Shabbat 163

Chapter 163

א דלא מקנח לכו בחספא ולא קטיל לכו כינא אמנייכו ולא שליף לכו ירקא ואכיל לכו מכישא דאסיר גינאה:
1 seeing that you do not cleanse yourselves with a shard,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And are thus not exposed to witchcraft — this remark gives the point of the story. ');"><sup>1</sup></span> nor kill vermin on your garments, and you do not pull out and eat a vegetable from a bunch which the gardener has tied together'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But you first untie the bunch. ');"><sup>2</sup></span>
ב אמר ליה רב הונא לרבה בריה מאי טעמא לא שכיחת קמיה דרב חסדא דמחדדן שמעתיה אמר ליה מאי איזיל לגביה דכי אזילנא לגביה מותיב לי במילי דעלמא א"ל מאן דעייל לבית הכסא לא ליתיב בהדיא ולא ליטרח טפי דהאי כרכשתא אתלת שיני יתיב דילמא משתמטא שיני דכרכשתא ואתי לידי סכנה א"ל הוא עסיק בחיי דברייתא ואת אמרת במילי דעלמא כ"ש זיל לגביה
2 R. Huna said to his son Rabbah, 'Why are you not to be found before R. Hisda, whose dicta are [so] keen?' 'What should I go to him for,' answered he, 'seeing that when I go to him he treats me to secular discourses!'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., not on Torah. ');"><sup>3</sup></span> [Thus] he tells me, when one enters a privy, he must not sit down abruptly, nor force himself overmuch, because the rectum rests on three teeth-like glands, [and] these teeth-like glands of the rectum, might become dislocated and he [his health] is endangered. 'He treats of health matters,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the life (health) of the creatures. ');"><sup>4</sup></span>
ג היו לפניו צרור וחרס רב הונא אמר מקנח בצרור ואין מקנח בחרס ורב חסדא אמר מקנח בחרס ואין מקנח בצרור מיתיבי היו לפניו צרור וחרס מקנח בחרס ואין מקנח בצרור תיובתא דרב הונא תרגמא רפרם בר פפא קמיה דרב חסדא אליבא דרב הונא באוגני כלים:
3 he exclaimed, 'and you call them secular discourses! All the more reason for going to him!' If a pebble and a shard lie before one, — R. Huna said: He must cleanse himself with the pebble, but not with the shard;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though the first is not a utensil (v. p. 389. n. 1), because the latter is dangerous. ');"><sup>5</sup></span>
ד היו לפניו צרור ועשבים רב חסדא ורב המנונא חד אמר מקנח בצרור ואין מקנח בעשבים וחד אמר מקנח בעשבים ואין מקנח בצרור מיתיבי המקנח בדבר שהאור שולטת בו שיניו התחתונות נושרות לא קשיא הא בלחין הא ביבשין
4 but R. Hisda ruled: He must cleanse himself with the shard, and not with the pebble.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because the former is technically a utensil. ');"><sup>6</sup></span> An objection is raised: If a pebble and a shard lie before one, he must cleanse himself with the shard, not with the pebble this refutes R. Huna? — Rafram b. Papa interpreted it before R. Hisda on R. Huna's view as referring to the rims of utensils.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which are rounded and smooth; hence they are not dangerous. ');"><sup>7</sup></span>
ה הנצרך לפנות ואינו נפנה רב חסדא ורבינא חד אמר רוח רעה שולטת בו וחד אמר רוח זוהמא שולטת בו תניא כמאן דאמר רוח זוהמא שולטת בו דתניא הנצרך לנקביו ואוכל דומה לתנור שהסיקוהו על גב אפרו וזו היא תחלת רוח זוהמא
5 If a pebble and grass lie before one, — R. Hisda and R. Hamnuna [differ therein]: one maintains: He must cleanse himself with the pebble, but not with the grass;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because it injures the flesh (Rashi). Or the reference is to attached (growing) grass, and one must not make use on the Sabbath of that which is attached to the soil. ');"><sup>8</sup></span> whilst the other ruled: He must cleanse himself with the grass, not with the pebble.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He ignores the prohibition mentioned in the last note, and holds grass to be preferable, because a pebble is not a utensil and may normally not be handled on the Sabbath. ');"><sup>9</sup></span>
ו הוצרך ליפנות ואינו יכול ליפנות אמר רב חסדא יעמוד וישב יעמוד וישב רב חנן מנהרדעא אמר יסתלק לצדדין רב המנונא אמר ימשמש בצרור באותו מקום ורבנן אמרי יסיח דעתו אמר ליה רב אחא בריה דרבא לרב אשי כל שכן דכי מסח דעתיה לא מפני אמר ליה יסיח דעתו מדברים אחרים אמר רב ירמיה מדיפתי לדידי חזי לי ההוא טייעא דקם ויתיב וקם ויתיב עד דשפך כקדרה
6 An objection is raised: If one cleanses himself with inflammable material,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'over which the fire rules'. ');"><sup>10</sup></span> his lower teeth<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the teeth-like glands supporting the rectum. ');"><sup>11</sup></span>
ז ת"ר הנכנס לסעודת קבע יהלך י' פעמים של ארבע [ארבע] אמות ואמרי לה ד' פעמים של עשר עשר אמות ונפנה ונכנס וישב במקומו:
7 will be torn away? — There is no difficulty: the one refers to wet [grass];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is permissible. ');"><sup>12</sup></span> the other to dry [grass].
ח <big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> חרס כדי ליתן בין פצים לחברו דברי רבי יהודה רבי מאיר אומר כדי לחתות בו את האור רבי יוסי אומר כדי לקבל בו רביעית אמר רבי מאיר אף על פי שאין ראיה לדבר זכר לדבר (ישעיהו ל, יד) לא ימצא במכיתתו חרש לחתות אש מיקוד אמר ליה רבי יוסי משם ראיה (ישעיהו ל, יד) ולחשוף מים מגבא:
8 If one has a call of nature but does not obey it — R. Hisda and Rabina — one said: He has an attack of offensive odour;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From his mouth. ');"><sup>13</sup></span> the other said: He is infected by an offensive smell.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From the whole body. ');"><sup>14</sup></span>
ט <big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> (איבעיא להו שיעורא דרבי מאיר נפיש או שיעורא דרבי יוסי נפיש) מסתברא שיעורא דרבי יוסי נפיש ומקרא שיעורא דרבי מאיר נפיש דאי סלקא דעתך שיעורא דרבי יוסי נפיש לייט לה במנא זוטרא והדר לייט לה במנא רבה אמר אביי [מתני' נמי] לחתות אש מיקידה גדולה:
9 It was taught in accordance with the view that he is infected by an offensive smell. For it was taught: One who has a call of nature yet eats, is like an oven which is heated up on top of its ashes, and that is the beginning of perspiration odour.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which affects the whole body. ');"><sup>15</sup></span> If one has a call of nature but cannot obey it, — R. Hisda said: He should repeatedly stand up and sit down; R. Hanan of Nehardea said: Let him move to [different] sides; R. Hamnuna said: Let him work about that place with a pebble; while the Rabbis advise: Let him not think: Said R. Aha son of Raba to R. Ashi: If he does not think [of it], he is all the more likely not to be moved? Let him not think of other things, replied he.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But concentrate on this. ');"><sup>16</sup></span>
י רבי יוסי אומר משם ראיה: שפיר קאמר ליה רבי יוסי לרבי מאיר ורבי מאיר לא מיבעיא קאמר לא מיבעיא מידי דחשיב לאינשי דלא לישתכח ליה אלא אפילו מידי דלא חשיב לאינשי לא לישתכח ליה:
10 R. Jeremiah of Difti observed: I myself saw a certain Arab repeatedly arise and sit down until he poured forth like a cruse. Our Rabbis taught: If one enters [a house] to [partake of] a complete meal,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a fixed meal' as opposed to a mere snack, so that he will have to sit some time there. ');"><sup>17</sup></span>
יא <br><br><big><strong>הדרן עלך המוציא יין</strong></big><br><br>
11 he should [first] walk ten four-cubit lengths others say, four ten-cubit lengths — be moved, then enter and take his seat. <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. [IF ONE CARRIES OUT] A SHARD, [THE STANDARD IS] AS MUCH AS IS NEEDED FOR PLACING BETWEEN ONE BOARD AND ANOTHER:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When they are piled up. Rashi: the boards are not allowed to touch, but are separated by shards to prevent them from warping. 'Aruk: to enable the air to enter and dry them. ');"><sup>18</sup></span>
יב מתני׳ <big><strong>אמר</strong></big> רבי עקיבא מניין לעבודה זרה שמטמאה במשא כנדה שנאמר (ישעיהו ל, כב) תזרם כמו דוה צא תאמר לו מה נדה מטמאה במשא אף עבודה זרה מטמאה במשא
12 THIS IS R. JUDAH'S VIEW. R. MEIR SAID: LARGE ENOUGH TO SCRAPE OUT THE FIRE THEREWITH; R. JOSE SAID: LARGE ENOUGH TO CONTAIN A REBI'ITH. R. MEIR OBSERVED: THOUGH THERE IS NO PROOF OF THE MATTER, YET THERE IS A HINT: SO THAT THERE SHALL NOT BE FOUND AMONG THE PIECES THEREOF A SHARD TO TAKE FIRE FROM THE HEARTH.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XXX. 14. ');"><sup>19</sup></span> SAID R. JOSE TO HIM, THENCE IS PROOF [OF MY VIEW, VIZ.]: OR TO TAKE WATER WITHAL OUT OF THE CISTERN.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. The least quantity of water to be counted is a rebi'ith; v. first Mishnah of this chapter. ');"><sup>20</sup></span>
