WITH
ALL [KINDS OF FOOD] MAY ‘ERUV AND SHITTUF BE EFFECTED, EXCEPT
WATER AND SALT
This refers to the fact that certain kinds of Shabbat
domains are defined, in part, by the placement of food within them. Any kind of
food is acceptable, according to this Mishnah, except for water and salt.
But are those the only exceptions?
R.
Johanan ruled: No inference may be drawn from general rulings, even where an exception
was actually specified.
Rabbi Johanan’s ruling
is to note that just because an exception is mentioned, one cannot assume that
they are the only exceptions. It is not intended to be a limiting
factor.
Several examples are
given. Among the most famous:
All
positive precepts [the observance of] which is dependent on the time [of the
day or the year] are incumbent upon men only, and women are free, but those
which are not dependent on the time [of the day or of the year] are incumbent
upon both men and women.
(Kid. 34a)
A general rule if ever
there was one! Women are exempt, according to the Talmud, from time-bound
positive commandments. But there are several exceptions not mentioned there,
which the rabbis point out.
Behold
[the precepts of] unleavened bread, (Ex. 12:18) rejoicing [on the festival] (Deut.
16:11, 14) and Assembly (Deut. 31:12) each of which is a positive precept [the
observance of] which is dependent on a certain specified time and are
nevertheless incumbent upon women!
Now, of course this patriarchal
assumption of the exclusion of women (exemption becomes exclusion) is very
problematic. But the point here is to recognize one simple fact:
There’s always an
exception.
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