Shabbat 185

בעיגול של דבילה והוציאו לרשות הרבים בקורה והוציאו לרה"ר רבי יהודה אומר אם לא יכול אחד להוציאו והוציאוהו שנים חייבין ואם לאו פטורין ר"ש אומר אע"פ שלא יכול אחד להוציאו והוציאוהו שנים פטורים לכך נאמר בעשותה יחיד שעשאה חייב שנים שעשאוה פטורין

[If they hold] a round cake of pressed figs and carry it out into the street, or a beam, and carry it out into the street, — R. Judah said: If one cannot carry it out and both carry it out, they are culpable; if not, they are not culpable. R. Simeon ruled: Even if one cannot carry it out and both carry it out, they are not culpable: for this [reason] it is stated, 'in his doing', [to teach that] if a single person does it, he is liable; whereas if two do it, they are exempt. Wherein do they differ? In this verse: And if one person of the common people shall sin unwittingly, in his doing, [etc.]. R. Simeon holds: Three limitations are written: 'a person' shall sin, 'one' shall sin,' in his doing' he shall sin.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., each of these expressions limits the law to the action of a single individual. ');">¹</span>

במאי קמיפלגי בהאי קרא (ויקרא ד, כז) ואם נפש אחת תחטא בשגגה מעם הארץ בעשותה ר"ש סבר תלתא מיעוטי כתיבי נפש תחטא אחת תחטא בעשותה תחטא חד למעוטי זה עוקר וזה מניח וחד למעוטי זה יכול וזה יכול וחד למעוטי זה אינו יכול וזה אינו יכול

One excludes [the case where] one [person] removes an article [from one domain] and another deposits [it in the other domain]; a second is to exclude [the case of] each being able [separately to perform the action]; and the third is to exclude where neither is able [alone]. R. Judah [holds]: one excludes [the case where] one [person] removes and another deposits; the second is to exclude [the case of] each being able; and the third is to exclude [the case of] an individual who acts on the ruling of <i>Beth din</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And thereby sins; he is not liable to a sin.offering. ');">²</span> But R. Simeon is consistent with his view, for he maintains: An individual who acts on the ruling of <i>Beth din</i> is liable.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' v. Hor. 2b. ');">³</span>

ורבי יהודה חד למעוטי זה עוקר וזה מניח וחד למעוטי זה יכול וזה יכול וחד למעוטי יחיד שעשאה בהוראת ב"ד ור"ש יחיד שעשאה בהוראת ב"ד חייב

While R. Meir [argues]: Is it then written, 'a person shall sin', 'one shall sin', 'in his doing he shall sin'! [Only] two limitations are written:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' v., 'one soul' and 'in his doing'. ');">⁴</span> one excludes [the case where] one removes and another deposits, and the other excludes [the case of] an individual who acts on the ruling of <i>Beth din</i>.

ור"מ מי כתיב נפש תחטא אחת תחטא בעשותה תחטא תרי מעוטי כתיבי חד למעוטי זה עוקר וזה מניח וחד למעוטי יחיד שעשאה בהוראת ב"ד:

The Master said. 'If one is able but the other is not, all agree that he is culpable.' Which one is culpable? — Said R. Hisda: He who is able. For if the one who is unable, — what does he do then?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He himself can effect nothing. ');">⁵</span> Said R. Hamnuna to him: Surely he helps him? Helping is no concrete [act], replied he. R. Zebid said on Raba's authority: We learnt likewise: If he [a <i>zab</i>] is sitting on a bed and four cloths are under the feet of the bed,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., one cloth under each foot. ');">⁶</span>

אמר מר זה יכול וזה אינו יכול דברי הכל חייב הי מנייהו מיחייב אמר רב חסדא זה שיכול דאי זה שאינו יכול מאי קא עביד אמר ליה רב המנונא דקא מסייע בהדיה אמר ליה מסייע אין בו ממש

they are unclean, because it cannot stand on three;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that each one is regarded as affording complete support. since the bed cannot stand without it, and therefore the cloth under it is unclean as midras (v. p. 312, n. 9). — For a thing to become unclean as midras the greater weight of the zab must rest on it. ');">⁷</span> but R. Simeon declares it clean.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Consistently with his view here that where neither can do the work alone, each is regarded merely as a help. ');">⁸</span>

אמר רב זביד משמיה דרבא אף אנן נמי תנינא היה יושב על גבי המטה וארבע טליות תחת רגלי המטה טמאות מפני שאינה יכולה לעמוד על שלש ור' שמעון מטהר היה רוכב על גבי בהמה וד' טליות תחת רגלי הבהמה טהורות מפני שיכולה לעמוד על ג' ואמאי הא קמסייע בהדי הדדי לאו משום דאמרינן מסייע אין בו ממש

If he is riding on an animal and four cloths are under its feet, they are clean, because it can stand on three. But why so? surely each helps the other? Hence it must be because we maintain that helping is not a concrete [act]. Said Rab Judah of Diskarta:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deskarah, sixteen parasangs N.E. of Bagdad, Obermeyer, p. 146. ');">⁹</span> After all I may tell you that helping is a concrete [act]; but here it is different because it [the animal] removes it [the foot] entirely [from the ground].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence it is not even regarded as helping. ');">¹⁰</span>

אמר רב יהודה מדיסקרתא לעולם אימא לך מסייע יש בו ממש ושאני הכא דעקרה לה לגמרי וכיון דזימנין עקרה הא וזימנין עקרה הא ליהוי כזב המתהפך מי לא תנן זב שהיה מוטל על ה' ספסלין או על ה' פונדאות לאורכן טמאים לרחבן טהורין ישן ספק מתהפך עליהן טמאין

But since it alternatively removes one foot and then another, let it be as a <i>zab</i> who turns about.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Shifting from one support to another, as in the Mishnah quoted. ');">¹¹</span> Did we not learn, If a <i>zab</i> is lying on five benches or five hollow belts:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Probably like long straps. but hollow, and can be used as money pouches. ');">¹²</span>

אלא לאו משום דאמרינן מסייע אין בו ממש אמר רב פפי משמיה דרבא אף אנן נמי תנינא

if along their length, they are unclean;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because he may have shifted from one to another, so that each received the greater part of his weight. ');">¹³</span> but if along their breadth, they are clean. [But] if he is sleeping, [and] there is a doubt that he may have turned [about upon them],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And come to be along their length. ');">¹⁴</span> they are unclean? Hence<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the case of the animal. ');">¹⁵</span> it must surely be because we say, helping is no concrete [act]. R. Papi said in Raba's name, We too learnt thus.