Shabbat 113a (קיג.) — the Talmud in English

Lest you say:

one of them—

of the ropes—

he renders it null:

he will leave it there, and bring out the animal with difficulty, and it will be a permanent knot. [And according to the second explanation: lest he untie only one of the knots, on one side of the opening].

It teaches us

that he unties them all.

Rav Yosef said that Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov.

Abaye said to him: The halakha—

does that imply that they disagree?

He said to him: What difference does it make to you?

He said to him:

But is

completing the study of the Gemara—

the study of the Gemara—

mere wood shavings,

like mere song,

to be!?

That is, one must know through the study of the Gemara even those statements and opinions that are not applicable in practice.

Mishna:

One may tie a bucket

that is positioned over a well, in order to draw water with it,

with a belt,

with a belt strap, since the knot is not permanent, as he needs the belt and will certainly remove it from there after drawing the water.

But not with a rope,

which is destined to remain there permanently, and it is therefore a permanent knot.

Rabbi Yehuda permits

as will be explained in the Gemara.

Rabbi Yehuda stated a general principle: With regard to any knot that is not permanent—

one is not liable for it.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna that one may not tie the bucket with a rope.

And we raised a difficulty concerning it:

A rope—

what kind?

If we say it is an ordinary rope—

does

Rabbi Yehuda permit

one to tie it? But

it is a permanent knot!

Rather, it is a weaver’s rope,

used by weavers, which is destined to be removed.

Does this mean that the Rabbis hold that we issue a decree

against

a weaver’s rope

prohibiting one from tying with it even though it is not permanent,

due to an ordinary rope?

And Rabbi Yehuda holds that we do not issue such a decree.

And we raise a contradiction,

from a beraita that states the opposite:

With regard to a bucket rope that was severed

in its middle—

one may not tie it

to the rope itself, joining the two sides at the place where it was severed,

rather, one may make a bow.

And Rabbi Yehuda says:

He may not tie or make a bow joining the two parts of the rope from the rope itself; rather, he should take the two ends of the rope and

wrap around them

around its two ends

a hollow belt

—a hollow girdle—

or a belt,

a belt strap.

Provided that he does not make a bow with it,

with the rope itself, lest he come to tie it.

For Rabbi Yehuda holds that they issued a decree concerning making a bow due to tying, whereas the Rabbis hold that they did not issue a decree concerning making a bow due to tying.

The opinion of Rabbi Yehuda contradicts the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda,

as he issued a decree concerning making a bow due to tying, but did not issue a decree concerning a weaver’s rope due to an ordinary rope.

The opinion of the Rabbis contradicts the opinion of the Rabbis,

as they issued a decree concerning a weaver’s rope due to an ordinary rope, but did not issue a decree concerning making a bow due to tying.

And we answer:

The opinion of the Rabbis does not contradict the opinion of the Rabbis.

Because

a rope

an ordinary one

with a rope

belonging to a weaver

can be confused,

and people may come to permit tying any rope.

But

a bow with tying—

cannot be confused.

The opinion of Rabbi Yehuda contradicting the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda

likewise

is not difficult.

In fact, according to Rabbi Yehuda, they did not issue a decree.

And

there,

in the case of making a bow, it is not because

a bow can be confused with tying

that it is prohibited to make a bow.

Rather,

Rabbi Yehuda holds that

a bow itself—

is tying.

Rabbi Abba said that Rav Hiyya bar Ashi said that Rav: A person may bring a rope from his house and tie it

on one side

to the cow and

on the other side

to the manger.

And he need not be concerned lest one of the knots not be untied, resulting in a permanent knot.

Rabbi Aha the Tall, who was Rabbi Aha bar Pappa, raised an objection to Rabbi Abba:

A rope that is in the manger—

one ties it to the cow, and

a rope

that is in the cow—

one ties it to the manger,

as in that case he will certainly untie the knot.

Provided that he does not bring a rope from his house and tie it to the cow and to the manger,

as perhaps he will untie only one of the knots.

And we answer:

There, it is an ordinary rope,

and we are concerned lest he not untie both knots.

Here—

it is a weaver’s rope,

which he will certainly untie at both ends.

Since the Gemara was discussing a weaver’s rope, it cites additional halakhot concerning the tools of weavers.

Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: Weaving tools

are not muktze, and

it is permitted to move them on Shabbat

for a permitted use, since they are not designated exclusively for the work of weaving.

They asked Rav Yehuda: The upper weight and the lower weight [

see the illustration at the end of the book], which people do not generally move because of their heaviness—

what is the ruling

regarding moving them on Shabbat? Perhaps they are considered utensils whose use is solely for a prohibited purpose, which one may not move.

At times Rav Yehuda answered them

“Yes”,

meaning that it is permitted to move them,

and

at times he answered them

“No”,

meaning that he prohibited it.

