Shabbat 96

מה בין זו למגופת חבית א"ל רבא זה חיבור וזה אינו חיבור

What is the difference between this and the bung of a barrel?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which according to the Rabbis infra 146a, may be pierced on the Sabbath. ');">¹</span>

רמי ליה ר' ירמיה לרבי זירא תנן שלל של כובסין ושלשלת של מפתחו' והבגד שהוא תפור בכלאים חיבור לטומאה עד שיתחיל להתיר אלמא שלא בשעת מלאכה נמי חיבור

— Said Raba to him: The one is an integral part thereof, whereas the other is not.

ורמינהו מקל שעשה יד לקורדום חיבור לטומאה בשעת מלאכה בשעת מלאכה אין שלא בשעת מלאכה לא

R. Jeremiah pointed out a contradiction to R. Zera. We learnt: The fuller's loosely stitched bundle,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of linen; they used to sew articles of washing loosely together, to prevent loss. ');">²</span>

א"ל התם שלא בשעת מלאכה אדם עשוי לזורקו לבין העצים הכא שלא בשעת מלאכה נמי ניחא ליה דאי מיטנפו הדר מחוור להו

or a bunch of keys, or a garment stitched together with kil'ayim thread<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. ');">³</span>

בסורא מתנו לה להא שמעתא משמיה דרב חסדא בפומבדיתא מתנו משמי דרב כהנא ואמרי לה משמיה דרבא מאן תנא הא מלתא דאמור רבנן כל המחובר לו הרי הוא כמוהו

are counted as connected in respect of uncleanness,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If one part becomes unclean, the others are likewise, though they are sure to be untied at a later stage. ');">⁴</span>

א"ר יהודה אמר רב ר"מ היא דתנן בית הפך ובית התבלין ובית הנר שבכירה מטמאין במגע ואין מטמאין באויר דברי ר' מאיר ור"ש מטהר

until one begins to undo them. This proves that they are [regarded as] joined even not at the time of work.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., the fuller's bundle need be sewn together only at the actual washing, yet the single pieces are regarded as one even afterwards, so long as one has not commenced to untie them. ');">⁵</span>

בשלמא לר"ש קסבר לאו ככירה דמו אלא לר' מאיר אי ככירה דמו אפילו באויר נמי ליטמו אי לאו ככירה דמו אפילו במגע נמי לא ליטמו

But the following is opposed thereto: If a stick is improvised to serve as a handle for an axe, it is counted as connected in respect of uncleanness at the time of work. [Thus,] only at the time of work, but not otherwise? — There, he replied, a man is wont to throw it [the handle] among the timber when it is not being used. Here, a man prefers [that pieces remain together]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the pieces remain together until required. ');">⁶</span>

לעולם לאו ככירה דמו ורבנן הוא דגזרו בהו אי גזרו בהו אפילו באויר נמי ליטמו

even not at the time of work, so that if they are soiled he can rewash them.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Without having to search for the pieces. ');">⁷</span>

עבדו בהו רבנן היכרא כי היכי דלא אתי למשרף עליה תרומה וקדשים

In Sura the following discussion was recited in R. Hisda's name. in Pumbeditha it was recited in R. Kahana's name-others state, in Raba's name. Who is the Tanna responsible for the statement of the Rabbis: Whatever is joined to an article is counted as the article itself? — Said Rab Judah in Rab's name, It is R. Meir. For we learnt: The receptacles on a stove for the oil-flask, spicepot, and the lamp are defiled through contact, but not through air space: this is R. Meir's opinion. But R. Simeon declares them clean.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Separate receptacles for a flask of oil, spices, and a lamp were attached to earthen stoves. These stoves are defiled in two ways: (i) when an unclean object actually touches them on the inside; (ii) if an unclean object is suspended within their cavity, i.e., their air space. R. Meir holds that in the first case the attached receptacles too are defiled, as part of the stove, but not in the second; while R. Simeon maintains that they remain clean in both cases. ');">⁸</span>

תנו רבנן מספורת של פרקים ואיזמל של רהיטני חיבור לטומאה ואין חיבור להזאה

Now, as for R. Simeon, it is well: he holds that they are not as the stove. But according to R. Meir, — if they are as the stove, let them be defiled even through air space; if they are not as the stove, let them not be defiled even through contact? In truth, they are not as the stove, but the Rabbis decreed [uncleanness] in their case. If they decreed it, let them be defiled even through air space too? — The Rabbis made a distinction, so that people might not come to burn <i>terumah</i> and holy food on account of them.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If these receptacles, having been defiled through the stove, came into contact with terumah and holy food, they are unclean in their turn, but only by Rabbinical law, whereas they must be unclean by Scriptural law before they may be burnt. Hence the Rabbis limited their defilement, that it might be fully understood that it is merely Rabbinical. ');">⁹</span>

מה נפשך אי חיבור הוא אפילו להזאה נמי אי לאו חיבור הוא אפילו לטומאה נמי לא אמר רבא דבר תורה בשעת מלאכה חיבור בין לטומאה בין להזאה ושלא בשעת מלאכה אינו חיבור לא לטומאה ולא להזאה

Our Rabbis taught: A shears of separate blades<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'joints' ');">¹⁰</span> and the cutter of a [carpenter's] plane are [counted as] connected in respect of uncleanness,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If one part becomes unclean the other is too. ');">¹¹</span> but not in respect of sprinkling.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If a utensil is defiled through a corpse, it needs sprinkling of water mixed with the ashes of the red heifer to render it clean (v. Num. XIX). If the mixture is sprinkled on one part but not on the other the latter is not cleansed. ');">¹²</span> What will you: if they are both [counted as] connected, [they are so] even in respect of sprinkling too; if [they do] not [count as] connected, [they are not so] even in respect of defilement? — Said Raba: By Scriptural law, when in use they are [counted as] connected in respect of both defilement and sprinkling, when not in use, they are [counted as] connected in respect of neither defilement nor sprinkling,