Shabbat 297

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מ"ט רב ביבי אמר גזירה שמא ימחוק אביי אמר גזירה שמא יקרא בשטרי הדיוטות

<b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. What is the reason? — R. Bibi said: It is a preventive measure, lest he erase.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He may find too many names on the list and erase some before instructing his servant to invite the guests. ');">¹</span>

מאי בינייהו א"ב דכתב אכותל ומידלי למ"ד שמא ימחוק לא חיישינן ולמ"ד שמא יקרא חיישינן

Abaye said: It is a preventive measure, lest he read.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Secular documents. ');">²</span>

ולמ"ד שמא ימחוק ניחוש שמא יקרא ותו לשמא ימחוק לא חיישינן והתניא לא יקרא לאור הנר ואמר רבה אפי' גבוה שתי קומות אפי' גבוה שתי מרדעות אפי' עשרה בתים זה ע"ג זה לא יקרא

Wherein do they differ? — They differ where it is written high up on the wall: according to him who says, Lest he erase, we do not fear; but according to him who says, Lest he read [secular documents], we do fear. Now, as to him who says, 'Lest he erase', let us fear lest he read [secular documents]? Moreover, have we no fear that he may erase?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the list is high up. ');">³</span>

אלא איכא בינייהו דכתב אכותל ומיתתי למאן דאמר שמא ימחוק חיישינן למ"ד שמא יקרא לא חיישינן גודא בשטרא לא מיחלף

Surely we learnt: One may not read by the light of a lamp; whereon Rabbah said: Even if it is as high as twice a man's stature, even if it is as high as [the measurement of] two ox-goads, or even as ten houses on top of each other, he must not read?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra 11a. Though he could not reach the lamp to tilt it; hence the same reasoning applies here. ');">⁴</span>

ולמ"ד שמא יקרא ליחוש שמא ימחוק אלא איכא בינייהו דחייק אטבלא ואפינקס למ"ד שמא ימחוק לא חיישינן למ"ד שמא יקרא חיישינן

— Rather they differ where it is written on the wall and is low down: according to him who says, 'Lest he erase', we fear; [but] according to him who says, 'Lest he read [secular documents]', we do not fear, [for] one will not confuse a wall with a document.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' No one is likely to think that since he may read something written on a wall he may also read business documents. ');">⁵</span>

ולמ"ד שמא ימחוק ליחוש שמא יקרא וכ"ת טבלא ופינקס בשטרא לא מיחלף והתניא מונה אדם כמה מבפנים וכמה מבחוץ וכמה מנות עתיד להניח לפניהם מכתב שעל גבי הכותל אבל לא מכתב שעל גבי טבלא ופינקס

Now, according to him who says, 'Lest he read [etc.]', let us fear lest he erase? — Rather they differ where it is engraved on a tablet or a board: on the view that it is 'lest he erase', we have no fear; but on the view that it is 'lest he read', we do fear. But according to him who says, lest he erase, let us fear lest he read [etc.]? And should you answer, a tablet or a board cannot be confused with a document, — surely it was taught: A man may count how many shall be within and how many without<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., how many guests shall be placed at the top of the table — 'within' the privileged circle — and how many at the bottom — 'without'. ');">⁶</span>

היכי דמי אילימא דכתיב מיכתב מ"ש הכא ומ"ש הכא אלא לאו דחייק וקתני מכתב שעל גבי הכותל אבל לא מכתב שע"ג טבלא ופינקס

and how many portions he is to set before them, from writing on a wall, but not from writing on a tablet or a board. How is it meant? Shall we say that it is indeed written, wherein does one differ from the other? Hence it must surely mean that it is engraved, yet he states, 'from writing on the wall, but not from writing on a tablet or a board'? — Rather [say thus]: In truth [they differ] where it is written high up on the wall, and as for your difficulty about Rabbah's [ruling], [the ruling] of Rabbah is dependent on Tannaim. For it was taught: A man may count his guests and his dainty portions by word of mouth, but not from writing. R. Aha permits [it] from writing on the wall. How is it meant: Shall we say that it is written low down, — then let us fear lest he erase it? Hence it must surely mean that it is written high up, which proves that Rabah's [ruling] is dependent on Tannaim.

