Shabbat 137b (קלז:) — the Talmud in English

One who

circumcises

, who cut the foreskin,

but did not perform peri'a, the uncovering of the circumcision

, who did not remove the membrane of skin beneath the foreskin, that person is

as though he had not circumcised

.

Gemara:

Rabbi Avina said that Rabbi Yirmeya bar Abba

said that Rav:

The statement that shreds of flesh that impede the circumcision are those that remain when “flesh covering most of the corona” remains should not be understood to mean specifically that most of the circumference of the corona remains.

Rather, if only

flesh covering most of the height of the corona

remains, even in one place, it impedes the circumcision.

We learned in the Mishna:

And if he was one with an abundance of flesh

—he adjusts it for the sake of appearances.

Shmuel said: With regard to a child whose flesh is excessively thick

, meaning that he is obese, and after he is circumcised it appears as though the flesh covers the corona,

we examine him:

If

whenever he becomes erect

his flesh spreads as a result of the erection

and he appears circumcised, he need not be circumcised

a second time.

But if not

, meaning that even when he is erect he does not appear circumcised,

he must be circumcised

a second time.

It was taught in a baraita: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: With regard to a child whose flesh is excessively thick, we examine him: Whenever he becomes erect and does not appear circumcised, he must be circumcised

a second time.

But if not, he need not be circumcised.

What is the difference between them

, between Shmuel and the baraita?

And we explain:

The difference between them is a case where he appears circumcised but does not clearly appear so

: According to Shmuel, who requires that he appear circumcised, if he appears circumcised but does not clearly appear so, he must be circumcised. According to the baraita, only if he does not appear circumcised must he be circumcised; but if he appears circumcised yet does not clearly appear so, he need not be circumcised.

We learned in the Mishna:

One who circumcised but did not perform peri'a.

The Sages taught: The circumciser says: Who has sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us concerning circumcision.

The father of the son says: Who has sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us to bring him into the covenant of Abraham our forefather.

Those standing there say: Just as he has entered

the covenant,

,

so may he enter Torah, the wedding canopy, and good deeds.

And the one reciting the blessing says: Who sanctified the beloved one from the womb and placed a statute in his flesh. And his descendants He sealed with the sign of the holy covenant. Therefore, as a reward for this, the living God, our portion, our Rock, commanded

to save the beloved one, our flesh, from destruction, for the sake of His covenant that He placed in our flesh. Blessed are You, Lord, Who makes

the covenant.

And the meaning of the blessing is:

“Who sanctified the beloved one from the womb.”

Rashi explains that this refers to Isaac, who was sanctified for the mitzva even before he was born, as it is written: “But Sarah your wife shall bear you a son. And I will establish My covenant with him.” Tosafot explain that this refers to Abraham, about whom it is stated: “What has My beloved to do in My house?”

“And placed a statute”

—this is circumcision.

“In his flesh”

—in his flesh.

“And placed”

—He engraved it [and this “statute” is not like other statutes that are not in a person's body. Maharsha].

“And his descendants”

after him [Tosafot, Menaḥot 53b, and the Ran explain that this refers to Jacob],

“He sealed with the sign”

this

holy covenant.

“Therefore, as a reward”

for

this mitzva—

—

“the living God, our portion, our Rock” [

He said these names based on the verse [Psalms 84]: “My heart and my flesh sing joyfully to the living God.” Circumcision is a service involving the flesh. And he said “our portion, our Rock” in connection with flesh, based on the verse [there, 73]: “My flesh and my heart fail; God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever.” [Abudarham].

“Commanded”

the Holy One, blessed be He, Abraham ,

“to save our beloved flesh”

—that is, the body [the Bach in Yoreh De'a 265 explains that it refers to the soul]—

“from destruction”

from Gehinnom. As it is written in Zechariah: “Also you, by the blood of your covenant, I have sent forth your prisoners from the pit in which there is no water.”

The Maharsha adds, based on the statement of the Gemara in Eruvin 19a, that Abraham sits at the entrance to Gehinnom and saves everyone who is circumcised, except for one who has relations with a gentile woman.

“For the sake of”

—by virtue of,

“His covenant that He placed in our flesh. Blessed are You, Lord, Who makes the covenant.”

Based on the verse: “And He made a covenant with him” [Abudarham].

One who circumcises converts says: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us concerning circumcision.

And the one reciting the blessing says: Who has sanctified us with His mitzvot

and commanded us to circumcise converts

and to draw from them the blood of the covenant.

For had it not been for the blood of the covenant, heaven and earth would not have endured

as it is stated: “If not for My covenant, day and night, I would not have appointed the statutes of heaven and earth.” Blessed are You, Lord, Who makes the covenant.

One who circumcises slaves says: Who has sanctified us

with His mitzvot and commanded us concerning circumcision.

