Shabbat 49a — the Talmud in English

And all this is by Torah law. Rather,

the Rabbis decreed impurity

, that they be considered a connection and that both become impure together, even

not during the time of work.

And they decreed this

because of impurity during the time of work,

when, by Torah law, they are a connection with one another.

And

likewise the Rabbis decreed

concerning sprinkling

, that it not be considered a connection, but that one must sprinkle on each one separately, even with scissors and a chisel

during the time of work.

And although by Torah law they are considered a connection even for sprinkling, they decreed thus

because of sprinkling not during the time of work

, when by Torah law they are not a connection.

We learned in the Mishna: One may not insulate with straw, nor with grape refuse, nor with rags, nor with grasses

when they are moist.

They raised a question before them:

Does “moist,” which the Mishna teaches, refer specifically to when they are

moist by themselves

, for then they add heat more than “moist because of something else” [that is, they themselves had already dried, but then became moist again because of other liquids that fell upon them], and therefore one may not insulate with them?

Or perhaps

, one may not insulate with them even when they are

moist because of something else

, such as because of liquids that fell upon them.

And we resolve it:

Come and hear

from what we learned in the Mishna:

“Not with straw, nor with grape refuse, nor with rags, nor with grasses, when they are moist.”

It is fine if you say

that “moist” means

moist because of something else—

well

, one finds moisture because of something else in all those listed here.

But if you say

that specifically with

moist by themselves

it is forbidden to insulate with them, because they add much heat, then

“rags,”

which are

moist by themselves—

how can one find such a case?

And we reject the resolution from our Mishna: one finds rags moist by themselves

from the wool plucked from between the thighs

[from wool plucked from between the thighs of an animal], for this place is full of sweat, and it is moist by itself.

And we further considered it:

But what of that which Rabbi Oshaya taught: One may insulate with a dry garment and with dry produce, but not with a moist garment and not with moist produce?

And if the prohibition of insulating applies specifically to rags that are moist by themselves,

a garment

that is

moist by itself—

how can one find such a case?

And we answer: here too one finds it, with a garment made

from the wool plucked from between the thighs.

Mishna:

One may insulate with a garment and with produce

[such as wheat and legumes],

with the wings of

pigeon feathers,

and with sawdust of carpenters

[carpenters], which falls from the wood while they saw it,

and with flax tow

, even

fine. For none of all these adds heat.

For none of these generates additional heat.

Rabbi Judah forbids

insulating

with

flax tow

fine

, because in his view it adds heat.

And

he does not

permit

insulating except

with

flax tow

coarse.

Gemara:

Rabbi Yannai said:

In order to fulfill the mitzva of placing

tefillin—

they must

have a

clean body

, as will be explained below what bodily cleanliness is required. And one must be strict concerning cleanliness

like Elisha “the master of wings”

, who was strict about fulfilling the mitzva of tefillin, and apparently was strict concerning the laws of bodily cleanliness with regard to putting on tefillin. And if he is not clean, one may not put them on.

And for this reason he mentioned “Elisha,” for a miracle was performed for him with tefillin, as is brought shortly. And presumably he was careful concerning bodily cleanliness since he was careful in observing the mitzva of tefillin. Tosafot.

And we considered it:

What is it

, this strictness concerning bodily cleanliness required for putting on tefillin?

Abaye said:

He should put on tefillin only at a time when he can control his body

so that he will not pass wind while wearing them

, knowing that he will be able to restrain himself and avoid this until he removes his tefillin.

Rava said: “A clean body” is a state in which the person putting on tefillin can restrain himself

so that he will not sleep while wearing them.

For as long as he is awake, we are not concerned about passing wind, since all bodies are presumed clean in this matter and can restrain themselves from passing wind.

But if there is reason to fear lest he sleep while wearing them, it is forbidden to put them on, for perhaps he will pass wind during his sleep, or perhaps he will see a seminal emission then,

while the tefillin are upon him.

And we explain:

And why did he call

Elisha

“the master of wings”?

Because once the wicked Roman government issued a decree against Israel that anyone who put on tefillin would have his brain pierced.

And Elisha would put them on and go out to the marketplace.

One

official

[an official of the government]

saw him. He ran

and Elisha fled

from him. And

the official

ran after him. And when he reached him, he took them

—Elisha took the tefillin

from his head and held them in his hand. He said to him

—the official:

“What is this in your hand?”

He said to him

—Elisha:

“Pigeon wings.”

Elisha extended

his

hand

and showed them to him,

and there were found

in his hand

pigeon wings. Therefore they called him “Elisha, the master of wings,”

because of that miracle.

And what is different about the wings of a pigeon from

the wings of

other birds

, that specifically into these Elisha’s tefillin were transformed?

Because Israel was likened

[likened]

to a pigeon. As it is stated: “The wings of a pigeon are overlaid with silver,

and its pinions with greenish gold.”

What is the pigeon?—

Its wings protect it

from the cold and from every bird and person who comes against it and strikes it [unlike other birds];

so too the assembly of Israel—

mitzvot protect them.

