Shabbat 49a (מט.) — the Talmud in English

And all of this is by Torah law. However,

the Sages decreed impurity

such that they are considered connected and both become impure together, even

when not being used for work.

And they issued this decree

because of impurity during use for work,

since at that time, by Torah law, they are connected to one another.

And

the Sages likewise decreed

with regard to sprinkling

, that they should not be considered connected; rather, one must sprinkle on each separately, even in the case of scissors and a knife

during use for work.

Although by Torah law they are considered connected even with regard to sprinkling, they issued this decree

because of sprinkling when not being used for work

, since at that time, by Torah law, they are not connected.

We learned in the Mishna: One may insulate neither with straw, nor with grape refuse, nor with coarse wool, nor with grass

when they are moist.

They raised a dilemma:

Does “moist,” which is taught in the Mishna, refer specifically to when they are

moist by themselves

, in which case they generate more heat than when they are “moist because of something else”—that is, they themselves had already dried, but then became moist again because of other liquids that fell on 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

, for example, because of liquids that fell on them?

And we resolve the dilemma:

Come and hear

from what we learned in the Mishna:

“Neither with straw, nor with grape refuse, nor with coarse wool, nor with grass, when they are moist.”

Granted, if you say

that “moist” means

moist because of something else

—

it is well

: it is possible to find moisture caused by something else in all those listed here. But if you say

that it is specifically when they are

moist by themselves

that it is prohibited to insulate with them, because they generate a great deal of heat, then

“coarse wool,”

which would be

moist by itself

—

how can one find that? And we reject the attempted proof from our Mishna: It is possible to find coarse wool that is moist by itself

from the wool between the thighs

[the wool plucked from between the animal’s thighs], for that area is full of sweat, and the wool is moist by itself.

We further inquire:

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 applies specifically to coarse wool that is moist by itself,

a garment

that is

moist by itself—

how can one find that?

And we answer: Here too, it is possible to find such a case, with a garment made

from the wool 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 from carpenters

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

and with flax tow

, even

fine.

For none of these generates additional heat.

Rabbi Yehuda prohibits

insulating

with

flax tow

that is fine

, because in his opinion it generates additional heat.

And

he does not

permit

insulating except

with

coarse flax tow

.

Gemara:

Rabbi Yannai said

: In order to fulfill the mitzva of donning

tefillin

, one must

have a

clean body

, as will be explained below what bodily cleanliness is required. One must be meticulous about this cleanliness

like Elisha “the man of wings”

, who was meticulous in fulfilling the mitzva of tefillin, and apparently was also meticulous regarding the laws of bodily cleanliness for donning tefillin. If one is not clean, one may not don them.

This is why he mentioned “Elisha,” for a miracle occurred to him involving tefillin, as brought below. Presumably, he was careful regarding bodily cleanliness because he was careful in observing the mitzva of tefillin.

Tosafot. We inquire:

What is it

—what degree of bodily cleanliness is required for donning tefillin?

Abaye said

: One should don tefillin only at a time when he can control his body

so that he will not break wind while wearing them

, meaning that he knows he will be able to restrain himself and avoid doing so until he removes his tefillin.

Rava said

: “A clean body” means that one who dons tefillin can restrain himself

so that he will not sleep while wearing them.

As long as he is awake, we are not concerned that he will break wind, for all bodies are presumed clean with regard to this matter, and people can restrain themselves from breaking wind. However, if there is reason to suspect that he might sleep while wearing them, it is prohibited to don them, lest he break wind during his sleep or perhaps experience a seminal emission then, while the tefillin are upon him.

while the tefillin are still on him.

And we explain:

And why was he called

Elisha

“the man of wings”?

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

And Elisha would don them 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. When he reached him, Elisha took them

—the tefillin—

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

—the official—

“What is that in your hand?”

He said to him

—Elisha—

“The wings of a dove.”

Elisha spread

his

hand

and showed them to him,

and they were found

in his hand to be

the wings of a dove. Therefore they called him “Elisha the man of wings,”

in commemoration of that miracle.

And what is different about the wings of a dove from

the wings of

other birds

, such that specifically they were the form into which Elisha’s tefillin were transformed?

Because

[it is compared]

the Congregation of Israel to a dove, as it is stated: “The wings of a dove are covered with silver,

and its pinions with the greenish gold.”

Just as a dove

—its wings protect it

from the cold and from every bird or person that attacks and strikes it [unlike other birds],

so too the Congregation of Israel

—mitzvot protect them.

Tosafot cite a midrash that distinguishes the dove from other birds in that all birds, when they become tired from flying, rest on a rock. But when a dove becomes tired, it flies with one wing and rests with the other.

