Shabbat 44

מעשר שני אין שוקלין כנגדו דנרי זהב ואפילו לחלל עליו מעשר שני אחר אי אמרת בשלמא כי פליגי רב ושמואל מנר לנר אבל בקינסא אסר שמואל הא לא תהוי תיובתא אלא אי אמרת בקינסא נמי שרי הא תהוי תיובתא אמר רבה גזירה שמא לא יכוין משקלותיו וקא מפיק להו לחולין

second tithe,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The tenth of the produce which was eaten by its owner in Jerusalem. When the actual produce could not be carried, it was redeemed, and the redemption money assumed the sanctity of second tithe and was expended in Jerusalem, v. Deut. XIV, 22-26. ');">¹</span> one may not weigh by it gold <i>denarii</i>,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' One sela' = four denarii, and the value depended on the weight. ');">²</span>

מתיב רב ששת (ויקרא כד, ג) מחוץ לפרוכת העדות יערוך וכי לאורה הוא צריך והלא כל ארבעים שנה שהלכו בני ישראל במדבר לא הלכו אלא לאורו אלא עדות היא לבאי עולם שהשכינה שורה בישראל מאי עדות אמר רב זו נר מערבי שנותן בה שמן כמדת חברותיה וממנה היה מדליק ובה היה מסיים והא הכא כיון דקביעי נרות לא סגיא דלא משקיל ואדלוקי קשיא בין למ"ד משום בזויי מצוה ובין למ"ד משום אכחושי מצוה

even to redeem therewith other second tithe. Now, it is well if you say that Rab and Samuel differ [over direct lighting] from lamp to lamp, yet with a chip Samuel admits that it is forbidden: then this is not a refutation.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the gold denarii are not actually sanctified when they are weighed, though that is their purpose. Thus they are similar to the chip which may not be lit at the Hanukkah lamp because it is secular itself. ');">³</span> But if you [on Samuel's view] say that it is permitted even with a chip, then this is a refutation? — Rabbah answered: It is a preventive measure, lest he does not find his weights exact and leaves<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'withdraws'. ');">⁴</span>

תרגמא ר"פ בפתילות ארוכות סוף סוף למ"ד משום אכחושי מצוה קשיא קשיא

them hullin.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The gold denarii may be deficient in weight and not be declared second tithe after all. Thus he will have used the second tithe sela' purely for a secular purpose. ');">⁵</span> R. Shesheth objected: Without the vail of testimony … shall [Aaron] order it:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXIV, 3; v. 1-4. ');">⁶</span>

מאי הוי עלה א"ר הונא בריה דרב יהושע חזינא אי הדלקה עושה מצוה מדליקין מנר לנר ואי הנחה עושה מצוה אין מדליקין מנר לנר

does He then require its light: surely, during the entire forty years that the Israelites travelled in the wilderness they travelled only by His light! But it is a testimony to mankind<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'those who enter the world'. ');">⁷</span> that the Divine Presence rests in Israel. What is the testimony?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How was this a testimony? ');">⁸</span>

דאיבעיא להו הדלקה עושה מצוה או הנחה עושה מצוה

— Said Rab: That was the western branch [of the candelabrum] in which the same quantity of oil was poured as into the rest, and yet he kindled [the others] from it and ended therewith.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Half a log of oil was poured into each branch, which was estimated to burn through the longest night. Thus by the morning they were extinguished. The following evening the priest cleaned out the old wicks, poured in fresh oil, and relit it: yet this western branch was still burning when he came to clean them out, which was done last of all. This miracle testified to the Divine Presence in Israel. On the western branch of the candelabrum v. Men. 78b. ');">⁹</span> Now here, since the branches are immovable, it is impossible other than that he take [a chip] and kindle [it];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In order to light the others. ');">¹⁰</span>

ת"ש דאמר רבא היה תפוש נר חנוכה ועומד לא עשה ולא כלום שמע מינה הנחה עושה מצוה התם הרואה אומר לצורכו הוא דנקיט לה

which is a difficulty both on the view that it is because of the cheapening of the precept and on the view that it is because of the impairing of the precept? — R. Papa reconciled it [thus: it is lit] by long wicks.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which reached the other branches. ');">¹¹</span> Yet after all, on the view that it is because of the impairing of precepts there is a difficulty? That is [indeed] a difficulty.

ת"ש דאמר רבא הדליקה בפנים והוציאה לא עשה כלום אא"ב הדלקה עושה מצוה הדלקה במקומו בעינן משום הכי לא עשה כלום אלא אי אמרת הנחה עושה מצוה אמאי לא עשה ולא כלום התם נמי הרואה הוא אומר לצורכו הוא דאדלקה

What is our decision thereon? — R. Huna, the son of R. Joshua, said: We consider: if the lighting fulfils the precept, one may light from lamp to lamp:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Just as the kindling of the branches of the candlestick in the Temple from the western branch. ');">¹²</span> but if the placing [of the lamp] fulfils the precept,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the prime observance of the Hanukkah lamp is not the kindling thereof but placing it in a conspicuous place. ');">¹³</span>

תא שמע דאמר רבי יהושע בן לוי

one may not light from lamp to lamp.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the lit lamp or branch is already sanctified, as it were, whilst no complete religious observance is fulfilled by the act of lighting the next, on the present hypothesis. ');">¹⁴</span> For the scholars propounded: Does the kindling or the placing constitute the precept? — Come and hear: For Raba said, If one was holding the Hanukkah lamp and thus standing, he does nothing:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He does not fulfil the precept. ');">¹⁵</span> this proves that the placing constitutes the precept! — [No:] There a spectator may think that he is holding it for his own purposes.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whereas the essence of the Hanukkah lamp is to advertise the miracle. ');">¹⁶</span> Come and hear: For Raba said: if one lights it within and then takes it outside, he does nothing. Now, it is well if you say that the kindling constitutes the precept; [for this reason] we require the kindling to be [done] in its proper place,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. outside; supra 21b. ');">¹⁷</span> [and] therefore he does nothing. But if you say that the placing constitutes the precept, why has he done nothing? — There too an observer may think that he lit it for his own purposes. Come and hear: For R. Joshua b. Levi said,