Shabbat 140b (קמ:) — the Talmud in English

Rav Ḥisda said: With regard to this linen garment,

if one pulls it off the reed—

it is permitted. [

This garment may be pulled off the reed on which it is hanging when it is spread out to dry] , and even though the reed is muktze, it is not prohibited to move a permitted object when doing so causes the muktze object to move as well .

But to pull

the reed itself from it—

is prohibited,

because this reed is not used permanently for hanging garments; rather, it is used once and afterward used as fuel, and it is therefore muktze.

Rava said: And if it is a weaver's utensil [

a utensil used by weavers],

it

is used to hang the garment on it,

it is permitted

to pull it out, since it is a utensil; and although it is a utensil whose primary use is for a prohibited activity, it is permitted to move it for the sake of its place .

Rav Ḥisda said: With regard to this bundle of vegetables [

a bundle of greens]:

if it is fit [

if it is suitable]

for animal consumption—

it is permitted to move it,

since that is what it is designated for, and not for fuel .

But if not—

it is prohibited.

Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi said in the name of Rav: With regard to this hanging cord

for meat [

a cord on which meat is hung—salted raw meat, to dry it]—

it is permitted to move it,

because the meat is not muktze, as it is fit to eat while raw.

But one for fish [

for fish]

is prohibited,

because live fish are muktze, as they are not fit for consumption .

Rav Ketina said: One who stands in the middle of a bed

that a husband and wife customarily sleep in thereby comes to entertain improper thoughts

as though he were standing in a woman's womb.

And we reject this:

This is not a valid statement.

And Rav Ḥisda said: A student who buys vegetables [

a student who buys long vegetables sold in bundles—this is good advice for him]

should buy the longer ones [

he should buy especially long vegetables] at the price of a bundle that is not quite as long, since

each bundle is like every other bundle [

all the bundles are equal in width], as a cord of a certain measure binds them;

and the length

of the vegetables

will automatically

bring him a gain, since the bundle is not any less wide .

And Rav Ḥisda said: A son of a student who buys

a bundle of

reeds [

canes]

should buy the longer ones; the load is like every load [

the thickness of the load is the same in all the bundles],

and the length

of the bundle

will be automatic.

And Rav Ḥisda said: A student who does not have an abundance of bread [

who does not have much bread]

should not eat vegetables, because they stimulate

the appetite for eating bread, and he will not have enough to eat.

And Rav Ḥisda said: As for me, neither when

I was poor

did I eat vegetables, nor when

I was wealthy

did I [

in my wealth]

eat vegetables.

When I was poor,

I did not eat them

because they stimulate the appetite. When I was wealthy,

I did not eat them because

I said: Wherever vegetables enter [

where vegetables enter], it is preferable

that meat

and fish enter.

And Rav Ḥisda said: A student who does not have an abundance of bread—

should not cut it into portions [

he should not eat little by little]; rather, he should eat all that he has at once and become satisfied.

And Rav Ḥisda said: A student who does not have an abundance of bread—

should not cut it

and recite the blessing over the bread, and then, after the blessing, distribute it among those eating.

What is the reason?

Because

he will not perform [

he will not make a division]

generously,

since he lacks food.

And Rav Ḥisda said: At first,

before he became wealthy,

I would not break bread until I had run my hand through the entire vessel, [

I would not break bread until I had examined the entire vessel containing the bread],

and found in it [

and found there]

all my needs.

And Rav Ḥisda said: One who can eat barley bread but eats wheat bread, [

one who can eat barley bread but eats wheat bread]—

transgresses the prohibition of wanton destruction,

because he eats expensive bread without necessity.

And Rav Pappa said: One who can drink beer and drinks wine [

one who can drink beer but drinks wine]—

transgresses the prohibition of wanton destruction

of money.

And we reject this:

This is not a valid statement,

because

wanton destruction of the body takes precedence,

as wine is healthier than beer .

And Rav Ḥisda said: A student who has no oil [

oil] with which to anoint his hands after the meal in order to remove the grime—

should wash with the water of ditches [

he should wash his hands with the water of small pits], since, standing in one place, it develops algae and is oily.

And Rav Ḥisda said: A student who buys a piece of meat [

meat]

should buy the neck [

neck],

as it contains three types of meat [

which has three varieties of meat flavor]: fatty meat, lean meat, and the neck sinew.

And Rav Ḥisda said: A student who buys a linen garment—

should buy it from the Abba River [

a place-name] where the flax is of good quality,

and wash it every thirty days [

wash it every thirty days],

for it will last him twelve months of the year [

and it will endure for him for twelve months],

and I guarantee it

for that.

And we say:

What [

what is the meaning of the expression]

“linen garment”?—

A fine garment,

for it is fit to seat its owner among a fine group.

And Rav Ḥisda said: A student should not sit on a new mat [

he should not sit on a new reed mat],

for it wears out his garments [

because of its moisture].

