Shabbat 43a (מג.) — the Talmud in English

He raised an objection:

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

One may place a bowl over the lamp

so that

the lamp

the fire]

will not seize the beam,

even though it is uncommon for the fire to seize the beam of the house!?

And we answer: The Mishna is discussing

houses with low ceilings,

low ones,

where conflagration is common

because the ceiling is low and close to the lamp.

He raised another objection: We learned in a Mishna below, on page 151b:

And similarly, a beam

of the house

that broke,

and is muktze—

one may support it with a bench and with the bed poles".

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

And we answer: The Mishna is speaking

of new beams,

of new house beams,

which are liable to crack,

as they commonly break under the weight of the plaster.

He raised another objection:

One may place a vessel beneath leaking water

of rain dripping into the house

on Shabbat,

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

And we answer: The case is

of new houses,

new ones,

where leaking is common.

Rav Yosef said: This is the reason for Rav Hisda’s ruling

that it is prohibited to place a vessel beneath the hen in order to save the egg from rolling down a slope:

because one renders a vessel unusable for its designated purpose.

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

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

which is muktze,

that broke—

one brings another vessel and places it beneath it,

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

He said to him,

Rav Yosef:

Untithed produce—

is “prepared” with regard to Shabbat.

Because

if one transgressed

the prohibition imposed by the Sages 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 muktze, its designation as muktze is not considered a complete designation, since if it is rectified on Shabbat it will become permitted for eating and moving. Therefore, placing the untithed produce in a vessel is not considered rendering the vessel unusable for its designated purpose.

He raised another objection:

One may place a vessel beneath the lamp to receive sparks,

even though one renders it unusable for its designated purpose, since the sparks are muktze.

Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, said: Sparks—

have no substance.

It is therefore permitted to move the vessel even after the sparks have fallen into it.

He raised another objection:

And similarly, a beam that broke—

one may support it with a bench or with bed poles

[the long poles of the]

bed!

Although by supporting the beam with the bench one renders the bench unusable for its designated purpose, the initial assumption was that rendering a vessel unusable for its designated purpose is because one inserts the bench into the beam in such a way that he can no longer remove it on Shabbat.

And we answer: The bench is inserted in a manner

that is loose,

loosely,

so that if he wishes—

he can remove it

the bench.

He raised another objection:

One may place a vessel beneath leaking water on Shabbat,

even though one renders the vessel unusable for its designated purpose, since rainwater that is dripping is muktze.

And we answer:

With regard to water fit

for drinking on Shabbat, such as water that is not rainwater and is intrinsically fit for drinking.

He raised another objection: We have learned:

One may turn a basket upside down before chicks

that are muktze,

so that they may ascend and descend

upon it on Shabbat, even though one renders the basket unusable for its designated purpose, as it becomes a base for the muktze chicks.

And we answer:

He holds

that this tanna:

it is permitted to move it,

the basket, since it does not become muktze.

And we express astonishment:

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

And we answer: The prohibition against moving the basket applies specifically

while they are still upon it.

And we refute this:

But was it not taught in a beraita: Even when 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 period of twilight.

Since the muktze chicks remained upon the basket throughout the entire period of twilight, we apply the principle:

Since it was set aside at twilight—

it was set aside

for the entire day.

But if the chicks ascended onto the basket during Shabbat, the basket becomes a base only for the period during which they are upon it, and it does not continue to be muktze after they descend from it, because “there is no muktze for half of Shabbat.” That is, the fact that an object served as a base for muktze [for part of the middle of Shabbat] does not render it muktze for the entire Shabbat. Only if the object or the base was set aside at the onset of Shabbat does it become muktze for the entire Shabbat.

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

so one may not turn a vessel over it so that it will not break.

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

The entire series of objections refutes him,

as they 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 cases, moving the vessel was permitted even for the sake of something that may not be moved on Shabbat because they involved

a case where

the person moving it

needed its place

of the vessel. Since he is permitted to move it in order to clear the vessel’s place, he may then move it to any place he wishes.

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

it is prohibited because of nolad, and

one may not move

it

either to cover a vessel with it,

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

or

not

to support the legs of a bed with it.

But one may turn over

it

a vessel so that it will not break!?

Here too—

when he needs its place.

Come and hear: One may spread mats over stones on Shabbat.

And we answer: Here the case is

of pointed stones,

which have a sharp tip,

that are fit for

wiping in

the lavatory,

and are not muktze.

Come and hear: One may spread mats over bricks

that are muktze

on Shabbat.

And we answer: Here the case is of bricks

that remained from construction and are fit for leaning,

to lean

upon them

during the meal, and they are not muktze.

Come and hear: One may spread 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 hive is muktze, since it is designated exclusively for bees, which are also muktze.

And we answer:

What are we dealing with here—

where there is

in the hive

honey,

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

Rav Ukva of Meishan said to Rav Ashi: