עירובין 102:2 — Soncino English Talmud

the measurement of the slope was less than a handbreadth, but if It was a handbreadth this is forbidden, since the slopes of tents are regarded as tents. R. Shesheth son of R. Idi further stated: A felt cap is permitted to be worn on the sabbath. But was it not taught that this was forbidden? — There is no difficulty, since the latter deals with one whose peak was one handbreadth wide, whereas the former deals with one whose peak was less than a handbreadth wide. Now then, would it also be forbidden to let one's cloak hang down to the extent of a handbreadth? — Rather say: This is no difficulty since the former deals with one that was tight whereas the latter deals with one that was not tight. MISHNAH. A LOWER PIVOT MAY BE RE-INSERTED IN ITS SOCKET IN THE TEMPLE BUT NOT IN THE COUNTRY. THE RE-INSERTION OF THE UPPER ONE, HOWEVER, IS EVERYWHERE FORBIDDEN. R.JUDAH RULED: THE UPPER ONE MAY BE RE-INSERTED IN THE TEMPLE AND THE LOWER ONE IN THE COUNTRY ALSO. GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: The pivot of the door of a box, a chest or a turret may be re-inserted into its socket in the Temple, while in the country it may only be adjusted; but the upper one may not be re-inserted in either place; the former prohibition being a preventive measure against the possibility of one's driving it into its socket by force; and should one drive It in, the obligation of a sin-offering is incurred. The pivot of the door of a cistern, a cellar or an annexe may not be re-inserted in the socket, and if one did re-insert it a sin-offering is incurred. MISHNAH. IT IS PERMISSIBLE TO REPLACE A PLASTER ON A WOUND IN THE TEMPLE BUT NOT IN THE COUNTRY. FOR THE FIRST TIME, HOWEVER, THIS IS FORBIDDEN EVERYWHERE. GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: A plaster that was detached from a wound may be replaced on the Sabbath. R. Judah ruled: Only if it slipped downwards may it be pushed back upwards or if it slipped upwards it may be pushed back downwards. One may also uncover a part of the plaster and wipe the opening of the wound and then another part of the plaster may be uncovered and the opening of the wound be wiped, but the plaster itself may not be wiped off since such wiping is tantamount to spreading the salve; and if one did spread the salve the obligation of a sin-offering is incurred. Rab Judah citing Samuel ruled: The halachah is in agreement with R. Judah. This, R. Hisda observed, was learnt only where it slipped off on to an object, but if it slipped off on to the ground all agree that it is forbidden to replace it on the wound. Mar son of R. Ashi stated: I was once standing in the presence of my father when his plaster slipped off on to his pillow and he replaced it. ‘Does not the Master accept’, I asked him, ‘the statement of R. Hisda that they differed only where it slipped off on to an object but that if it slipped off on to the ground all agree that replacement is forbidden; in connection with which Samuel stated: The halachah is in agreement with R. Judah’? — ‘I’, he replied, ‘did not hear of this, by which I mean: I do not accept it’. MISHNAH. A STRING MAY BE TIED UP IN THE TEMPLE BUT NOT IN THE COUNTRY. FOR THE FIRST TIME, HOWEVER, THIS IS FORBIDDEN EVERYWHERE. GEMARA. Is not our Mishnah in disagreement with the following: If the string of a harp was broken one would not tie it up but secure it with a loop? — This is no difficulty, since the latter represents the view of the Rabbis whereas the former represents that of R. Eliezer. According to R. Eliezer who holds that the preliminary requirements of a precept supersede the Sabbath one may tie the string; while according to the Rabbis who ruled that they did not supersede it one may only secure it with a loop. But if this represents the view of R. Eliezer should not tying be permitted also for the first time? — Rather say: This is no difficulty since the former is the view of R. Judah whereas the latter is that of the Rabbis. According to whose view, however, did R. Judah give his ruling?64^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ^ᵃᵍ^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ^ᵃⁿ^ᵃᵒ^ᵃᵖ^ᵃᵠ^ᵃʳ^ᵃˢ^ᵃᵗ^ᵃᵘ^ᵃᵛ^ᵃʷ^ᵃˣ^ᵃʸ^ᵃᶻ^ᵇᵃ^ᵇᵇ^ᵇᶜ^ᵇᵈ^ᵇᵉ^ᵇᶠ^ᵇᵍ^ᵇʰ^ᵇⁱ^ᵇʲ^ᵇᵏ^ᵇˡ

^ᵃnote:From the top to its lowest point.
