Shabbat 120 – Indirect Causes

One can make a barrier on Shabbat, the Mishnah states, to prevent a fire from spreading. Even barrier of vessels filled with water. But R. Jose forbids new earthenware vessels filled with water because they can burst and extinguish the flame.

Remember that putting out a fire is one of the primary categories of work, just as lighting a fire.

So what about this kind of indirect extinguishing. After all, the primary purpose is to make a barrier, not to put out the fire. It was not the plan (intention) that the vessels burst.

Our Rabbis taught: If a lamp is on a board, one may shake [tip up] the board and it [the lamp] falls off, and if it is extinguished, it is extinguished. The School of R. Jannai said: They learnt this only if one forgot [it there]; but if he placed [it there], it [the board] became a stand for a forbidden article.

Again, intention.

Another example:

A Tanna taught: If a lamp is behind a door, one may open and close [it] naturally, and if it is extinguished it is extinguished.

Rab cursed this [ruling].

While there is disagreement, it seems that the indirect is permissible as long as it is not used as an excuse to intentionally do something forbidden, and reasonable precautions (i.e. using fire-resistant vessels)  are taken.

Oh – and by the way:

If one has the [Divine] Name written (temporarily) on his skin, he must not bathe nor anoint [himself] nor stand in an unclean place.

Bathing is not the intention to erase the Divine name. But it is an inescapable consequence.

Shabbat 119 – Shabbat Stories and G-d’s Partner in Creation

Some of the best “celebrating Shabbat” stories are right here on this Talmud page!

• · “R. Hanina robed himself and stood at sunset of Sabbath eve [and] exclaimed, 'Come and let us go forth to welcome the queen Sabbath.’ (bou v’netza lekrat Shabbat haMalka)”
• ·         A man known as ‘Joseph-who-honors-the-Sabbaths’ (Yosef Moker Shabbi) finds himself greatly rewarded, by way of a precious stone, a turban and a fish, for his constant Shabbat preparations.
• ·         The Emperor (Hadrian) desires the “spice” of Shabbat which makes all the food taste so good, and R. Joshua ben Hanania explains that the spice is the experience.
• ·         The two angels, one good and one evil, who accompany a man home from the synagogue on Shabbat. One of them, depending on the quality of the home experience, is required to bless for the coming weeks, the opposite of what that blessing angel represents.
• ·         Jerusalem is destroyed because of the neglect of Shabbat

But I love this statement:

R. Hamnuna said: He who prays on the eve of the Sabbath and recites 'and [the heaven and the earth] were finished,' (Va-yekullu haShamayim va-Aretz) the Writ treats of him as though he had become a partner with the Holy One, blessed be He, in the Creation, for it is said, Va-yekullu [and they were finished]; read not Va-yekullu but Va-yekallu [and they finished].

Shabbat represents the partnership with G-d and humanity. We celebrate that partnership on this day. Then during the rest of the week we act on it!

Shabbat 118 – Charitable Shabbat

A discussion of whether there are three meals eaten on Shabbat or, as R. Hidka suggests, four. He bases it on the Torah text: And Moses said, Eat that (manna) today; for today is a Sabbath unto the Lord: today you shall not find it in the field (Ex. 16:25). There being three “today”s in the text – the fourth being the dinner of Shabbat evening.

This becomes important in relation to the responsibilities of charity.

First, the responsibility of the recipient:

He who has food for two meals must not accept [relief] from the daily charity plate (tamhuy): food for fourteen meals, must not accept from the weekly communal distribution (kuppah)

The community has the responsibility to provide for the immediate needs and for the ongoing needs of the poor. The poor have the responsibility to not take more than they need. But if there are 3 meals on Shabbat the total should be 15, if 4 meals it should be 16! R. Akiva (the author of this text) suggests that one should reduce even the Shabbat joy rather than depend on charity for luxury. Fourteen meals, then, is sufficient.

However, this is counted by a different text:

Now, as to what we learnt: 'A poor man travelling from place to place must be given not less than a loaf . . . if he stays overnight, he must be given the requirements for spending the night; while if he spends the Sabbath there, he must be given food for three meals'

For Shabbat is a delight to all – even those who require charity:

R. Johanan said in R. Jose's name: He who delights in the Sabbath is given an unbounded heritage, for it is written, Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and I will make thee to ride upon the high places of the earth; and I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father, (Isaiah 58:14).

Shabbat 117 – Saving Shabbat

We’ve discussed saving sacred writings, now on to more practical things.