And Tosafot brings in the name of the Midrash that the pigeon is distinguished from other birds in that all birds, when they grow tired from flying, rest upon a rock. But when a pigeon grows tired, it flies with one wing and rests with the other .

We learned in the Mishna: One may insulate

with sawdust of carpenters

, and with fine flax tow. Rabbi Judah forbids with fine and permits with coarse.

They raised a question before them:

Does

Rabbi Judah

also

refer to “sawdust of carpenters”

and forbid insulating with fine sawdust?

Or

perhaps Rabbi Judah refers specifically

to “flax tow”

: he forbids insulating only with it, since it is fine. But concerning “sawdust of carpenters,” Rabbi Judah does not disagree and permits insulating with it even when it is fine.

And we resolve it:

Come and hear, for it was taught: Rabbi Judah says: Fine flax tow—

it is

an additive of heat

like manure

, and it is forbidden to insulate with it.

Conclude from this

that

concerning flax tow

specifically

does

Rabbi Judah refer.

And we conclude:

Conclude from this!

Mishna:

One may insulate with hides

[skins], since they do not add heat.

And one may move them

—the skins—on Shabbat, since they do not have the prohibition of muktze. This law applies both to ordinary skins and to skins with which he insulates, because all skins are suitable for reclining, for sitting and leaning upon them.

And likewise one may insulate

with bundles of wool.

But

one may not move them

on Shabbat, because they are set aside for their work, which is spinning and weaving.

And if he insulated the pot with bundles of wool on the eve of Shabbat,

what does he do

when he comes to take his pot on Shabbat? For he cannot move them and remove them from the pot.

He

removes the cover

of the pot,

and they

[the bundles of wool]

fall on their own.

And such moving, in which he does not move the muktze with his hands, but takes the object upon which the muktze is placed and the muktze falls on its own, is called “moving from the side,” and it is permitted to do this on Shabbat.

The Mishna Berura and the Ḥazon Ish disagreed concerning the definition of “moving from the side” [see above, 43b].

In the view of the Mishna Berura, whenever one moves the muktze not with his hands—for example, removing peels [which are muktze] from the table by means of the knife in his hand—this is considered moving from the side, and is permitted.

But in the view of the Ḥazon Ish, such moving is like moving with the hands, and “moving from the side” was stated only when this is not the normal manner of moving. For example, here, lifting the cover for the purpose of taking the food from the pot is not considered the “normal manner of moving” with regard to the bundles of wool above it.

And the cover of the pot is not forbidden to move because it is a base for the bundles of wool upon it, as with the law of “a base for a forbidden object,” which must be treated like the muktze itself.

For the prohibition against moving a “base” was stated only where the base is intended to hold the muktze above it, and not where the muktze above is intended to cover the object located beneath it.

And here, the cover of the pot is not intended to serve as a base for the bundles of wool. Rather, on the contrary, the bundles of wool are made to cover the pot beneath them. Rashi.

Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah says:

When he takes the pot insulated inside a basket full of bundles of wool that are muktze,

he

tilts the basket

on

its side, and takes

the pot from it, and then he can also return the pot to the basket. [This is implied by Rashi’s language during the discussion and is stated explicitly by Maimonides in his commentary on the Mishna; see the note. But their words do not explain how he does this without the bundles surrounding the cavity falling. And some explain that he takes the food directly from the pot while tilting the basket on its side.]

But he should not leave the basket upright as it had stood previously, because

perhaps he will take

the pot

and

again

will not be able to return it.

For we are concerned lest the bundles surrounding the place of the pot fall into the cavity in which the pot had sat. And when he wishes to return and insulate it, he will have to move the bundles this way and that in order to make a place for it again, and he will transgress the prohibition of moving muktze. But by changing the place of the pot and tilting it on its side, the cavity will not be spoiled.

And the Sages say:

There is no need to tilt the basket on its side. Rather, he

takes

the pot

and

afterward

returns

it to its place. We are not concerned lest the bundles fall into the place of the pot and fill it [but if the cavity became filled, everyone agrees that it is forbidden to move the bundles in order to clear a place for the pot, as is explained below in the Gemara].

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna: One may insulate with hides and move them.

Rabbi Yonatan ben Akhinai and Rabbi Yonatan ben Elazar were sitting, and Rabbi Hanina bar Hama was sitting with them.

And they were raising a question

:

Did we learn “hides belonging to a householder”

, which it is permitted to move since they are not designated for sale, and they are not particular if they become soiled? Therefore, they are designated for reclining, for sitting and leaning upon them.

But

hides

belonging to a craftsman, since he is particular about them

so that he can sell them, are not designated for reclining, but are muktze, and

we do not move them.

Or perhaps

, even with hides

belonging to a craftsman did we learn

that one may move them, for they too are suitable for reclining upon.

And all the more so

hides

belonging to a householder

, which are permitted to move.

Rabbi Yonatan ben Elazar said to them: It is reasonable

that specifically with hides

belonging to a householder did we learn

that they are permitted to move.

But concerning a craftsman, he is particular about them

not to use them, and they are forbidden because of muktze.