יג גמ תנן התם מי שהיה ביתו סמוך לעבודה זרה ונפל אסור לבנותו כיצד יעשה כונס לתוך שלו ד' אמות ובונה
13 <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. (The Scholars asked: Is R. Meir's standard greater or R. Jose's standard greater?)<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashal and BaH delete this bracketed passage. ');"><sup>21</sup></span> Logically, R. Jose's standard is greater, whereas the verse [quoted indicates that] R. Meir's standard is greater, for should you think that R. Jose's standard is greater, does he [the prophet] [first] curse in respect to a small vessel, and then curse in respect to a large one!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is raised as a difficulty. Generally speaking, only a very small shard is required for scraping out a fire from a stove, certainly not one large enough to contain a rebi'ith. On the other hand, the prophet would not curse by first observing that not even a small shard will remain, and then add that a large shard will not remain either. ');"><sup>22</sup></span> — Said Abaye: Our Mishnah too [means] to scrape out a fire from a large hearth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which requires a larger shard. ');"><sup>23</sup></span> SAID R. JOSE TO HIM, THENCE IS PROOF. But R. Jose says well to R. Meir! — R. Meir maintains that he proceeds to a climax: Not only will nothing that is of value to people be found therein, but even that which is of no value to people shall not be found therein. <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. R. AKIBA SAID: WHENCE DO WE KNOW THAT AN IDOL DEFILES BY CARRIAGE LIKE A <i>NIDDAH</i>?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If one carries a niddah (q.v. Glos.), even without actually touching her, he becomes unclean, and R. Akiba teaches that the same applies to an idol. ');"><sup>24</sup></span> BECAUSE IT IS SAID, THOU SHALT CAST THEM [SC. THE IDOLS] AWAY AS A MENSTRUOUS THING; THOU SHALT SAY UNTO IT, GET THEE HENCE:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XXX, 22. ');"><sup>25</sup></span> JUST AS A <i>NIDDAH</i> DEFILES BY CARRIAGE, SO DOES AN IDOL DEFILE BY CARRIAGE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi: This Mishnah is quoted here because of its similarity in style to a later Mishnah concerning circumcision on the Sabbath (infra 86a). R. Han. and Tosaf.: Since the last Mishnah of the preceding chapter quotes a law which is supported by, though not actually deduced from, a Biblical verse, this chapter commences similarly. Both verses quoted are from Isa. XXX. ');"><sup>26</sup></span> <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. We learnt elsewhere:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. A.Z. 47b. ');"><sup>27</sup></span> If one's house adjoins an idol,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that its wall is also the wall of the heathen temple, though actually it belongs entirely to him. ');"><sup>28</sup></span> and it collapses, he must not rebuild it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since he thereby builds a wall for the temple too. ');"><sup>29</sup></span> What shall he do? He must retreat four cubits within his own [ground] and rebuild.
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