And Rav Ḥisda said: A student should not send his garments to his hostess to launder them for him [

he should not send his garments to the female innkeeper to launder them for him],

as that is not proper etiquette [

for this is not the way of the world], because

perhaps she will see something on them and he will come to disgrace himself [

perhaps she will see something repulsive on them and he will become disgraced].

Rav Ḥisda said to his daughters: Be modest before your husbands [

be modest in the presence of your husbands].

Do not eat bread in the presence of your husbands [

do not eat bread in the presence of your husbands], because sometimes you will eat a great deal and become repulsive in his eyes.

Do not eat vegetables at night [

do not eat vegetables at night], because they cause a bad odor in the mouth.

Do not eat dates at night, and do not drink beer at night,

because these things lead to flatulence.

And do not relieve yourselves where your husbands relieve themselves

so that you will not become repulsive.

And when a man calls at the door [

and when a man calls at the entrance of the house],

do not say [

do not ask him]

“Who is he?”

in the masculine form;

rather,

ask, “Who is she?” in the feminine form, so that you will not become accustomed to speaking with men.

If your husbands hold a pearl in one hand and a clod of earth in the other [

when your husbands take a pearl in one hand and a pit in the other],

show them the pearl, but do not show them the clod until they become distressed, and then show it to them. [

Show them the pearl, but do not show them the pit until they become distressed, and afterward show it to them]; this is an allegory.

We learned in the Mishna:

One may not winnow vetches,

but one may place them in a sieve.

And we say:

The Mishna

that permits placing them in a sieve is

not in accordance with this tanna.

As it was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says: One may not use [

make use of]

a sieve at all.

Mishna:

One may rake [

clean of earth] the trough

from before

an ox

being fattened,

which is being fattened, and they want its trough to be clean so that it will not find the food repulsive.

And one may move

the straw from before it

to the sides

when there is a great deal of it,

because

it may become soiled by

the excrement

of the ox,

the statement of Rabbi Dosa.

And the Sages prohibit it.

The Gemara will explain what they prohibit.

One may take

barley and straw that had been placed as food

from before this animal and place

them

before that animal on Shabbat,

and this is not pointless exertion prohibited on Shabbat, since an animal does not find food taken from another animal repulsive.

Gemara:

They raised a dilemma:

Do

the Rabbis disagree only with regard to the first clause,

alone,

and prohibit

raking the trough because sometimes the trough is on the ground—by making a low enclosure and placing animal food inside it—and there is concern that one may forget and intentionally come to level depressions so that the barley will not fall into the depressions?

Or

only

with regard to the latter clause do they disagree,

and prohibit moving the straw to the sides because the straw that the ox tramples underfoot becomes repulsive and is unfit for animal consumption, and is therefore muktze.

Or

perhaps

they disagree with regard to both,

and prohibit both actions for the reasons explained?

And we resolve the dilemma:

Come and hear

that the Sages disagree with both laws stated by Rabbi Dosa:

as it was taught

in a beraita following Rabbi Dosa's statement,

and the Sages say: Both this [

raking the trough]

and that [

the straw before the animal],

one may not move to the sides.

Rav Ḥisda said: The dispute

between Rabbi Dosa and the Sages is

with regard to a trough in the ground, but with regard to a trough that is a utensil— \-

everyone agrees that it is permitted,

because there is no concern that he may level depressions.

And we challenge this:

With regard to a trough in the ground, is there anyone who permits it?

And

does he

certainly

not level depressions?

The Gemara brings two beraitot that appear to contradict each other and resolves the contradiction. One teaching states: One may take food from before an animal with a clean mouth and place it before an animal with an unclean mouth.

We retract this and say:

Rather, if it was stated, it was stated as follows: Rav Ḥisda said: The dispute is with regard to a trough that is a utensil,

if they issued a decree concerning it because of a trough in the ground,

but with regard to a trough in the ground, everyone agrees that it is prohibited.

We learned in the Mishna:

And one may take from before an animal

this food and place it before that animal on Shabbat.

The Gemara cites two beraitot that appear to contradict one another and reconciles them.

One beraita taught: One may take from before an animal with a clean mouth and place it before an animal with an unclean mouth.

And another beraita was taught: One may take from before an animal with an unclean mouth and place it before an animal with a clean mouth.

Abaye said:

The two beraitot state the same ruling in different language:

Both this and that [

this one and that one] say that food is taken

from before a donkey [

from before a donkey] that does not produce saliva and given

before an ox—

we take it,

because the ox does not find the donkey's food repulsive.

But to take food

from before an ox

that produces saliva and causes the food to become repulsive, and give it

before a donkey—

we do not take it,

because this exertion is unnecessary exertion.

And this that it teaches, “One may take from before an animal with a clean mouth”— \-

refers to a donkey,

and it is called this because

it does not have saliva.