The Mishnah states that if a fire breaks out on Shabbat, one is permitted to save enough food for three meals – that is, three human meals and meals for the animals.

That is conditional, however, on the time of day. This is – how many meals are left before the end of Shabbat. For example, if it is Shabbat evening before the meal – three meals worth of food may be saved. In the morning, two and the afternoon only one. (R. Jose disagrees and allows three meals at all times).

The rabbis discuss this and wonder why there are even any restrictions. After all, food can be carried on the Shabbat and if it is brought out into a permitted area (an eruv) why limit? It is a preventative measure:

Said Raba: Since a man is excited over his property, if you permit him [to save more], he may come to extinguish [the fire].

Similarly:

Our Rabbis taught: If one forgets a loaf in an oven, and the day becomes holy upon him, food for three meals may be saved, and he may say to others, 'Come and save for yourselves.'

That is – 3 meals for himself and 3 meals for anyone else who wants to take.

And when he removes [the bread], he must not remove it with a baker’s shovel (mardeh) but with a knife.

As much as is possible to vary (it) we do so.

We make Shabbat special – even in rescue!

Shabbat 116 – Seven Books of Torah!

A Torah scroll is considered too worn to be rescued from a fire on Shabbat  if there are not 85 legible letters. This comes from the 85 letters in section from Numbers 10:35-36

And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let your enemies be scattered; and let them who hate you flee before you. And when it rested, he said, Return, O Lord, to the many thousands of Israel.

This section is set off in the text with a large Hebrew letter NUN before and after. Rabbi regards this as a separate book entirely! With the preceding and subsequent sections included, it makes for seven books of Torah – referenced in the verse She [Wisdom] hath hewn out her seven pillars (Prov. 9:1).

Others argue that these NUN’s mark the section to indicate that it is in the wrong place in the narrative – inserted there for dramatic purposes – and will be returned to it’s proper place in the messianic era.

The page also has tirades against the books of the Minim – possibly Judeo-Christians. It is not entirely clear, since much of the Talmudic text relating to early Christianity (when it was still a Jewish sect) was edited out in the Middle Ages so as not to be mistakenly seen as a critique of modern Christianity. That, by itself, if a really interesting subject!

(note: a very interesting book on the subject is “Jesus in the Talmud” by Peter Schafer).

Shabbat 115 – Bible in Translation

The Mishnah on this page states:

ALL HOLY WRITINGS MUST BE SAVED FROM A FIRE, WHETHER WE READ THEM OR NOT; AND EVEN IF THEY ARE WRITTEN IN ANY LANGUAGE, THEY MUST BE HIDDEN.

That is, biblical texts – be they Torah scrolls or sections from the Prophets or Writings (anything from TaNaCh) must be rescued from a fire even on Shabbat. Now this might be obvious for Torah and Prophets which are read publicly (and ceremonially) – but it also includes sections which are NOT read publicly.

And even biblical texts which are written in translation are considered “sacred” and are not thrown out with unusable – they are stored in chambers (called geniza) until they can be buried.

The question remains if one breaks the Shabbat to save these translations from fire. It is a rabbinic controversy.  

Come and hear: If they are written in Egyptian, Median, a trans[-Euphratean] Aramaic, Elamitic, or Greek, though they may not be read (publicly), they may be saved from a fire.

R. Jose said: They may not be saved from a fire

What about other items written in Hebrew?

Our Rabbis taught: Benedictions and amulets, though they contain letters of the [Divine] Name and many passages of the Torah, must not be rescued from a fire (on Shabbat) but must be burnt where they lie.

The Bible, whether in Hebrew or in translation, is sacred.

Shabbat 114 – Sharp Dressed Rabbi

The Mishnah on the previous page permitted folding clothes on Shabbat for use on Shabbat (not for after).

The rabbis refined that to only permit new garments – presumably because of the inclination to put a crease in older clothes (harder to do with new ones) which would not be permitted.

All this leads to a discussion on our page about the importance of a scholar to appear in clean clothes in public:

R. Hiyya b. Abba said in R. Johanan's name: It is a disgrace for a scholar to go out with patched shoes into the market place.

and

Any scholar upon whose garment a [grease] stain is found is worthy of death.

Ok, they didn’t mean literally (can you imagine the courtroom scene? “Your honor, exhibit A – the offending stain!”) They meant that if a scholar wants to be treated with respect, he needs to treat himself with respect.

Even in the clothes he wears.