Shabbat 183

דאי בעי מפקע ליה ושקיל בנסכא וכיון דאיכא שנצין מפיק ליה עד פומיה ושרי ושקיל ושנצין אגידי מגואי דליכא שנצין ואיבעית אימא דאית ליה ומכרכי עילויה

which he can rip open<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [The seams of their purses were loosely sewn (Tosaf.)]. ');">¹</span> if he desires and extract [the coins]? — The reference is to a bar of metal.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And as long as part of it is within he has committed no theft. ');">²</span> But since it has straps,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To close it. ');">³</span>

וכן אמר רבא לא שנו אלא בקופה מלאה קישואין ודלועין אבל מלאה חרדל חייב אלמא קסבר אגד כלי לא שמיה אגד אביי אמר אפילו מלאה חרדל פטור אלמא קסבר אגד כלי שמיה אגד קם אביי בשיטתיה דרבא קם רבא בשיטתיה דאביי ורמי דאביי אדאביי ורמי דרבא אדרבא

he [the thief] can take it out up to its opening, untie [the straps] and take out the bar,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whereby he has already committed the theft. ');">⁴</span> whilst the straps [still] unite it to within?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In respect of the Sabbath; hence he has not yet desecrated the Sabbath. ');">⁵</span> — It refers to one that has no straps. Alternatively, it has straps, but they are wound round about it [the purse].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that when he takes it out as far as its opening, the whole bag and straps are outside too. ');">⁶</span>

דאיתמר המוציא פירות לרה"ר אביי אמר ביד חייב בכלי פטור ורבא אמר ביד פטור בכלי חייב

And Raba said likewise: They learnt this only of a basket full of cucumbers and gourds, but if it is full of mustard he is culpable. This proves that he holds that the tie of a vessel is not regarded as a tie. Abaye ruled: Even if it is full of mustard he is not culpable, [which] proves that he holds that the tie of a vessel is regarded as a tie. Abaye [subsequently] adopted Raba's view, while Raba adopted Abaye's view. Now Abaye is self-contradictory, and Raba likewise. For it was taught: If one carries out produce into the street, — Abaye said: If in his hand, he is culpable;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even if his body is in the house, because the tie of his body is not a tie in this respect. ');">⁷</span> if in a vessel, he is not culpable.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If part of the utensil is within, as R. Johanan supra 91b; this contradicts Abaye's subsequent view. ');">⁸</span> But Raba ruled: If in his hand, he is not culpable;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The tie of the body is a tie. ');">⁹</span>

איפוך ביד חייב והתנן פשט בעל הבית את ידו לחוץ ונטל העני מתוכה או שנתן לתוכה והכניס שניהן פטורין התם למעלה מג' הכא למטה מג':

if in a vessel, he is culpable?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [It was known to the retractors of the Talmud that this controversy took place after Abaye and Raba had retracted (Tosaf.)]; ');">¹⁰</span> — Reverse it. 'If in his hand, he is culpable'? But we learnt: If the master stretches his hand without and the poor man takes [an object] from it, or places [an article] therein and he carries it inside, both are exempt? — There it is above three [handbreadths],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the exemption is because the same person did not effect both the removal and the depositing, not because of the tie of the body. ');">¹¹</span> but here it is below three.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that it is technically at rest; Cf. p. 12, n. 6. ');">¹²</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> המוציא בין בימינו בין בשמאלו בתוך חיקו או על כתיפיו חייב שכן משא בני קהת כלאחר ידו ברגלו בפיו ובמרפקו באזנו ובשערו ובפונדתו ופיה למטה בין פונדתו לחלוקו ובשפת חלוקו במנעלו בסנדלו פטור שלא הוציא כדרך המוציאין:

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. IF ONE CARRIES OUT [AN ARTICLE], WHETHER WITH HIS RIGHT OR WITH HIS LEFT [HAND], IN HIS LAP OR ON HIS SHOULDER, HE IS CULPABLE, BECAUSE THUS WAS THE CARRYING OF THE CHILDREN OF KOHATH.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In connection with the Tabernacle in the wilderness, v. Num. VII, 9. The definition of forbidden labour on the Sabbath which involves culpability is learnt from the Tabernacle; v. supra 49b. ');">¹³</span> IN A BACKHANDED MANNER,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is the idiom for anything done in an unusual way. ');">¹⁴</span> [E.G.,] WITH HIS FOOT, IN HIS MOUTH, WITH HIS ELBOW, IN HIS EAR, IN HIS HAIR, IN HIS BELT WITH ITS OPENING DOWNWARDS,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of course, if the opening is on top such carrying would be quite usual. ');">¹⁵</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> אמר ר"א המוציא משאוי למעלה מעשרה טפחים חייב שכן משא בני קהת ומשא בני קהת מנלן דכתיב (במדבר ג, כו) על המשכן ועל המזבח סביב מקיש מזבח למשכן מה משכן י' אמות אף מזבח י' אמות