And the one reciting the blessing says: Who has sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us to circumcise slaves and to draw from them the blood of the covenant, for had it not been for the blood of the covenant, the statutes of heaven and earth would not have endured. As it is stated: “If not for My covenant, day and night, I would not have appointed the statutes of heaven and earth.” Blessed are You, Lord, Who makes the covenant.

We have completed the chapter “Rabbi Eliezer on Circumcision”

Mishna:

Rabbi Eliezer says: One may suspend the strainer

[a strainer] through which one strains the dregs, over the vessel

on a Festival.

There is no concern that spreading the strainer over the vessel constitutes the construction of a tent, since this act was prohibited only on Shabbat.

And one may place

wine dregs in which wine is mixed

into the

strainer that is already

suspended

over the vessel

on Shabbat.

Although the wine is strained through it, this is permitted, because this is not the ordinary manner of sorting.

And the Sages say: One may not suspend the strainer on a Festival, nor may one place

wine dregs

into a

strainer

suspended on Shabbat.

But one may place

the wine dregs

into a

strainer

suspended on a Festival,

because this is a labor required for food preparation.

Gemara:

We learned in our Mishna: Rabbi Eliezer says: One may suspend the strainer on a Festival.

And we raised a difficulty concerning it:

Now,

Rabbi Eliezer maintains that even

to add

[to add]

a temporary tent

to a tent that already existed from the eve of Shabbat

we do not add,

and if so,

to construct initially

a temporary tent, such as spreading the strainer over the vessel—who

permits this?

And the Gemara explains: This statement that Rabbi Eliezer prohibits even adding to a temporary tent on Shabbat,

what is it?

[Where did we learn it?]

As we learned

above [125b]:

A stopper

[a shutter]

for the window

of the roof opening, which one wishes to use to cover the opening, and thereby creates a tent over the house.

Rabbi Eliezer says:

When

the

stopper

is tied

to the window with a cord

and suspended

in the air, ready to close the opening—

one may close the opening with it. But if not,

if it is not tied to the window, or if it is tied but not suspended in the air, rather resting on a particular place,

one may not close the opening with it,

because doing so constitutes the construction of a temporary tent, and it is prohibited to do so on Shabbat.

And the Sages say: In either case—

one may close the opening with it.

And Rabba bar bar Ḥana said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Everyone agrees that one may not initially make a temporary tent

[begin its construction]

on a Festival, and needless to say

that one may not initially make a temporary tent

on Shabbat.

They disagree only with regard to adding

a temporary tent, such as the stopper for the window.

As Rabbi Eliezer says: One may not add on a Festival, and needless to say, on Shabbat. And the Sages say: One may add on Shabbat, and needless to say, on a Festival.

And we answer:

Rabbi Eliezer,

who permitted spreading the strainer on a Festival, despite the fact that it is prohibited on a Festival even to add to a temporary tent,

holds in accordance with Rabbi Yehuda,

who permits performing on a Festival a labor that enables one to perform a labor required for food preparation.

As it was taught in a beraita: The only difference between a Festival and Shabbat is

the performance of labors for the sake of

food preparation alone.

Rabbi Yehuda permits

performing on a Festival

even “requirements for food preparation,”

such as repairing a spit that became bent, although the repair itself is not a “labor required for food preparation,” because through it one will be able to roast meat, which is food preparation.

Likewise, it is permitted to spread the strainer, because this will make it possible to strain the wine, which is a labor required for food preparation.

And we challenge this:

I can say that we heard Rabbi Yehuda

permit

requirements

for food preparation

that cannot be performed on the eve of the Festival,

such as a spit that became bent on the Festival.

But

with regard to “requirements” that can be performed on the eve of the Festival,

such as a spit that became bent on the eve of the Festival,

did you hear him

permit them? And if so, how did Rabbi Eliezer permit suspending the strainer, since it could have been suspended on the eve of the Festival? And we answer:

Rabbi Eliezer is more expansive

[Rabbi Eliezer’s permission is broader]

than Rabbi Yehuda’s.

For Rabbi Eliezer permits even requirements for food preparation that can be performed on the eve of the Festival.

We learned in the Mishna:

And the Sages say:

One may not suspend the strainer on a Festival, and needless to say, on Shabbat.

A dilemma was raised before them: If one suspended

the strainer on Shabbat,

what is

its law?

Rav Yosef said: If one suspended it,

he is liable to bring a sin-offering,

because making a tent is a derivative of the labor of building.

Abaye said to him: If that is so, if one suspended a small vessel on a peg

[he hung a small utensil on a peg, and the utensil thereby became like a tent],

is he likewise liable

to bring a sin-offering? Surely we have never heard that this involves a prohibition, because the entire prohibition against making a temporary tent is rabbinic, and the Sages did not prohibit hanging utensils on a peg!