasphemy. For R. Zutra b. Tobiah said in Rab's name: He who learns a single thing from a magian is worthy of death. Now should you think that it is a sorcerer, surely it is written, thou shalt not learn to do [after the abomination of those nations],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XVIII, 9. ');">⁶</span> [implying], but you may learn in order to understand and instruct! This proves it.

הצד צבי וכו': ת"ר הצד חלזון והפוצעו אינו חייב אלא אחת רבי יהודה אומר חייב שתים שהיה ר' יהודה אומר פציעה בכלל דישה אמרו לו אין פציעה בכלל דישה אמר רבא מ"ט דרבנן קסברי אין דישה אלא לגדולי קרקע וליחייב נמי משום נטילת נשמה אמר רבי יוחנן שפצעו מת

R. Simeon b. Pazzi said in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi on the authority of Bar Kappara: He who knows how to calculate the cycles and planetary courses, but does not, of him Scripture saith, but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither have they considered the operation of his hands.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. V, 12. ');">⁷</span> R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in R. Johanan's name: How do we know that it is one's duty to calculate the cycles and planetary courses? Because it is written, for this is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. IV, 6. ');">⁸</span>

רבא אמר אפילו תימא שפצעו חי מתעסק הוא אצל נטילת נשמה והא אביי ורבא דאמרי תרווייהו מודה ר"ש בפסיק רישא ולא ימות שאני הכא דכמה דאית ביה נשמה טפי ניחא ליה כי היכי דליציל ציבעיה:

what wisdom and understanding is in the sight of the peoples?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., which testifies to itself. ');">⁹</span> Say, that it is the science of cycles and planets.

השוחטו: שוחט משום מאי חייב רב אמר משום צובע ושמואל אמר משום נטילת נשמה

CAPTURING A DEER, etc. Our Rabbis taught: He who captures a purple-fish<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hillazon, v. p. 356, n. 2 ');">¹⁰</span> and crushes it is liable to one [sin-offering];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Crushing not being a culpable offence. ');">¹¹</span> R. Judah said: He is liable to two, for R. Judah maintained: Crushing comes under the head of threshing. Said they to him: Crushing does not come under the head of threshing. Raba observed: What is the Rabbis' reason? They hold that threshing is applicable only to produce from the soil. But let him be culpable too on the score of taking life? — Said R. Johanan: This means that he crushed it when [already] dead.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In order to make the blood exude. ');">¹²</span> Raba said: You may even explain that he crushed it whilst alive: in respect to the taking of life he is but incidentally occupied.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the taking of life is not his main purpose, but merely follows incidentally; such does not entail culpability. ');">¹³</span> But Abaye and Raba both maintain: R. Simeon admits in a case of 'cut off his head but let him not die!'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Simeon holds that a labour performed unintentionally in the course of doing something that is permitted is itself permitted, unless it follows inevitably from the latter, when it is the same as any other forbidden labour. Here too it must inevitably die when crushed. ');">¹⁴</span> Here it is different, because he is more pleased that it should be alive, so that the dye should be clearer.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence its death is more than unintentional, but actually contrary to his desire. ');">¹⁵</span> AND SLAUGHTERING IT. As for him who slaughters, on what score is he culpable? — Rab said: On the score of dyeing;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The blood that gushes forth from its cut throat stains and dyes the flesh. ');">¹⁶</span> while Samuel said: On the score of taking life.