Shabbat 43a — the Talmud in English

He raised an objection to him:

We learned in a Mishna below, on page 121a:

We overturn a bowl over the lamp

so that

it should not seize

the lamp [the fire

in the beam]],

even though it is not common for the fire to seize the beam of the house!?

And we answer: The Mishna is dealing

with low-roofed houses,

low ones,

in which a fire is common,

because the ceiling is low and close to the lamp.

He again raised an objection to him: We learned in a Mishna below, on page 151b:

And likewise, a beam

of the house

that broke,

and it is muktzeh—

one supports it with a bench, and with the “long pieces of the bed.”

But it is not common for a beam of the house to break, and nevertheless it is permitted to move a bench and the long pieces of the bed for its sake.

And we answer: The Mishna is speaking

of new beams,

of new beams of a house,

which are liable to split,

as they are accustomed to break from the weight of the clay load.

He again raised an objection to him:

One places a vessel beneath the dripping,

of rain dripping into the house,

on Shabbat,

even though the rainwater is muktzeh, since it was not “prepared” on the eve of Shabbat, despite the fact that it is not common for rain to enter the house.

And we answer: The case is

with new houses,

new ones,

in which it is common for there to be dripping.

Rav Yosef said: This is the reason of Rav Ḥisda,

who prohibited placing the vessel beneath the hen in order to save the egg from falling onto a slope:

because he renders a vessel unusable from its prepared purpose.

Since the egg is muktzeh, he will not be able to move the vessel when the egg is in it.

Abaye raised an objection to him: A barrel of untithed produce,

which is muktzeh,

that broke—

one brings another vessel and places it beneath it,

even though he renders a vessel unusable from its prepared purpose, because the untithed produce that will fall into the vessel and prohibit moving it will prevent the use of the vessel.

He said to him,

Rav Yosef:

Untithed produce—

“prepared” for Shabbat.

Because

if he transgressed

the prohibition that the Sages prohibited against separating terumot and tithes on Shabbat,

and rectified it

on Shabbat, it is

rectified,

and it is permitted to eat it on Shabbat.

That is, although as long as terumot and tithes have not been separated from the untithed produce it is prohibited to move it under the law of muktzeh, the designation of the untithed produce is not considered a complete designation, since if it is rectified on Shabbat it will be permitted for eating and moving. Therefore, placing the untithed produce in a vessel is not considered rendering a vessel unusable from its prepared purpose.

He again raised an objection to him:

One places a vessel beneath the lamp to receive sparks,

even though he renders it unusable from its prepared purpose, since the sparks are muktzeh.

Rav Huna son of Rav Yehoshua said: Sparks—

have no substance.

And it is permitted to move the vessel even after they have fallen into it.

He again raised an objection to him:

And likewise, a beam that broke—

one supports it with a bench or with the long pieces

of

the bed!

Even though by supporting the beam with the bench he renders the bench unusable from its prepared purpose, and it entered our mind that rendering the vessel unusable from its prepared purpose is because he thrusts the bench into the beam in such a manner that he can no longer remove it on Shabbat.

And we answer: He thrusts the bench in a manner

that is loose,

loosely,

so that if he wishes—

he can take it

the bench.

He again raised an objection to him:

One places a vessel beneath the dripping on Shabbat,

even though he renders the vessel unusable from its prepared purpose, since the dripping of rain is muktzeh.

And we answer:

With dripping that is fit,

for drinking on Shabbat, such as when it is not rainwater, and it is intrinsically fit for drinking.

He again raised an objection to him: We learned:

One overturns the basket before the chicks

which are muktzeh,

so that they may go up and come down

upon it on Shabbat, even though he renders the basket unusable from its prepared purpose, since it becomes a base for the muktzeh chicks.

And we answer:

He holds

this tanna:

It is permitted to move it,

the basket, since it does not become muktzeh.

And we wonder:

But was it not taught: It is prohibited to move it!?

And we answer: That which it is prohibited to move the basket applies specifically

while they are still upon it.

And we refute:

But was it not taught: Even though they are no longer upon it—

it is prohibited

to move it!?

Rabbi Abbahu said:

This beraita is speaking

when they were upon it throughout the entire twilight period.

And since the muktzeh chicks stood upon the basket throughout the entire twilight period, we apply the principle:

Since it was set aside at twilight—

it was set aside

for the entire day.

But if the chicks went up onto the basket during Shabbat, the basket becomes a base only for the time during which they stand upon it, and it does not continue to be muktzeh after they come down from it, because “there is no muktzeh for half of Shabbat.” That is, the fact that an object is a base for muktzeh [at some point in the middle of Shabbat] does not make it muktzeh for the entire Shabbat. Only if the object or the base was set aside at the entrance of Shabbat was it set aside for the entire Shabbat.

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Just as one does not place a vessel beneath a hen to receive its egg—

so one does not overturn a vessel over it so that it should not break.

He holds: A vessel may be moved only for something that may be moved on Shabbat.

They raised against him all these refutations,

which prove that it is permitted to move a vessel even for the sake of something that may not be moved on Shabbat.

And he answered:

In all those places, moving the vessel was permitted even for the sake of something that may not be moved on Shabbat because they involve a case

in which

the person moving it

needs its place

of the vessel. And since it is permitted for him to move it in order to clear the place of the vessel, from then on it is permitted for him to move it to whatever place he wishes.

Come and hear: Whether an egg that was laid on Shabbat, or an egg that was laid on a Festival—

it is prohibited because of “born,” and

one does not move

it

to cover a vessel with it,

such as the opening of a flask, which is a small place,

or

not

to support the legs of the bed with it.

But he may overturn

it

a vessel over it so that it should not break!?

Here too—

when he needs its place.

Come and hear: One spreads mats over stones on Shabbat.

And we answer: Here the case is

with stones having sharp projections,

which have a sharp point,

which are fit for

wiping in

the lavatory,

and they are not muktzeh.

Come and hear: One spreads mats over bricks

which are muktzeh

on Shabbat.

And we answer: Here the case is with bricks

that remained from construction, which are fit for leaning,

to lean

upon them

during the meal, and they are not muktzeh.

Come and hear: One spreads a mat over a beehive on Shabbat, in

the days of

summer because of the sun, and in

the days of

rain because of the rain, provided that he does not intend to trap

the bees, even though the beehive is muktzeh, since it is designated exclusively for bees, which are also muktzeh.

And we answer:

With what are we dealing here—

where there is

in the beehive

honey,

which is something that may be moved, and he takes the mat in order also to protect the honey.

Rav Ukva of Meishan said to Rav Ashi: