Shabbat 47b (מז:) — the Talmud in English

But it is prohibited. And one may not fasten them

by force, using pegs,

and if he fastened them—

he is liable to bring a sin-offering.

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: If it was loose—

it is permitted.

At Rav Hama’s, there was a folding bed,

resembling a mitat tarsiyyim, and

they would assemble

it

on a Festival.

One of the Sages said to Rava: What is your reasoning

for permitting this, because

it is construction “from the side,”

not construction in the usual manner?

But

although there is no Torah prohibition—

there is none

in construction from the side, nevertheless

there is at least a rabbinic prohibition!?

He said to him: I hold in accordance with Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel,

who said: If it was loose—

it is permitted.

Mishna:

One places a vessel beneath the lamp to receive sparks.

But one may not put water into it—

because he extinguishes

And all the statements of the Mishna will be explained below in the Gemara.

Gemara:

We raised the following question: How can he place the vessel beneath the sparks on Shabbat?

But he renders a vessel unusable for its designated purpose,

for its preparation for use. For from that point onward, it is impossible to move it throughout Shabbat and use it, because of the sparks inside it, which are muktze. And it is prohibited to render a vessel unusable on Shabbat for its designated use, as explained above, on 43a, in the statement of Rav Hisda. Does this not constitute a refutation of Rav Hisda!?

Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, said:

Because

sparks

are not muktze after they have gone out, since

they have no substance,

and it is permitted to remove them; consequently, he can also remove the vessel into which the sparks fell and use it.

We learned in the Mishna:

“But one may not put water into it, because he extinguishes.”

We raised the following question:

Shall we say that we learned

in our Mishna, which is

unattributed,

that one may not place a vessel containing water beneath the sparks falling from the lamp, even though this is merely “causing” extinguishing,

in accordance with Rabbi Yosei,

who said

Rabbi Yosei below: Performing an act that

causes extinguishing—

is prohibited

to perform?

For example, one places pitchers full of water as a barrier against a fire; when the fire reaches the pitchers, they burst from the heat of the water, the water flows out, and extinguishes the fire.

We reject this:

Can you understand it

to say that the reason for our Mishna, which prohibits placing water in the vessel beneath the sparks, is that it follows Rabbi Yosei, who prohibits causing extinguishing?

But

perhaps Rabbi Yosei said

that causing extinguishing is prohibited only when he performs the act that causes extinguishing

on Shabbat.

But

on the eve of Shabbat—

did he say

that Rabbi Yosei prohibits performing an act then that will cause extinguishing on Shabbat?

And if we were to say that the reason for our Mishna, which prohibits placing water in the vessel on the eve of Shabbat, is that it follows Rabbi Yosei, who prohibits causing extinguishing, this is difficult: The prohibition against placing the water on the eve of Shabbat does not work out even according to Rabbi Yosei!?

And if you would say, here too,

it is discussing a prohibition against placing the vessel containing water beneath the sparks of the fire specifically

on Shabbat,

in accordance with Rabbi Yosei, who prohibits causing extinguishing—

This cannot be said. For

was it not taught:

A.

One places a vessel

that does not contain water

beneath the lamp

in order

to receive

in it

sparks,

even

on Shabbat,

and there is no prohibition of rendering a vessel unusable for its designated purpose.

B.

And it is unnecessary to say

that one places it [when it is empty] beneath the lamp

on the eve of Shabbat.

C.

But one may not put into it

the vessel

water, because he extinguishes.

And even

on the eve of Shabbat

one may not put water into the vessel, since it is prohibited to cause extinguishing in this manner, which appears like direct extinguishing, even on the eve of Shabbat.

D.

And it is unnecessary to say

that one may not put water in the vessel

on Shabbat

itself.

It is thus explicitly clear that it is prohibited to put water in the vessel even on the eve of Shabbat; necessarily, this is not due to the causing of extinguishing prohibited by Rabbi Yosei.

Rather, Rav Ashi said: Even if you say

that our Mishna is

the Rabbis,

who permit causing extinguishing on Shabbat: Placing water-filled pitchers that will burst is merely causing extinguishing, since the pitchers burst after some time from the heat of the fire, and the fire causes the water to spill and extinguish it. Therefore, the Rabbis permit placing pitchers of water there even on Shabbat.

And

here it is different,

as it is prohibited to put water in the vessel beneath the lamp—

because he brings its extinguishing closer.

Since placing a vessel containing water beneath the sparks, which ordinarily fall downward into the water, is like direct extinguishing. And on Shabbat itself it is obvious that this is also prohibited according to the Rabbis. Our Mishna comes to teach that it is prohibited to put water in the vessel even on the eve of Shabbat, as they issued a decree on the eve of Shabbat because of Shabbat, even according to the Rabbis.

We have completed the chapter “A Stove.”

Introduction to the Chapter “With What May One Insulate”

Mishna:

When one removes the pot from atop the stove on Shabbat eve , it is prohibited to insulate it for the needs of Shabbat . Two laws were stated concerning the prohibition of insulation. A. The prohibition of insulating after nightfall, after the onset of Shabbat. At that time it is prohibited to insulate both in a substance that increases heat [or warmth] and in one that does not increase heat.

The reason for this prohibition is that we are concerned that one may find the pot cold and come to reheat it on Shabbat.

B. The prohibition of insulating on Shabbat eve, during the day before nightfall. At that time it is prohibited to insulate only in a substance that increases heat. But it is permitted to insulate until nightfall in a substance that does not increase heat.

The reason for this prohibition is that the Sages were concerned that if they permitted one to insulate in a substance that increases heat, he might also come to insulate the pot in hot ashes containing coals. If he insulated it there, there would be concern that he might stoke the coals on Shabbat ,

and thereby become liable for kindling .

The first Mishna of this chapter deals with the law of insulating during the day before Shabbat, when insulation was prohibited only in a substance that increases heat. Mishna:

With what may one insulate

during the day before Shabbat,

and with what may one not insulate?

One may not insulate: neither in olive-press refuse [the waste of olives after they have been pressed in the olive press],

nor in manure, nor in salt, nor in lime, nor in sand—

in none of these may one insulate—

whether

they are

moist

or

whether they are

dry,

because they increase heat.

And

similarly one may not insulate

in straw, nor in grape refuse [the waste of grapes after they have been pressed for wine],

nor in soft fibers [anything soft, such as cotton, soft tufts of animal wool, and worn garments that have been shredded],

nor in grass—

when they are moist,

because when moist they increase heat.

But one may insulate in them

in all these [straw, grape refuse, soft fibers, and grass],

when they are dry,

because then they do not increase heat.

Gemara:

They raised a dilemma: This olive-press refuse

that we learned in the Mishna may not be used for insulation—does the Mishna mean that

we learned

this with regard to

olive refuse, because its heat is substantial,

but

sesame refuse

does not increase heat,

and it is perfectly acceptable

to insulate with it?

Or perhaps,

we also

learned

that it is prohibited to insulate in

sesame refuse, because it too increases heat.

And all the more so,

it is prohibited to insulate in

olive refuse.

And we resolve the dilemma:

Come and hear, as Rabbi Zeira said in the name of one of the school of Rabbi Yannai: A basket

full of dry soft fibers

in which he insulated

a pot—

it is prohibited to place it on olive refuse.

Although the soft fibers themselves do not increase heat and there is no prohibition of insulation in them, nevertheless, because of the olive refuse beneath the basket, heat rises upward and boils the pot inside the basket.

The prohibition is due to “insulation”: it is prohibited to place a pot insulated in a substance that does not increase heat in a place that increases heat, even though the source of heat is not a product of fire [and it would be permitted to place an uninsulated pot directly upon it], since this creates a combination of insulation in a substance that does not increase heat with a source that increases heat.

Conclude from this

that

we learned

about

olive refuse.

For only olive refuse increases heat, and not sesame refuse.

But we reject this:

I will always tell you

that

with regard to insulation

in the refuse itself, it is also prohibited to insulate in

sesame refuse,

because it too increases heat.

Folio 48a