אלא לעולם דכתב אכותל ומידלי ודקא קשיא לך דרבה דרבה תנאי היא דתניא מונה אדם את אורחיו ואת פרפרותיו מפיו אבל לא מן הכתב ר' אחא מתיר מכתב שעל גבי הכותל

Now these Tannaim are as the following: For it was taught: One must not look in a mirror on the Sabbath; R. Meir permits [one to look]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lest he see uneven locks of hair and trim them ');">⁷</span>

היכי דמי אילימא דכתיב מתתא ליחוש שמא ימחוק אלא לאו דכתב ומידלי וש"מ דרבה תנאי היא ש"מ

in a mirror that is fixed to the wall. Why is one fixed to the wall different? — [Presumably] because in the meanwhile<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' While he goes for a pair of scissors. ');">⁸</span>

והני תנאי כהני תנאי דתניא אין רואין במראה בשבת רבי מאיר מתיר במראה הקבוע בכותל

he will recollect!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That it is the Sabbath. ');">⁹</span>

מ"ש הקבוע בכותל דאדהכי והכי מדכר שאינו קבוע נמי אדהכי והכי מדכר

then even if it is not fixed, he will recollect? — We treat here of a metal mirror, and [the reason is] in accordance with R. Nahman's [dictum] in Rabbah b. Abbuha's name. For R. Nahman said in Rabbah b. Abbuha's name: Why was it ruled that a metal mirror is forbidden? Because a man usually removes straggling hairs with it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Its edge being sharpened. Now the first Tanna forbids all mirrors, drawing no distinctions; whilst R. Meir does draw a distinction. That is similar to the matter just debated ');">¹⁰</span>

הכא במראה של מתכת עסקינן וכדרב נחמן אמר רבה בר אבוה דא"ר נחמן אמר רבה בר אבוה מפני מה אמרו מראה של מתכת אסורה מפני שאדם עשוי להשיר בה נימין המדולדלין

Our Rabbis taught: The writing under a painting or an image<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the written legend beneath a picture. ');">¹¹</span>

תנו רבנן כתב המהלך תחת הצורה ותחת הדיוקנאות אסור לקרותו בשבת ודיוקנא עצמה אף בחול אסור להסתכל בה משום שנאמר (ויקרא יט, ד) אל תפנו אל האלילים מאי תלמודא אמר רבי חנין אל תפנו אל מדעתכם:

may not be read on the Sabbath. And as for the image itself, one must not look at it even on weekdays, because it is said, Turn ye not unto idols.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIX, 4. ');">¹²</span>

מפיס אדם עם בניו וכו': עם בניו ועם בני ביתו אין ועם אחר לא מאי טעמא כדרב יהודה אמר שמואל דאמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל בני חבורה המקפידין זה על זה עוברין משום מדה ומשום משקל ומשום מנין ומשום לווין ופורעין ביו"ט

How is that taught? — Said R. Hanin: [Its interpretation is,] Turn not unto that conceived in your own minds.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosaf.: the interdict is only against images (or perhaps statues — Jast.) made for idolatrous purposes, but others are permitted. ');">¹³</span> A MAN MAY CAST LOTS WITH HIS SONS, etc. Only with his sons and household, but not with strangers:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For otherwise the Tanna would simply teach, A MAN MAY CAST LOTS. ');">¹⁴</span> what is the reason? As Rab Judah said in Samuel's name. For Rab Judah said in Samuel's name: The members of a company who are particular with each other<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., members of a company at one table, each of whom has his own provisions, and when one borrows from another, are particular to weigh, measure, or count, that the exact quantity may be returned. ');">¹⁵</span> transgress [the prohibitions of] measure, weight, number, borrowing and repaying on the Festival,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On Festivals one may borrow from his neighbour. but not by weight, measure or number. Likewise, he may not use the terms 'lend' and 'repay'. for these belong to monetary transactions. When members of a company are particular with each other, they are likely to be led into a transgression of these prohibitions. ');">¹⁶</span>