Shabbat 124 – Table the Argument

To give a sense of how these arguments go – I provide a handy-dandy set of tables based on this Mishnah:

ALL UTENSILS MAY BE HANDLED [ON SHABBAT] WHETHER REQUIRED OR NOT REQUIRED.

R. NEHEMIAH SAID: THEY MAY BE HANDLED ONLY WHEN REQUIRED

So, the rabbis ask:  what is meant by “required” or “not required”?

According to Rabbah, “required” means an article whose function is permitted and it’s movement is needed, and “not required” means that same article with a permitted function but which needs to be moved because something else needs to be moved into its space. However an article whose function is forbidden can only be moved if it is going to be used for a permitted function but not if its space is needed

Rabbah

	REQUIRED	NOT REQUIRED
Function Permitted	Can be moved if it is needed	Can be moved if its space is need
Function not permitted	Can be moved if being used for a permitted function	Can NOT be moved if its space is needed

Whereupon R. Nehemiah comes to say that even an article whose function is for a permitted purpose [may be handled] only when required itself, but not when its place [alone] is required.

Nehemiah

	REQUIRED	NOT REQUIRED
Function Permitted	Can be moved if it is needed	Can NOT be moved if its space is need
Function not permitted	Can be moved if being used for a permitted function	Can NOT be moved if its space is needed

Said Raba to him: If its place is required — do you call it: NOT REQUIRED! Rather said Raba:

REQUIRED: an article whose function is for a permitted purpose [may be handled] whether required itself or its place is required:

NOT REQUIRED [means] even from the sun to the shade; whilst an article whose function is for a forbidden purpose [may be moved] only when required itself or its place is required but not from the sun to the shade.

Rabbah Counters

	REQUIRED	NOT REQUIRED
Function Permitted	Can be moved if it is needed - Can be moved if its space is need	Even from sun to shade
Function not permitted	Can be moved if being used for a permitted function - Can NOT be moved if its space is needed	NOT from sun to shade

Whereupon R. Nehemiah comes to say that even an article whose function is for a permitted purpose [may be moved] only when required itself or its place is required — but not from the sun to the shade.

Nehemiah counters back

	REQUIRED	NOT REQUIRED
Function Permitted	Can be moved if it is needed - Can be moved if its space is need	NOT from sun to shade
Function not permitted	Can be moved if being used for a permitted function - Can NOT be moved if its space is needed	NOT from sun to shade

This is just one paragraph, people!