Shabbat 266:1

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מכדי קתני כולהו כל צורכי מילה לאתויי מאי

<b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Consider: He [the Tanna] states them all [separately]: what is ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF CIRCUMCISION to include? — It is to include that which our Rabbis taught: He who circumcises,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the Sabbath. ');">¹</span> as long as he is engaged in the circumcision, he returns both for the shreds [of the corona] which invalidate the circumcision and for those which do not invalidate the circumcision.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is what the Mishnah includes. ');">²</span>

לאתויי הא דת"ר המל כל זמן שהוא עוסק במילה חוזר בין על הציצין המעכבין את המילה בין על הציצין שאין מעכבין את המילה פירש על ציצין המעכבין את המילה חוזר על ציצין שאין מעכבין את המילה אינו חוזר

Once he has withdrawn,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From circumcising, thinking it finished. ');">³</span> he returns on account of the shreds which invalidate the circumcision, but not for the shreds which do not invalidate the circumcision.

מאן תנא פירש אינו חוזר אמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר רבי יוחנן רבי ישמעאל בנו של ר' יוחנן בן ברוקה היא דתניא ארבעה עשר שחל להיות בשבת מפשיט (אדם) הפסח עד החזה דברי רבי ישמעאל בנו של ר' יוחנן בן ברוקה וחכ"א מפשיטין את כולו

Who teaches: Once he has withdrawn, he must not return? Said Rabbah b. Bar Hanah in R. Johanan's name: It is R. Ishmael the son of R. Johanan b. Berokah. For it was taught: If the fourteenth [of Nisan] falls on the Sabbath, the passover sacrifice is flayed as far as the breast: this is the view of R. Ishmael the son of R. Johanan b. Berokah. But the Sages maintain: We flay the whole of it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' v. Supra 116b. When one reaches the breast he temporarily ceases flaying in order to remove the fats; this cessation is analogous to withdrawing in the case of circumcision, and R. Ishmael rules that he must not return to complete the flaying. ');">⁴</span> But how so? R. Johanan may rule [thus] only there, because we do not require [the application of the verse,] This is my God, and I will adorn him,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XV, 2. Or perhaps, and I will adorn myself for His sake. Once the fats are removed for sacrificial purposes there is no adornment of the precept in trimming the flesh and making it look presentable. ');">⁵</span>

ממאי עד כאן לא קאמר ר' ישמעאל בנו של ר' יוחנן בן ברוקה התם משום דלא בעינן (שמות טו, ב) זה אלי ואנוהו אבל הכא דבעינן זה אלי ואנוהו הכי נמי

but here that we require, 'This is my God, and I will adorn him',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The cutting away even of the shreds which does not invalidate circumcision is nevertheless an adornment thereof ');">⁶</span> that indeed is so!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And may be permitted even by R. Ishmael. ');">⁷</span>

דתניא זה אלי ואנוהו התנאה לפניו במצות עשה לפניו סוכה נאה ולולב נאה ושופר נאה ציצית נאה ספר תורה נאה וכתוב בו לשמו בדיו נאה בקולמוס נאה בלבלר אומן וכורכו בשיראין נאין

(For it was taught: This is my God, and I will adorn him: [i.e.,] adorn thyself before Him in [the fulfilment of] precepts. [Thus:] make a beautiful <i>sukkah</i> in His honour,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'before Him'. ');">⁸</span> a beautiful lulab, a beautiful <i>shofar</i>, beautiful fringes, and a beautiful Scroll of the Law, and write it with fine ink, a fine reed [-pen], and a skilled penman, and wrap it about with beautiful silks. Abba Saul interpreted, and I will be like him:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Reading [H] as a combination [H] and He (have to act alike). ');">⁹</span>

