R. Jannai said: I do not know what
is this [Kabul]: whether we learnt of a slave's chain, but a wool hair-net is
permitted; or perhaps we learnt of a wool hair-net and how much more so a
slave's neckchain?
The word can mean both a hairnet and a slave’s chain. So
what is a “slave’s chain”? Evidently a mark of his or her status worn in
public.
But Samuel maintained: We learnt of
a slave's neck-chain. Now, did Samuel say thus? Surely Samuel said: A slave may
go out with a seal round his neck, but not with a seal on his garments?
What is the difference? The concern is that if this
attachable mark or seal is pinned onto a garment, it may fall off. If it does,
and the slave discovers this fact, he may take off his cloak and fold it over
and carry it to hide that it is missing. This would constitute illegal carrying
on Shabbat!
But not just slaves – it seems that these marks were also
used by scholars to indicate their position, or perhaps their affiliation with
a particular school. They (or at least one school was) were also forbidden to
go out with a seal on their cloak.
Scholars and women and slaves. Interesting connections!
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