BETWEEN HIS BELT AND HIS SHIRT, IN THE HEM OF HIS SHIRT, IN HIS SHOES OR SANDALS, HE IS NOT CULPABLE, BECAUSE HE HAS NOT CARRIED [IT] OUT AS PEOPLE [GENERALLY] CARRY OUT. <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. R. Eleazar said: If one carries out a burden above ten handbreadths [from the street level], he is culpable,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though the space there ranks as a place of non-culpability v. supra 6a. ');">¹⁶</span> for thus was the carrying of the children of Kohath. And how do we know that the carrying of the children of Kohath [was thus]? Because it is written, by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. III, 26. ');">¹⁷</span>

ומשכן גופיה מנלן דכתיב (שמות כו, טז) עשר אמות אורך הקרש וכתיב (שמות מ, יט) ויפרוש את האהל על המשכן ואמר רב משה רבינו פרשו מכאן אתה למד גובהן של לויים עשר אמות וגמירי דכל טונא דמידלי במוטות תילתא מלעיל ותרי תילתי מלתחת אישתכח דהוה מידלי טובא

the altar is likened to the Tabernacle: just as the Tabernacle was ten cubits [high], so was the altar ten cubits high. And how do we know this of the Tabernacle itself? — Because it is written, Ten cubits shall be the length of a board,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXVI, 16. ');">¹⁸</span> and it is [also] said, and he spread the tent over the Tabernacle,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XL, 19. ');">¹⁹</span> whereon Rab commented: Moses our Teacher spread it. Hence you may learn that the Levites were ten cubits tall.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is now assumed that all Levites were as tall as Moses. ');">²⁰</span>

ואיבעית אימא מארון דאמר מר ארון תשעה וכפורת טפח הרי כאן י' וגמירי דכל טונא דמידלי במוטות תילתא מלעיל ותרי תילתי מלרע אישתכח דלמעלה מי' הוה קאי וליגמר ממשה דילמא משה שאני דאמר מר אין השכינה שורה אלא על חכם גבור ועשיר ובעל קומה

Now it is well known that any burden that is carried on staves, a third is above [the porter's height] and two thirds are below: thus it is found that it was very much raised.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Kohathites carried the altar on staves on their shoulders. Allowing for two thirds of the altar to swing below the top of their heads, the bottom of the altar would still be a third of ten cubits-i.e., three and one third cubits-from the ground, which is considerably more than ten handbreadths. ');">²¹</span> Alternatively, [it is deduced] from the Ark. For a Master said: The Ark was nine [handbreadths high], and the mercy-seat was one handbreadth; hence we have ten. And it is well known that any burden that is carried on staves, a third is above and two thirds are below: thus it is found that it was very much raised.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For allowing for Levites of the usual height, viz., three cubits eighteen handbreadths, and two thirds of the Ark, i.e., six and two thirds handbreadths swinging below the level of their heads, its bottom would still be eleven and one third handbreadths above the ground. — This alternative rejects the deduction from Moses. ');">²²</span> But deduce it from Moses? — Perhaps Moses was different, because a Master said: The <i>Shechinah</i> rests only on a wise man, a strong man, a wealthy man and a tall man.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence Moses' height may have been exceptional. V. Ned., Sonc. ed., p. 119 n. 4; also Gorfinkle, 'The Eight chapters of Maimonides', p. 80, for an interesting though fanciful explanation of this passage. ');">²³</span>

אמר רב משום רבי חייא המוציא משאוי בשבת על ראשו חייב חטאת שכן אנשי הוצל עושין כן ואנשי הוצל רובא דעלמא אלא אי איתמר הכי איתמר אמר רב משום רבי חייא אחד מבני הוצל שהוציא משוי על ראשו בשבת חייב שכן בני עירו עושין כן ותיבטל דעתו אצל כל אדם אלא אי איתמר הכי איתמר המוציא משוי על ראשו פטור

Rab said on R. Hiyya's authority: If one carries out a burden on his head<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not holding it with his hands at all. ');">²⁴</span> on the Sabbath, he is liable to a sin-offering. because the people of Huzal<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Sanh., p. 98, n. 3. ');">²⁵</span> do thus. Are then the people of Huzal the world's majority!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To set the standard for all others ');">²⁶</span> Rather if stated, it was thus stated: Rab said on R. Hiyya's authority: if a Huzalite carries out a burden on his head on the Sabbath, he is liable to a sin-offering, because his fellow-citizens do thus. But let his practice<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'mind'. ');">²⁷</span> be null by comparison with that of all men?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For since most people do not carry it thus, it is an unusual form of carriage ');">²⁸</span> Rather if stated, it was thus stated: If one carries out a burden on his head, he is not culpable.