Shabbat 122a — the Talmud in English

He said to him: Like those of your father’s house .

And Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said that Rabbi Hanina said: The wagons of Rabbi’s house

which were made for people to sit in and not for loads—

it is permitted to carry them on Shabbat.

He said to him,

he asked him,

Rabbi Zeira:

Is the permission to carry them specifically

in

wagons that are not heavy,

which are carried by one person,

or

even heavy ones, which are carried only

by two people?

He said to him: Like those of your father’s house.

And Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Rabbi Hanina permitted the members of Rabbi’s house to drink wine

that had been brought to them

in a gentile’s wagons,

by a gentile, even if the wine was sealed

with one seal

alone. There was no concern that the gentile might have poured it as a libation for idolatry.

And I do not know whether it is because he holds

Rabbi Hanina

like Rabbi Eliezer,

who permits it for everyone with one seal,

or because

the gentile had

awe of the house of the Nasi,

for since the gentile was in awe of Rabbi’s house, whose head was the Nasi, he would not dare to pour it as a libation; therefore one seal is sufficient. But with other people, it is necessary that it have two seals.

Mishna:

a.

A gentile who lit a lamp

on Shabbat—

a Jew uses its light.

But if he lit it for a Jew

it is forbidden

for a Jew to use it .

b.

If a gentile filled

on Shabbat

water

from a well located in a domain that is a private domain, and brought it out

to water his animal—

after him another drinks ,

a Jew.

But if he filled it for a Jew

with water—

it is forbidden

for a Jew to use it .

c.

If a gentile made a ramp for descending on it

from a ship on Shabbat—

a Jew descends after him.

But if he made it for a Jew—

it is forbidden.

An incident occurred involving Rabban Gamaliel and elders who were coming on a ship, and a gentile made a ramp for descending on it, and Rabban Gamaliel and the elders descended on it .

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna three examples in which a gentile performed work on Shabbat, where there is a distinction whether he performed the work for his own needs or for the needs of the Jew.

And it is necessary

for the Mishna to inform us of all three examples.

For if it had taught us

only

a lamp—

we would say that it is permitted for a Jew to benefit from it when the gentile acts for his own needs, because there is no place there to decree lest the gentile also increase his work for the needs of the Jew,

because a lamp

that benefits

one,

a gentile, is

a lamp

that illuminates also

one hundred

people.

But

a gentile filling

water—

there would be room to say that

we should decree

not to benefit from the water, because

perhaps he will come to increase

the water

for the Jew.

It teaches us that we do not decree this.

It is understandable concerning a lamp and water, but

a ramp—

why do I need it?

And we answer:

The incident involving Rabban Gamaliel and the elders teaches us this.

The Sages taught: A gentile who gathered grasses

for his own needs—

after him he may feed

from what remains,

a Jew.

But if he gathered them for a Jew

—

it is forbidden .

If

the gentile

filled water

from a private domain into a public domain in order

to water his animal

of the gentile—

after him a Jew drinks. But if he filled it for a Jew

the gentile filled water—

it is forbidden.

In what case are these words said,

that it is permitted to use something that the gentile did for himself on Shabbat—

when he does not know him,

the gentile does not know the Jew.

But

if the gentile

knows him,

the Jew—

it is forbidden,

because he also acts for the Jew whom he knows, and not for himself.

And we challenge this:

Is that so? But Rav Huna said that Rabbi Hanina said: A person may place his animal

to graze

on top of grasses on Shabbat,

and there is no concern lest he come to cut for it.

But he may not

place it

on top of

food that is

muktze on Shabbat,

lest he take the muktze in his hand and feed it.

If so, this is difficult: How does the Jew place his animal on grasses that the gentile gathered on Shabbat for the gentile’s needs? Those grasses, which were detached on Shabbat, are muktze, and there should be concern lest the Jew take from the muktze grasses in order to feed his animal with them!?

And we answer: Here we are speaking of a case where the Jew does not place his animal on the grasses, but rather

he stands before it,

blocking its path,

and it goes

by itself to the place of the grasses

and eats .

Through this there is no concern that he will take them in his hand and feed it.

The Master said: In what case are these words said—

when he does not know him; but when he knows him—

it is forbidden.

And we challenge this:

But Rabban Gamaliel,

who came with the gentile on the ship—

he did know him!

For they came together on the ship .

Abaye said:

At the time that he made the ramp—

it was not in his presence .

Rava said: You may even say

that he made it

in his presence—

the law of the ramp is like the law of the lamp, concerning which it was said:

a lamp for one

is a lamp for one hundred.

But when the gentile knows the Jew and gathers grasses, it is forbidden to benefit from them, since he increases the gathering for the Jew .

An objection was raised: Rabban Gamaliel said to them: Since he made it not in our presence

the gentile—

let us descend on it!

Rabban Gamaliel did not use the permission of “a lamp for one is a lamp for one hundred” to permit it even when he made it in his presence!

And we answer:

Say: Since he made it

the gentile [even if he had been acting in our presence]—

let us descend on it.

Come and hear: A city in which Jews and gentiles reside, and there was in it a bathhouse that was heated on Shabbat.

If the majority are gentiles

in the city—

it is permitted to bathe in it immediately

when Shabbat ends.

If the majority are Jews

in the city—

he must wait

at the conclusion of Shabbat

until enough time passes for hot water to be heated!

Why do we not permit it on the basis of “heating for one is heating for one hundred,” and permit it even when the majority are Jews, because they also heat for the minority of gentiles?

And we answer:

There, when they heat

the bathhouse—

they heat with the intention of the majority,

and it turns out that they heat only for the needs of the Jews.

Come and hear: A lamp burning at a gathering

of people.

If the majority are gentiles

there—

it is permitted

for a Jew

to use its light .

And if the majority are Jews

there—

it is forbidden.

Half and half—

it is forbidden.

And it is proven that we do not say the permission of “a lamp for one is a lamp for one hundred”; rather, since the majority are Jews, the gentile lit it also for them, and this forbids its use even in a case of “a lamp for one is a lamp for one hundred.”