Shabbat 242:1

אייתו להו פורייתא לרב חנן בר רבא לא אייתו ליה אשכחיה מתני ליה לבריה ועל צואה של קטן מפני קטן א"ל אבין שטיא מתני שטותא לבניה והלא היא עצמה מוכנת לכלבים וכ"ת דלא חזיא ליה מאתמול והתניא נהרות המושכין ומעיינות הנובעין הרי הן כרגלי כל אדם

couches were brought; for R. Hanan b. Raba none was brought.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He had to sit on the ground. ');">¹</span> Now, he found him reciting to his son, AND OVER AN INFANT'S EXCREMENT, on account of the infant.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To prevent him from dabbling with it. ');">²</span> Said he to him, 'Abin! a fool recites nonsense to his son:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This rude remark was made in spleen at his host's discourtesy. ');">³</span>

ואלא היכי אתנייה אימא על צואה של תרנגולים מפני קטן

surely that itself is fit for dogs!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Mukeneth, Lit., 'stands prepared'. Hence it may be handled and therefore one can carry it out altogether; why then overturn a dish upon it? ');">⁴</span> And should you say that it was not fit for him from yesterday,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. Friday; thus it is newly-created, as it were, on the Sabbath (technically called nolad v. Glos.), and as such may not be handled. ');">⁵</span> surely it was taught: Flowing rivers and gushing springs are as the feet of all men?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the Sabbath or Festival an article may be carried, where carrying is permitted through an 'erub, only where its owner may go, i.e., it is 'as the feet of its owner'. But this does not apply to the water of a flowing river, and every man may carry it whither he himself may go, though not all may go to the same place (v. Bez. 39a). Now, that which comes on the Sabbath from without the tehum (v. Glos.) may not be taken anywhere within the tehum. But although the water of a flowing river does come from without, it may be carried within. This shows that though that particular water was not there on the Friday, it is regarded as fit on the Sabbath, because it was naturally expected. Hence the same applies to the excrement: though it did not exist before the Sabbath, it was expected, and therefore may be handled, seeing that it can be put to a legitimate use. ');">⁶</span>

ותיפוק ליה דהוי גרף של רעי וכ"ת גרף של רעי אגב מנא אין איהו גופיה לא והא ההוא עכבר דאישתכח באיספרמקי דרב אשי ואמר להו נקוטו בצוציתיה ואפקוה באשפה וקטן באשפה מאי בעי ליה בחצר חצר נמי גרף של רעי הוא באשפה שבחצר:

Then how shall I recite it? — Say: Over the excrement of fowls, on account of an infant.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 600, n. 9. But this may not be handled itself, because it is not fit for dogs. — He interprets the Mishnah thus. ');">⁷</span> But deduce it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That one may carry it out. ');">⁸</span> because it is [as] a vessel for excrements.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which may be cleared away on account of its repulsiveness. ');">⁹</span>

ועל עקרב שלא תישך: א"ר יהושע בן לוי כל המזיקין נהרגין בשבת מתיב רב יוסף חמשה נהרגין בשבת ואלו הן זבוב שבארץ מצרים וצירעה שבנינוה ועקרב שבחדייב ונחש שבא"י וכלב שוטה בכל מקום מני אילימא ר' יהודה הא אמר מלאכה שאינה צריכה לגופה חייב עליה אלא לאו ר"ש והני הוא דשרי אחריני לא

And should you answer, The vessel of excrements is only [permitted] in virtue of the utensil,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which contains the excrements. ');">¹⁰</span> yet that itself may not [be carried out], — but a mouse was found in R. Ashi's spices, and he said to them [his servants], 'Take it by the tail and throw it out?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And a mouse is the same as excrement. ');">¹¹</span> — This refers to a dung heap.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which stands apart. ');">¹²</span>

אמר ר' ירמיה ומאן נימא לן דהא מתרצתא היא דילמא משבשתא היא אמר רב יוסף אנא מתנינא לה ואותיבנא לה ואנא מתריצנא לה ברצו אחריו ודברי הכל

But what business has an infant with a dung heap?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which was usually in the street. ');">¹³</span> — It is in the courtyard.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is now assumed that this refers to the excrement, not the dung heap. ');">¹⁴</span> But in a courtyard too it is a vessel of excrements? — It refers to a dung heap in the courtyard.

תני תנא קמיה דרבא בר רב הונא ההורג נחשים ועקרבים בשבת אין רוח חסידים נוחה הימנו א"ל ואותן חסידים אין רוח חכמים נוחה מהם ופליגא דרב הונא דרב הונא חזייה לההוא גברא דקא קטיל זיבורא א"ל שלימתינהו לכולהו

AND OVER A SCORPION, THAT IT SHOULD NOT BITE. R. Joshua b. Levi said: All [animals, etc.] that cause injury<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi: that kill. ');">¹⁵</span> may be killed on the Sabbath. R. Joseph objected: Five may be killed on the Sabbath, and these are they: the Egyptian fly, the hornet of Nineweh, the scorpion of Adiabene,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A district of Assyria between the rivers Lycus and Caprus. ');">¹⁶</span> the snake in Palestine, and a mad dog anywhere. Now, who [is the authority?] Shall we say, R. Judah? Surely he maintains, One is guilty on account of a labour not required for itself?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 12a, 31b; the present killing falls within the same category. ');">¹⁷</span>

