Shabbat 109a — the Talmud in English

Hand ![](pamud.bmp "

exact page location")

to a vat

of beer

let it be cut off!

For the evil spirit enters into the beer and harms those who drink from it. [In the Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim, section 4, it is ruled that with regard to chavusa it is also forbidden even when he has washed his hands, for the touching of the hand harms the wound; and likewise with regard to a vat, the touching spoils the beer. See there in the Bi'ur Halakha, s.v. “he should not touch”].

A hand

that touches the eye before washing

blinds it. A hand

that touches the ear

deafens it. A hand

that touches the mouth or the nose

raises polypus,

causing a bad smell from the mouth and the nose.

It was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Natan says: “Bat Horin” is

the name of the evil spirit

this

that rests upon the hands before washing the hands,

and it is particular,

in that it does not depart

until he washes his hands three times.

Rabbi Yohanan said: Pukh,

a pigment that they put inside the eyes—

removes “Bat Melekh”!

For the pukh heals if the evil spirit called “Bat Melekh” harmed the eye.

And it stops

the pukh

the tearing. And it increases the hair in the eyelashes.

And Mar Ukva said in the name of Shmuel: Alin,

a herb whose name is thus,

there is no medicinal prohibition in them

for it does not heal the eye through eating it, and it is permitted to eat it on Shabbat.

Rav Yosef said: Kusberta—

there is no medicinal prohibition in it.

Rav Sheshet said: Keshuta—

there is no medicinal prohibition in them.

Rav Yosef said: Kusberta, even for me

since I am blind,

it is difficult for me,

for my eye hurts me if I eat it.

Rav Sheshet said: Gargira, even for me

since I am blind,

is beneficial

it benefits the eyes.

And Mar Ukva said in the name of Shmuel: All types of keshuta are permitted

to eat on Shabbat, even if he intends medicinally. For they are also food for healthy people, and it is not evident that he takes them medicinally.

Except

outside

for taruza,

which is not food for healthy people, and it is evident that it is for medicinal purposes.

Rav Hisda said: Serika tuya,

to smear the roast with oil and eggs while it is hot [but not boiling, at a temperature at which the hand recoils from it, so as to cook the oil and eggs]

is permitted

on Shabbat. And we do not say that it resembles making something fit.

Beating eggs,

to beat eggs in a bowl—

is forbidden.

For it appears as though he wishes to place them in a cooking pot.

The wife

of

Ze'iri made serika tuya for Hiyya bar Ashi

the serika tuya

and he did not eat.

She said to him: For your master,

Ze'iri,

I made it and he ate, and you—

did you not eat?!

And we say:

Ze'iri according to his own reasoning

ate!

For Ze'iri said: A person may place clear wine and clear water into a strainer,

a filter,

and need not be concerned

on account of sorting, even though they become clearer.

Thus, since it is drunk in this manner,

for they are fit to be drunk even without straining,

he is not doing anything,

for this is not considered the labor of sorting.

Here too, since the roast is eaten

even without serika tuya—

he is not doing anything,

for this is not considered the improvement of a labor.

And Mar Ukva said: One whose

hand or

hand or foot

has been struck,

stanching the blood

with wine, and need not be concerned.

For it does not heal, but only stops the blood.

They raised a question before them: Hala,

vinegar—

what

is the law? Is it permitted to stanch the blood with it?

Rav Hillel said to Rav Ashi: When we were in the house of Rav Kahana they would say: Hala—

no!

Since it is strong and it also heals.

Rava said: But these people of Mehoza

a place-name,

since they are pampered

and the skin of their flesh is soft—

even wine also heals them,

and it is forbidden on Shabbat.

Ravina happened to come to the house of Rav Ashi. He saw that a donkey had stepped on wine for him,

a donkey had stepped on him,

on the back of his foot

on the top of the foot,

and he was sitting, stanching it with vinegar. He said to him:

But

does the Master not accept that which Rav Hillel said: Hala—

no!?