^ᵇnote:Sc. the slope was short and steep.
^ᶜnote:As the top must be less than one handbreadth wide so must be the measurement of the slope. To obtain such a slope, since no bed can possibly be narrower than two handbreadths and a fraction, the roof of the canopy would have to be made up of a number of short curtains spread over a number of poles respectively, each of which complied with the measurements prescribed. For the sides of the canopy separate curtains hanging down vertically would have to be provided.
^ᵈnote:So with MS. M. Cur. edd. ‘Shisha’.
^ᵉnote:Saiyana, a kind of cap made of felt with a peak projecting above the wearer's forehead.
^ᶠnote:Though the peak has the shape or appearance of a ‘tent’.
^ᵍnote:The wearing of a saiyana on the Sabbath.
^ʰnote:Cf. supra n. 1.
^ⁱnote:Which is regarded as a tent.
^ʲnote:Since the projection of a part of a cap to the extent of one handbreadth is treated as a ‘tent’ to cause the wearing of the cap to be forbidden.
^ᵏnote:In front of one's forehead by pulling the cloak above one's head.
^ˡnote:Since the peak of the cap is regarded as a ‘tent’ the overhanging part of the cloak should also be so regarded. As such a ruling, however, would be absurd why should it be applied in the case of the cap?
^ᵐnote:in reply to the contradiction between the Baraitha and the ruling of R. Shesheth.
^ⁿnote:On one's head.
^ᵒnote:The prohibition against wearing it being due, not to the reason that the peak is regarded as a ‘tent’, but to the possibility that the cap might be blown off and the man on recovering it would carry it along a greater distance than four cubits in the public domain. Such a possibility need not, of course, be provided against in the case of a cloak or in the case of a cap that is set tight on one's head which cannot easily be blown off.
^ᵖnote:Of the door of a cupboards a window or the like that open sideways.
^ᵠnote:On the Sabbath. So long as the upper one remains in its socket it is easy for the lower one to be re-inserted and the act cannot, therefore, be regarded as ‘building’ which is forbidden.
^ʳnote:Where (as explained infra) a preventive measure has been enacted against the possibility of driving the pivot into the socket with the aid of a hammer or axe which is, of course, forbidden on the Sabbath.
^ˢnote:Which requires great exertion after the lower one had come out and the door was practically dragging on the ground.
^ᵗnote:Lit., ‘here and here’. This Tanna is of the opinion that the term ‘building’ is also applicable to articles and, since building is an activity Pentateuchally forbidden on the Sabbath, and since a Pentateuchal prohibition retains its force in the Temple also, the re-insertion of the upper pivot (cf. prev. n.) on the Sabbath is forbidden in the Temple as well as in the country.
^ᵘnote:Though not in the country.
^ᵛnote:Sc. the lower one (as is evident from what follows).
^ʷnote:V. supra p. 710, n. 12.
^ˣnote:Lit., ‘(they) press down’. If, however, it has completely come out of the socket it may not be re-inserted.
^ʸnote:Which requires great exertion after the lower one had come out and the door was practically dragging on the ground.
^ᶻnote:V. p. 710, n. 15.
^ᵃᵃnote:That against the insertion of a lower pivot into its socket in the country (cf. Rashi).
^ᵃᵇnote:Since they are within, or attached to the ground.