ת"ר נזדמנו לו נחשים ועקרבים הרגן בידוע שנזדמנו לו להורגן לא הרגן בידוע שנזדמנו להורגו ונעשה לו נס מן השמים אמר עולא ואיתימא רבה בר בר חנה א"ר יוחנן בנישופין בו

Hence it must be R. Simeon, and only these are permitted, but not others? — Said R. Jeremiah, And who tells us that this is correct: perhaps it is corrupt? Said R. Joseph: I recited it and I raised the objection, and I can answer it: This is where they are pursuing him, and is unanimous.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., R. Joshua's statement refers to this case. But in the Baraitha they are not pursuing him, and it is taught on R. Simeon's view. ');">¹⁸</span> A tanna recited before Rabbah son of R. Huna: If one kills snakes or scorpions on the Sabbath, the spirit of the pious<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. hasidim. Here probably no particular sect is meant. Weiss, Dor, I. 109, maintains that the early hasidim are probably referred to. ');">¹⁹</span> is displeased with him. He retorted, And as to those pious men, the spirit of the Sages is displeased with them. Now, he disagrees with R. Huna, for R. Huna saw a man kill a wasp. Said he to him, 'Have you wiped them all out?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sarcastically. I.e., you have achieved nothing, and should not have done it on the Sabbath. ');">²⁰</span>

א"ר אבא בר כהנא פעם אחת נפל אחד בבהמ"ד ועמד ניותי אחד והרגו אמר רבי פגע בו כיוצא בו

Our Rabbis taught: If one chances upon snakes and scorpions, and he kills them, it is manifest that he had chanced upon them in order to kill them; if he does not kill them, it is manifest that he had chanced upon them that they should kill him, but that a miracle was performed by Heaven on his behalf. 'Ulla said: — others state, Rabbah b. Bar Hanah said in R. Johanan's name — That is when they hiss at him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Otherwise it is not to be assumed that they were meant to kill him. ');">²¹</span> R. Abba b. Kahana said: One [of them] once fell in the <i>Beth Hamidrash</i>, and a Nabatean<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi, a Jew from Nabatea. ');">²²</span> arose and killed it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This was on a Sabbath. ');">²³</span>

איבעיא להו פגע בו כיוצא בו דשפיר עביד או לא ת"ש דר' אבא בריה דר' חייא בר אבא ור' זירא הוו יתבי אקילעא דבי ר' ינאי נפק מילתא מבינייהו בעו מיניה מר' ינאי מהו להרוג נחשים ועקרבים בשבת אמר להו צירעה אני הורג נחש ועקרב לא כ"ש דילמא לפי תומו דאמר רב יהודה רוק דורסו לפי תומו ואמר רב ששת נחש דורסו לפי תומו ואמר רב קטינא עקרב דורסו לפי תומו

Said Rabbi: A similar one must have attacked him. The scholars asked: 'A similar one must have attacked him' [means] that he had done well, or not?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Did Rabbi speak seriously or sarcastically? ');">²⁴</span> — Come and hear: For R. Abba, son of R. Hiyya b. Abba, and R. Zera were sitting in the anteroom of R. Jannai's academy, [when] something issued from between them.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or, the question came up (for discussion) between them. ');">²⁵</span> [So] they asked R. Jannai: May one kill snakes and scorpions on the Sabbath? Said he to them: I kill a hornet, how much more so snakes and scorpions! But perhaps that is (only] incidentally,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'in one's simplicity' — i.e., not intentionally, but in the course of his walking. ');">²⁶</span>

אבא בר מרתא דהוא אבא בר מניומי הוה מסקי ביה דבי ריש גלותא זוזי אייתיוהו קא מצערא ליה הוה שדי רוקא אמר להו ריש גלותא אייתו מאנא סחיפו עלויה אמר להו לא צריכתו הכי א"ר יהודה רוק דורסו לפי תומו אמר להו צורבא מרבנן הוא שבקוהו

for Rab Judah said: One can tread down saliva incidentally:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., on Sabbath, despite the possibility of levelling thereby some grooves in the soil. ');">²⁷</span> and R. Shesheth said, One can tread down a snake incidentally, and R. Kattina said, One may tread down a scorpion incidentally.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus the question remains unanswered. ');">²⁸</span> Abba b. Martha, who is Abba b. Minyomi, owed money to the house of the Resh Galutha. [So] they brought him [before the Resh Galutha]; he distressed him [and] he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Abba. ');">²⁹</span>

אמר ר' אבא בר כהנא א"ר חנינא פמוטות של בית רבי מותר לטלטלן בשבת א"ל ר' זירא בניטלין בידו אחת או בשתי ידים

spat out saliva,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There happened to be saliva spat out. V. Rashi. ');">³⁰</span> [whereupon] the Resh Galutha ordered, 'Bring a vessel and cover it.' Said he to them, 'You do not need this, [for] thus did Rab Judah say: One can tread down saliva incidentally.' 'He is a scholar,' remarked he [the Resh Galutha]; 'let him go'. R. Abba b. Kahana also said in R. Hanina's name: The candlesticks<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi: a one-piece lamp; v. p. 202., n. 6. ');">³¹</span> of Rabbi's household may be handled on the Sabbath. R. Zera asked him: [Does that mean] where they can be taken up with one hand, or [even] with two hands?