אבא שאול אומר ואנוהו הוי דומה לו מה הוא חנון ורחום אף אתה היה חנון ורחום

be thou like Him: just as He is gracious and compassionate, so be thou gracious and compassionate.) — Rather said R. Ashi, Which [Tanna] is this? It is R. Jose. For we learnt: Whether it is clearly visible or it is not clearly visible,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Viz., the crescent of the New Moon, which had to be seen and attested by two witnesses before the Beth din could sanctify the beginning of the month, v. R.H. 21b. ');">¹⁰</span> the Sabbath is desecrated on its account.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By the two witnesses appointed to look out for it. They must come to the Beth din to testify, even if it is the Sabbath and they are without the tehum (q.v. Glos.), though since it is clearly visible the Beth din is in any case aware of its presence. ');">¹¹</span>

אלא אמר רב אשי הא מני רבי יוסי היא דתנן בין שנראה בעליל ובין שלא נראה בעליל מחללין עליו את השבת רבי יוסי אומר נראה בעליל אין מחללין עליו את השבת

R. Jose ruled: If it is clearly visible, they must not desecrate the Sabbath for it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because it is unnecessary. The same applies to the shreds which do not invalidate the circumcision. ');">¹²</span> But how so? Perhaps R. Jose rules [thus] only there, because the Sabbath was not given to be superseded;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From the very outset there was no need to desecrate the Sabbath, since the new moon is clearly visible to all. ');">¹³</span>

ממאי דילמא עד כאן לא קאמר ר' יוסי התם דלא ניתנה שבת לידחות אבל הכא דניתנה שבת לידחות הכי נמי

but here that the Sabbath was given to be superseded,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On account of the circumcision. ');">¹⁴</span> it indeed is so?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That one must cut away all shreds. ');">¹⁵</span>

אלא אמרי נהרדעי רבנן דפליגי עליה דרבי יוסי היא דתנן ארבעה כהנים נכנסין שנים בידם שני סדרים ושנים בידם שני בזיכין וארבעה מקדימין לפניהם שנים ליטול שני סדרים ושנים ליטול שני בזיכין המכניסין עומדים בצפון ופניהם לדרום והמוציאין עומדים בדרום ופניהם לצפון אלו מושכים ואלו מניחין טפחו של זה בצד טפחו של זה משום שנאמר (שמות כה, ל) לפני (ה') תמיד

— Rather said the scholars of Nehardea: It is the Rabbis who disagree with R. Jose. For we learnt: Four priests entered:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Temple on the Sabbath to set the shewbread. ');">¹⁶</span> two held two courses [of loaves] in their hands, and two held two censers;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of frankincense for the loaves, v. Lev. XXIV, 7. ');">¹⁷</span>

ר' יוסי אומר אפילו אלו נוטלין ואלו מניחין אף זה היה תמיד

and four preceded them, two in order to remove the two courses,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the previous week's loaves. ');">¹⁸</span> and two to remove the two censers. Those who brought in [the new loaves and frankincense] stood in the north facing the south,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because the Table was placed east to west, and the priests stood at its side facing its breadths. ');">¹⁹</span>

ת"ר מהלקטין את המילה ואם לא הילקט ענוש כרת מני א"ר כהנא אומן

while those who carried [them] out stood in the south facing the north:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., opposite the other priests across the Table. ');">²⁰</span> these withdrew [the old] and these laid down [the new], the handbreadth of one at the side of the handbreadth of the other,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the withdrawing and the replacing were almost simultaneous. ');">²¹</span>

מתקיף לה רב פפא אומן לימא להו אנא עבדי פלגא דמצוה אתון עבדיתו פלגא דמצוה אלא אמר רב פפא גדול

because it is said, [And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread] before me alway.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXV, 30. ');">²²</span> R. Jose said: Even if these remove and the other replace [it later], that too constitutes 'alway'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., 'alway' merely indicates that a night must not pass without shewbread lying upon the table. But the Rabbis hold that an interval would mark a new placing, not a continuation of the old, and so 'alway' would be unfulfilled. Similarly, when one withdraws from circumcision, to return for the shreds is a new act, hence not permitted unless these invalidate circumcision. ');">²³</span>

מתקיף לה רב אשי גדול בהדיא כתיב ביה (בראשית יז, יד) וערל זכר אשר לא ימול אלא אמר רב אשי לעולם אומן וכגון דאתא בין השמשות דשבת ואמרו ליה לא מספקת ואמר להו מספקינא ועבד ולא איסתפק ואישתכח דחבורה הוא דעבד וענוש כרת:

Our Rabbis taught: The membrum must be trimmed,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the shreds which invalidate the circumcision must be removed; this appears to be the interpretation of Rashi and R. Han. Jast.: (One may) trim the preputium by splitting and drawing it upwards so as to form a pouch around the denuded cone. v. R. Han. second interpretation. ');">²⁴</span> and if one does not trim it, he is punished with <i>kareth</i>. Who? R. Kahana said: The surgeon.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because he violated the Sabbath without completely fulfilling the precept. On this interpretation the reference is to the Sabbath. ');">²⁵</span>

מוצצין וכו': אמר רב פפא האי אומנא דלא מייץ סכנה הוא ועברינן ליה

R. Papa demurred 'The surgeon'! he can say to them, 'I have performed half of the precept: do you perform half of the precept.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., his labour was certainly permitted as far as it went. ');">²⁶</span> Rather said R. Papa: An adult.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It refers to an adult who circumcises himself on weekdays, and he is punished by kareth because he remains uncircumcised on account of these shreds. ');">²⁷</span>

פשיטא מדקא מחללי עליה שבתא סכנה הוא מהו דתימא האי דם מיפקד פקיד קמ"ל חבורי מיחבר

R. Ashi demurred: Of an adult it is explicitly stated, and the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, [that soul shall be cut off from his people]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XVII, 14; v. p. 665, n. 1. Why then state it here? ');">²⁸</span> Rather said R. Ashi: In truth it means the surgeon: e.g., if he came at twilight on the Sabbath, and they warned him, 'you have no time,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To perform the whole (if the circumcision before the day ends. ');">²⁹</span>

ודומיא דאיספלנית וכמון מה איספלנית וכמון כי לא עביד סכנה הוא אף ה"נ כי לא עביד סכנה הוא:

but he insisted, 'I have time: So he performed it but had not time [to complete it]. Thus the net result is<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'it is found'. ');">³⁰</span> that he [merely] made a wound,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is not regarded as circumcision. ');">³¹</span>

ונותנין עליה איספלנית: אמר אביי אמרה לי אם איספלניתא דכולהון כיבי שב מינאי תרבא וחדא קירא רבא אמר קירא וקלבא רישינא

hence he is punished with <i>kareth</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because he had no right even to start. ');">³²</span> WE SUCK OUT, etc. R. Papa said: If a surgeon does not suck [the WOUND], it is dangerous and he is dismissed. It is obvious? Since we desecrate the Sabbath for it, it is dangerous?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Otherwise it would not be permitted, as it is not actually part of circumcision. ');">³³</span>

דרשה רבא במחוזא קרעינהו בני מניומי אסיא למנייהו אמר להו שבקי לכו חדא דאמר שמואל האי מאן דמשי אפיה ולא נגיב טובא נקטרו ליה

— You might say that this blood is stored up, therefore he informs us that it is the result of a wound, and it is like a bandage and cummin: just as when one does not apply a bandage and cummin there is danger, so here too if one does not do it there is danger.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the blood were held to be stored up in a separate receptacle, as it were, there would be no desecration of the Sabbath in sucking it out, and therefore the fact that it is done on the Sabbath would not prove that its omission is dangerous. But since it comes out as a result of a wound, i.e., the pressing causes a wound and thus forces out the blood, it is permitted only because its omission is dangerous. ');">³⁴</span> WE PLACE A COMPRESS UPON IT. Abaye said: Mother told me,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' She was really his foster-mother, v. Kid. 31b. ');">³⁵</span> A salve [compress] for all pains [is made of] seven parts of fat and one of wax. Raba said: Wax and resin<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] is a commentator's Gloss; v. Jast. ');">³⁶</span> Raba taught this publicly at Mahoza, [whereupon] the family of Benjamin the doctor tore up their [bandage] cloths.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They had not more need for them, the secret now being known to all. The phrase may also mean: they tore their garments (in despair and vexation). ');">³⁷</span> Said he to them. Yet I have left you one [cure unrevealed]. For Samuel said: He who washes his face and does not dry it well, scabs will break out on him.