^ᵃᶜnote:Any addition to such a structure (cf. prev. n.) is regarded as ‘building’.
^ᵃᵈnote:on the Sabbath.
^ᵃᵉnote:If a priest had to remove it owing to the performance of a duty which required that there be no interception between his hand and the ritual object he handled.
^ᵃᶠnote:For the reason cf. Bezah 11b.
^ᵃᵍnote:This being a preventive measure against the spreading of the salve on the plaster, which is forbidden under the category of ‘erasing’ which is one of the main classes of work forbidden on the Sabbath.
^ᵃʰnote:The application of a new plaster to a wound.
^ᵃⁱnote:Even in the Temple. While replacing a plaster that had been removed for the purpose of performing a Temple service has been allowed in order to prevent a priest from abstaining from his Temple duties on account of a plaster on his hand, the application of a plaster for the first time, which cannot affect the Temple service, could not be allowed since such an application would infringe (cf. Supra p. 711, n. 13) a Rabbinical enactment.
^ᵃʲnote:Even in the country.
^ᵃᵏnote:As such accidents do not frequently happen the Rabbis enacted no preventive measure against them.
^ᵃˡnote:But if it was completely detached it may not be replaced.
^ᵃᵐnote:On the exposed part.
^ᵃⁿnote:Which, as explained supra, is forbidden as a form of ‘erasing’.
^ᵃᵒnote:That the Rabbis differ from it. Judah and allow a completely detached plaster to be replaced on a wound.
^ᵃᵖnote:The plaster.
^ᵃᵠnote:A cushion, for instance.
^ᵃʳnote:Lit., ‘it fell for him’.
^ᵃˢnote:R. Judah and the Rabbis.
^ᵃᵗnote:Viz., that even where a plaster had only slipped off upon an object it is forbidden to replace it on a wound. Now, since this is the halachah, why did he disregard it?
^ᵃᵘnote:Lit., ‘as if to say’.
^ᵃᵛnote:Of the musical instruments used by Levites in the Temple service.
^ᵃʷnote:If it was broken on the Sabbath.
^ᵃˣnote:The reason is given in the Gemara infra.
^ᵃʸnote:The reason is given in the Gemara infra.
^ᵃᶻnote:I.e., to Insert a new string on the Sabbath.
^ᵇᵃnote:Lit., ‘here and here’, in the Temple as well as in the country; since such work could have been performed on the Sabbath eve.
^ᵇᵇnote:Which permits a broken string to BE TIED UP IN THE TEMPLE.
^ᵇᶜnote:In the Temple on the Sabbath.
^ᵇᵈnote:A tie, however, was forbidden (cf. Shah. 113a).
^ᵇᵉnote:Such as the chopping of wood and the burning of charcoal for the purpose of preparing a knife for the performance of the precept of circumcision (cf. Shab. 130a).
^ᵇᶠnote:Lit., , ties it since the repair of the string of a musical instrument in the Temple is a preliminary requisite of the precept of the sacrifices which could not be offered in the absence of the Instrumental music of the Levites.
^ᵇᵍnote:Our Mishnah.
^ᵇʰnote:As in the case of charcoal (cf. Supra n. 7).
^ᵇⁱnote:Who in respect of work on the Sabbath draws no distinction between a knot and a loop (Shab. 113a) and, since the preliminary requisites of a precept supersede the Sabbath, a knot is permitted as well as a loop.
^ᵇʲnote:Who do not include the making of a loop among the main classes of work forbidden on the Sabbath, while a knot is included. As the string call be secured by a loop (which is a permitted act) the making of a knot (a forbidden act) was justly forbidden even in the case of the preliminary requisites of a precept.
^ᵇᵏnote:Who, as has just been explained, is the author of our Mishnah.
^ᵇˡnote:According to which the making of a knot (which is one of the main classes of work forbidden on the Sabbath) is forbidden for the first time (even though it is a preliminary requisite of a precept) but permitted after the string had been broken.