Moed Katan

AN ORDINARY PERSON SEWS IN THE USUAL WAY. How do we define ‘an ordinary person’? — At the school of R. Jannai they said, [It means] anyone who cannot draw a needleful during their festivals, as the means afforded them by the Jew may go to enhance the heathen celebrations. The settlement of a debt leaves the debtor with an easy mind. of stitches in one sweep. R. Jose b. Hainna said, [It means] anyone who cannot sew an even seam on the hem of his tunic. BUT A CRAFTSMAN MAY SEW A TUCK-STITCH. What is meant by sewing a ‘tuck-stitch’? — R. Johanan said, [It means] ‘overstepping’.1 Rabbah b. Samuel said, [It means that the stiches resemble] dogs’ teeth.2 AND THE CORDS MAY BE INTERLACED IN BED-FRAMES. [R. JOSE SAYS THEY MAY ONLY BE TIGHTENED]. What is meant by ‘interlacing’ and what by ‘tightening’? When R. Dimi came [from Palestine] he said that R. Hiyya b. Abba and R. Assi had different views on this, both reporting in the name of Hezekiah and R. Johanan. One said that ‘interlacing’ meant [interlacing] both the warp and the woof, and that ‘tightening’ meant putting in the warp without the woof;3 while the other said that ‘interlacing’ meant putting in the warp without the woof, and tightening’ meant that he may tighten a girth cord if it has become slack. But this cannot be [correct], for R. Tahlifa4 b. Saul taught: ‘And all agreed that no cords may be let in afresh’. Now this is perfectly in accord with the one who says that the ‘interlacing’ [permitted in the Mishnah] means interlacing both the warp and the woof, and that the ‘tightening’ [that R. Jose permitted] means putting in the warp without the woof; hence R. Tahlifa could say: ‘And all agreed that no cords may be let in afresh’ — But, according to one who says that ‘interlacing’ means putting in the warp without the woof and that ‘tightening’ means that he may tighten a cord if it has become slack, [how do you explain R. Tahlifa b. Saul's statement? For,] if you say that interlacing the warp and the woof is forbidden, need one [at all state] that cords are not to be let in afresh? — This is a difficulty. Said R. Nahman b. Isaac to R. Hiyya b. Abin: Is there anybody who applies the term ‘Interlacing’ to inserting a warp without the woof? For surely we learned:5 R. Meir says: A bed [frame] is not [subject to ritual defilement] until three warp spaces in it have been crossed? The fact is that when Rabin came [from Palestine] he said that all agree that ‘interlacing’ means interlacing the warp and woof; but where the difference arose was on the interpretation of ‘tightening’; one Master held that the ‘tightening’ [that was permitted] was inserting the warp without the woof, and the other Master held [that what was allowed was] the tightening of a cord which has become slack. An objection was raised: Bed-frames may be interlaced [during the festival week] and needless to say that they may be tightened: these are the words of R. Meir. R. Jose says: They may be tightened, but not interlaced and ‘Some say’6 that tightening may not be done at all — Now here [the several views are] perfectly [understandable] according to the one who says that by ‘tightening’ is meant ‘inserting the warp without the woof’, as then, ‘Some’ come and express their dissent [on that kind of mending]. But according to the one who says that by the ‘tightening’ [which is allowed] is meant that when a cord has become slack one may make it taut, then according to the view of ‘Some’ not even this [simple adjustment] is allowed! — Yes, indeed; because, since it is possible [temporarily] to fill [the sag] with bedclothes, we should not go to [further] exertion [during the festival week]. MISHNAH. AN OVEN STOVE7 OR MILL MAY BE SET UP [IN POSITION] DURING THE FESTIVAL [WEEK]; R. JUDAH SAYS, A PAIR OF MILLSTONES IS NOT TO BE COMPRESSED FOR THE FIRST TIME [IN THE FESTIVAL WEEK]. GEMARA. What is meant by ‘compressing’? — Rab Judah said that [it means] chiselling8 the millstones; R. Jehiel said, It means [fixing] an eye-hole.9 An objection was raised: An oven or stove [or mill] may be set up in the festival [week], provided that the work is not entirely completed; these are the words of R. Eliezer; but the Sages say, It may even be finished off. R. Judah, speaking in his10 name says: A new one may be set up and an old [mill] compressed, and ‘Some’11 say compressing may not be done at all. Now this accords well with the one who says that ‘compressing’ means scoring the mill [stones], hence this process is applicable in the case of an old mill; but according to the one who says that it means [fixing] an eye-hole, what fixing of an eye-hole does an old mill need?12 — l may say, for instance, that it needs widening a little more. R. Huna [once] hearing someone scraping his millstones during the festival week said: ‘ Who is that? May he himself suffer desecration that desecrates the festival week!’ He [evidently] held the view of ‘Some say’ [cited above]. R. Hama expounded:13 ‘One [may] scrape millstones during the festival [week]’. In the name of our Master14 they said: One [may] trim the hoofs of the horse he rides or the ass he rides during the festival week; until they are rubbed smooth with a fish-skin; R. Meir says, not (even then) until (the cords have been let in) and three spaces have been crossed by the woof cord’.