Shabbat 18

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> לא ישב אדם לפני הספר סמוך למנחה עד שיתפלל לא יכנס אדם למרחץ ולא לבורסקי ולא לאכול ולא לדין ואם התחילו אין מפסיקין מפסיקין (לקרות ק"ש) ואין מפסיקין לתפלה:

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. ONE MUST NOT SIT DOWN BEFORE A BARBER NEAR MINHAH<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The afternoon service. ');">¹</span> UNTIL, HE HAS PRAYED: NOR MAY HE ENTER THE BATHS OR A TANNERY, NOR TO EAT NOR FOR A LAWSUIT,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lest he forget about the service. This refers to weekdays, and is taught here because of its similarity to the next Mishnah on 11a. ');">²</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> הי סמוך למנחה אילימא למנחה גדולה אמאי לא האיכא שהות ביום טובא אלא סמוך למנחה קטנה

YET IF THEY BEGAN, THEY NEED NOT BREAK OFF.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the service — providing that there will still be time when they finish. ');">³</span> ONE MUST BREAK OFF FOR THE READING OF THE <i>SHEMA'</i>, BUT NOT FOR PRAYER.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Shema'('hear') is the name of the Biblical passages Deut. VI, 4-9; XI, 13-21; Num. XV, 37-41 the first of which commences with that word shema' (Hear O Israel, the Lord our God the Lord is One). The 'prayer' par excellence is the 'Eighteen Benedictions.' Both the shema' and the service must be recited daily, but the former is regarded as a Biblical obligation whereas the latter is a Rabbinical institution (v. Elbogen, Judische Gottesdienst, 27ff; J.E. art. Shemoneh Esreh); hence the activities mentioned in the Mishnah must be interrupted as soon as it is time to recite the shema', even though it can be recited later, but not for the 'service.' ');">⁴</span>

אם התחילו אין מפסיקין נימא תיהוי תיובתא דר' יהושע בן לוי דאמר ר' יהושע בן לוי כיון שהגיע זמן תפלת המנחה אסור לאדם שיטעום כלום קודם שיתפלל תפלת המנחה

<b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Near what <i>minhah</i>?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Talmud distinguished two times for minhah: the major, i.e., first minhah, at 12:30 p.m. and the minor, i.e., the late minhah, from 3:30 to sunset, which was calculated as at 6 p.m. but the service was not generally delayed after the minor minhah, i.e., after 3:30. V. Elbogen, op. cit. pp. 98ff; J. E. XVIII, 59b. ');">⁵</span> Shall we say, near the major <i>minhah</i>? But why not, seeing that there is yet plenty of time in the day? But if near the minor <i>Minhah</i>: YET IF THEY BEGAN THEY NEED NOT BREAK OFF? Shall we say that this is a refutation of R. Joshua b. Levi? For R. Joshua b. Levi said: As soon as it is time for the <i>minhah</i> service one may not eat<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'taste'. ');">⁶</span>

לא לעולם סמוך למנחה גדולה ובתספורת בן אלעשה ולא למרחץ לכולא מילתא דמרחץ ולא לבורסקי לבורסקי גדולה ולא לאכול בסעודה גדולה ולא לדין בתחלת דין

anything before he has recited the <i>minhah</i> service. — No. After all [it means] near the major <i>minhah</i>, but the reference is to a hair-cut in the fashion of Ben' Elasah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The son-in-law of R. Judah ha-Nasi; he cropped his hair closely in the manner of the High Priest, v. Sanh. 22b. This was a long process and if one commenced it even before the major minhah he might be too late for the service. ');">⁷</span> [Similarly.] [NOR MAY HE ENTER] THE BATHS [means] for the complete process of the baths; NOR A TANNERY, for tanning on a large scale; NOR EAT at a long meal [of many courses]:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For descriptions of long meals and short meals v. T.A. III, pp. 28f. ');">⁸</span>

רב אחא בר יעקב אמר לעולם בתספורת דידן לכתחלה אמאי לא ישב גזירה שמא ישבר הזוג ולא למרחץ להזיע בעלמא לכתחלה אמאי לא גזירה שמא יתעלפה ולא לבורסקי לעיוני בעלמא לכתחלה אמאי לא דילמא חזי פסידא בזביניה ומטריד ולא לאכול בסעודה קטנה לכתחלה אמאי לא דילמא אתי לאמשוכי ולא לדין בגמר הדין לכתחלה אמאי לא דילמא חזי טעמא וסתר דינא

NOR FOR A LAWSUIT, at the beginning of the trial. R. Aha b. Jacob said: After all, it refers to our mode of hair cutting and why must he not sit down [for it] at the very outset? For fear lest the scissors be broken.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And by the time another pair is procured it may be too late for the service. ');">⁹</span>

מאימתי התחלת תספורת אמר רב אבין משיניח מעפורת של ספרין על ברכיו ומאימתי התחלת מרחץ אמר רב אבין משיערה מעפרתו הימנו ומאימתי התחלת בורסקי משיקשור בין כתיפיו ומאימתי התחלת אכילה רב אמר משיטול ידיו ור' חנינא אמר משיתיר חגורה

[Similarly] NOR TO THE BATHS [means] merely for sweating; [and] why not [do this] in the first place? For fear lest he faint [there].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or, be overcome by weakness. ');">¹⁰</span> NOR A TANNERY, merely to inspect it:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even not to superintend the whole process. ');">¹¹</span>

ולא פליגי הא לן והא להו

[and] why not at the very outset? Lest he see his wares being spoilt, which will trouble him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And make him forget about the service. ');">¹²</span> NOR TO EAT [means even] a small meal: [and] why not at the very outset? Lest he come to prolong it. NOR TO A LAWSUIT, for the end of the trial; [and] why not [enter] at the very outset? Lest he see an argument to overthrow the verdict.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which will necessitate starting afresh. ');">¹³</span>

אמר אביי הני חברין בבלאי למאן דאמר תפלת ערבית רשות כיון דשרא ליה המייניה לא מטרחינן ליה ולמ"ד חובה מטרחינן ליה והא תפלת מנחה דלכולי עלמא חובה היא ותנן אם התחילו אין מפסיקין ואמר רבי חנינא משיתיר חגורו

What is the beginning of a hair-cut?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that it shall be unneccesary to break it off for the service. ');">¹⁴</span> — Said R. Abin: When the barber's sheet is placed on one's knees. And when is the beginning of a bath? Said R. Abin: When one removes his cloak.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., when he starts undressing. ');">¹⁵</span> And when is the beginning of tanning? When he ties [an apron] round his shoulders. And when is the beginning of eating? Rab said: When one washes his hands; R. Hanina said: When he loosens his girdle. But they do not differ: the one refers to ourselves [Babylonians]: the other to them [Palestinians].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi: the Babylonians were tightly belted, so they loosened the girdle before eating; but for the Palestinians this was unnecessary. R. Han. reverses it. ');">¹⁶</span> Abaye said: These Babylonian scholars, on the view that the evening service is voluntary,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is disputed in Ber. 27b whether the evening service is compulsory or voluntary. ');">¹⁷</span> once they have undone their girdle [to eat], we do not trouble them;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To refrain from their meal until they have prayed. ');">¹⁸</span> but on the view that it is obligatory, do we trouble them? But what of the <i>minhah</i> service, which all agree is obligatory, and still we learnt, YET IF THEY BEGAN, THEY NEED NOT BREAK OFF; whereon R. Hanina said, [That means] when he loosens his girdle?