We learned in the Mishna: One may insulate

with sawdust from carpenters

, and with fine flax tow. Rabbi Yehuda prohibits using fine tow but permits coarse tow.

They raised a dilemma:

Does

Rabbi Yehuda

also

refer to “sawdust from carpenters”

and prohibit insulating with fine sawdust?

Or

perhaps Rabbi Yehuda

refers specifically to “flax tow”

: he prohibits insulating only with that, since it is fine. But with “sawdust from carpenters,” Rabbi Yehuda does not disagree, and he permits insulating with it even when it is fine.

And we resolve the dilemma:

Come and hear, as it is taught in a beraita: Rabbi Yehuda says: Fine flax tow

—

it

generates heat like manure

, and it is prohibited to insulate with it.

Conclude from this

that

with regard to flax tow

specifically

does

Rabbi Yehuda

refer.

Conclude from this!

Mishna:

One may insulate with hides

[skins], since they do not generate additional heat.

And one may move them

—the hides—on Shabbat, since they are not subject to the prohibition of muktze. This applies both to ordinary hides and to hides with which he insulates, because all hides are fit for reclining upon.

And likewise one may insulate

with bundles of wool.

But

one may not move them

on Shabbat, because they are set aside for their intended work, namely spinning and weaving.

And if one insulated a pot in bundles of wool on the eve of Shabbat,

what does he do

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

He

removes the pot’s cover

,

and they

—the bundles of wool—

fall by themselves.

Moving an object in this manner, in which one does not move the muktze directly with his hands, but takes the object upon which the muktze is resting and the muktze falls by itself, is called “moving from the side,” and is permitted on Shabbat.

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

According to the Mishna Berura, whenever one moves the muktze without using his hands—for example, removing peels [which are muktze] from a table by means of the knife in his hand—this is considered moving from the side and is permitted.

According to the Ḥazon Ish, however, such movement is like moving with one’s hands. The term “moving from the side” applies only when this is not the normal manner of moving the object. For example, here, lifting the cover in order to remove the food from the pot is not considered the normal manner of moving the bundles of wool that are above it.

The pot’s cover is not prohibited to move on account of its being a base for the bundles of wool resting upon it, in accordance with the law of “a base for a prohibited object,” which must be treated like the muktze itself.

This is because the prohibition against moving a “base” applies only when the base is intended to hold the muktze above it, and not when the muktze above is intended to cover the object beneath it.

Here, the pot’s cover is not intended to serve as a base for the bundles of wool. On the contrary, the bundles of wool are intended to cover the pot beneath them. Rashi.

Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya says

: When one takes the pot insulated inside a basket filled with bundles of wool that are muktze,

he

tilts the basket

on its side

and takes

the pot from it; he can then also return the pot to the basket. [This is what follows from Rashi’s wording throughout the discussion, and Maimonides wrote so explicitly in his commentary on the Mishna; see the note. However, they do not explain how he prevents the bundles surrounding the hollow from falling. Some explain that he takes the food directly from the pot while tilting the basket on its side.]

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

perhaps he will take

the pot

and

again

will not be able to return it.

We are concerned that the bundles surrounding the place of the pot might fall into the hollow in which the pot had been sitting. When he wishes to insulate the pot again, he will have to move the bundles from side to side in order to make a place for it again, and he will violate the prohibition against moving muktze. But by changing the pot’s position and tilting it on its side, the hollow will not be ruined.

And the Sages say

: It is not necessary to tilt the basket on its side. Rather, he

takes

the pot

and

afterward

returns

it to its place. We are not concerned that the bundles might fall into the place of the pot and fill it [but if the hollow became filled, everyone agrees that it is prohibited to move the bundles in order to clear a place for the pot, as will be 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 Ḥanina bar Ḥama was sitting with them.

And they raised a dilemma

: Did we learn that

“hides” refers to those belonging to a homeowner

, which are permitted to move because they are not intended for sale and he is not particular if they become soiled? Therefore, they are available for reclining upon.

But

hides

belonging to a craftsman, since he is particular about them

so that he will be able to sell them, are not available for reclining upon; rather, they are muktze and

we do not move them.

Or perhaps

we learned that even hides

belonging to a craftsman

may be moved, since they too are fit for reclining upon.

And all the more so

hides

belonging to a homeowner

are permitted to move.

Rabbi Yonatan ben Elazar said to them: It stands to reason

that we learned specifically of hides

belonging to a homeowner

as permitted to move.

But with regard to a craftsman, he is particular about them

not to use them, and they are prohibited as muktze.