And

the matter was

uncertain

to him, the permissibility being unsettled because of the doubt,

in his hands.

It was stated: Rav Naḥman said that Shmuel said: It is permitted to move weaving tools on Shabbat, even the upper weight and the lower weight; but not the posts.

Rava said to Rav Naḥman: What is different about the posts, that one may not

move them?

If you say

it is because

they make hollows

as when they are removed from the ground, they move the soil in which they are embedded.

It is impossible to say this.

For the

hollows

remaining in the ground

occur automatically!

And the proof that one is not liable for hollows made as a result of removing something from the ground is from that

which we learned:

One who buries turnips and radishes

in the ground to preserve them, without allowing them to take root in it,

beneath a vine.

If some of their leaves are exposed—

this is not considered planting, and it is permitted to do so ab initio, and

he need not be concerned:

Neither on account of prohibited mixtures

in a vineyard,

nor on account of

planting in

the Sabbatical year,

nor on account of

the obligation of

tithes.

And they may be removed

from the place where they were buried even

on Shabbat!

If so, why is it prohibited to remove the posts of the weaving tools?

Rav Naḥman said to him:

In a field

it is permitted to remove them, because

one will not come to level the hollows,

and therefore they permitted him to do so ab initio.

But

here,

with the weaving posts that are

in the house—

one will come to level the hollows,

and they issued a decree prohibiting it.

Rabbi Yoḥanan asked Rabbi Yehuda bar Liva’i: Weaving tools,

the weaving apparatus [see the illustration at the end of the book, in the section on the labor of a weaver],

such as the upper weight and the lower weight—

what is the ruling with regard to moving them on Shabbat?

He said to him: One may not move them.

What is the reason?

Because they cannot be moved

because of their heaviness for another permitted use. They are therefore utensils whose use is solely for a prohibited purpose.

Mishna:

1.

One may fold garments

on Shabbat when taking them off, so that they will not become creased, and one may fold and refold them

even four or five times,

provided that he does so in order to wear them again that same day, so that the folding will not be preparation on Shabbat for a weekday.

2.

And one may make the beds from Friday night for Shabbat.

But not

make them

from Shabbat for the conclusion of Shabbat.

3.

Rabbi Yishmael says: One may fold garments and make the beds—

from Yom Kippur

that occurs on Friday

for Shabbat.

And

likewise

the fats of the Shabbat offerings may be offered on Yom Kippur

that occurs on Sunday.

But not

may the fats of the offerings

of Yom Kippur be offered on Shabbat.

Rabbi Akiva says: No,

the fats

of Shabbat offerings may be offered on Yom Kippur, and no

fats

of Yom Kippur offerings may be offered on Shabbat.

Gemara:

The school of Rabbi Yannai said: They taught

that one may fold garments

only when one person

is involved.

But when two people—

no,

even when one person is involved—

we said

that he may fold them

only when they are new,

as they are stiff and do not become creased.

But with regard to old garments,

which become creased,

no,

they did not permit folding them, since by doing so he repairs their creases.

And with regard to new garments as well, we said

that it is permitted to fold them

only with

white

garments, but with colored garments,

whose folding improves them,

no,

they did not permit it.

And we said

that they permitted folding white garments

only when he has no

other garment

to change into.

But

if

he has

another garment

to change into—

no,

they did not permit folding even white garments.

A tanna taught: The household of Rabban Gamaliel would not fold

even

their white garments, because they had other garments to change into.

Since we have discussed the laws of garments on Shabbat, the Gemara cites another matter concerning wearing garments in honor of Shabbat.

Rav Huna said: If he has another garment to change into

from his weekday garments into Shabbat garments—

he should change

in honor of Shabbat.

And if he has no

garment

to change into—

he should let his garments hang down,

as is the practice of wealthy people who wear long garments. He should do so so that the form of his dress in honor of Shabbat will be distinguishable from his form of dress on weekdays.

Rav Safra objected: But

his conduct like that of one of the wealthy

appears

to people

as arrogance,

like someone who boasts of what he does not possess.

And we answer:

Since he does not do so every day

in this manner,

and

only

today

for the honor of Shabbat

is he doing

so—

it does not appear as arrogance.

It is written [in Isaiah 58]:

“And you shall honor it, rather than going your own ways,

pursuing your affairs and speaking words.” And we expound:

“And you shall honor it”—

your Shabbat garment should not be like your weekday garment. And this is in accordance with what Rabbi Yoḥanan would call his garments

his clothing

“my honors”

because they honor those who wear them.

“Rather than going your own ways”—

your walking on Shabbat should not be like your walking on weekdays.

As it is explained below.

“Pursuing your affairs”—

your affairs are prohibited,

meaning engaging in them. But

matters of Heaven are permitted,

such as pledging charity to the poor and arranging matches for children.