He said to him,

Rav Ashi:

The back of the hand and the back of the foot—

are different!

For there is danger in this, and Shabbat is profaned on its account.

Some say: He saw him stanching it with wine.

He said to him,

Ravina to Rav Ashi: But

does the Master not accept that which Rava said: These people of Mehoza, since they are pampered, even wine also heals them? And the Master too is pampered,

and it is forbidden to you even with wine?

He said to him,

Rav Ashi:

The back of the hand and the back of the foot are different!

For Rav Adda bar Mattena said in the name of Rav:

A wound on

the back of the hand and the back of the foot—

they are like a wound of the interior,

in the interior of his body, and they constitute danger to life,

and Shabbat is profaned on their account.

The Sages taught: One bathes in the waters of Gerar, in the waters of Hamat, in the waters of Asya

place-names

and in the waters of Tiberias,

even though they are somewhat salty, for the usual practice is to bathe in them, and it is not evident that he is doing so for medicinal purposes.

But not in the Great Sea,

and below it explains the reason,

and not in waters of a soaking-pit

in which flax is soaked, and they are repulsive; therefore it is not usual to bathe in them except for medicinal purposes, for they heal.

And not in the Sea of Sodom,

for since they are extremely salty, one bathes in them only for medicinal purposes, and it is evident to all that he is practicing medicine on Shabbat.

And they raise a contradiction:

it was taught in a beraita:

One bathes in the waters of Tiberias and in the Great Sea, but not in waters of a soaking-pit and not in the Sea of Sodom.

Is there a difficulty from the Great Sea concerning the Great Sea?

For in the earlier beraita it taught that one does not bathe in the Great Sea.

Rabbi Yohanan said: It is not difficult: This is Rabbi Meir; that is Rabbi Yehuda.

There are several distinctions in the laws between a spring that flows from the earth and a mikveh, which is water gathered in one place.

The waters of a flowing spring are called in the language of Scripture “living waters,” and they are fit for every matter in which specifically “living waters” are required, such as the immersion of a zav, the sprinkling of the bird of a leper, and the consecration of the ashes of the cow. But the waters of a mikveh are not valid for them.

There is another distinction: the spring purifies even when its waters are flowing and running over the ground, for this is the way of a spring—that its waters flow and stream over the ground. But a mikveh, whose waters do not flow, purifies those who immerse in it only when its waters are gathered and standing, without any flowing at all, in one place.

For we learned

in tractate Mikvaot:

All seas

their status

is like a mikveh,

and not like a spring.

As it is stated, “And for the gathering of the waters He called

seas.”

Thus, the seas are called a “gathering,”

the words of Rabbi Meir.

Rabbi Yehuda says: The Great Sea

alone, which is the ocean, its status

is like a mikveh,

for Scripture speaks of it; there all the waters of Creation were gathered.

And “seas” was not said

in the plural

except

because

there are many kinds of seas in it,

for all the rivers flow into it. But the other seas—their status is like that of a spring.

Rabbi Yose says: All seas

including the Great Sea, their status is like that of a spring with regard to

purifying through flowing water,

because their way is through flowing, for all the waters of the rivers flow into them. But

they are invalid for

the immersion of

those with fluxes and lepers, and

are invalid

for consecrating the water of purification

of the red cow, for the status of “living waters” does not apply to them, since Scripture called them a “gathering.” [The Tosafot, s.v. “Rabbi Yose,” explain that in truth the seas do not flow; therefore it is reasonable that what required Scripture to call them a “gathering” is with regard to disqualifying them as living waters].

And through this the contradiction between the beraitot is resolved: the beraita that held that one bathes in the Great Sea on Shabbat is Rabbi Meir, who holds that there is no distinction between the Great Sea and the other seas. But the beraita that forbids bathing in the Great Sea follows Rabbi Yehuda, who distinguishes between the Great Sea and all the other seas.