Shabbat 54b — the Talmud in English

And again we raise an objection:

And was it not taught:

It is permitted to lead the camel by a rope,

provided that he raises

the head of the rope

a handbreadth above the ground.

It follows that he may take the rope out from beneath his hand as much as he wishes, even more than two handbreadths, provided that it is a handbreadth above the ground. And this is difficult for Shmuel.

And we answer:

When that

beraita, which permits it even when more than a handbreadth of the rope extends from his hand, was taught, it was speaking

of the rope between

him and the animal,

between

him and the animal. They did not prohibit the part of the rope between his hand and the camel even when it is very long, provided that it is a handbreadth above the ground. For if it is less than a handbreadth, it is not recognizable that the animal is being led by it, and he appears like a person carrying a rope in his hand. But Shmuel was speaking of the rope that extends outward from beneath his hand, not toward the animal; and if it extends more than a handbreadth, it appears that the person is carrying the rope.

Mishna:

A donkey may not go out with a saddlecloth when it is not tied to it.

And it was explained above that it was not tied to it from the eve of Shabbat. Since he did not reveal from the previous day that he needed it, it is not considered a garment.

And

so

it may not

the donkey go out

with a bell

bell,

even though it is stopped up

and its clapper does not produce a sound. And the Gemara explains this.

And it may not

go out

with a ladder around its neck, nor with a strap around its leg.

And the Gemara explains what these are.

And chickens may not go out with cords, nor with a strap around their legs.

And male rams may not go out with a cart beneath their tails.

The end of a ram’s tail is broad like a cushion and contains no bone, only fat. This is the “tail-fat.” Since it is thick and heavy, it is scratched when dragged along the ground. Therefore, they make it a small cart that rolls along with it when the ram walks, and the tail is tied upon it.

And the reason that all these are prohibited is that perhaps they will fall, and the owners may come to carry them in the public domain.

And ewes may not go out as hanunot.

The Gemara explains this.

And a calf may not go out with a gimon

a small yoke placed around its neck, to teach it to bend its head when it grows.

Nor

may

a cow go out with the skin of the koper

a species of creeping creature whose hairs are sharp like a needle. They tie its skin around the cow’s udders so that creeping creatures will not suck from it,

nor with a strap between its horns

because it is a burden for it. And the Gemara explains this.

Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah’s cow would go out with a strap between its horns,

and this was

not with the consent of the Sages!

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna: A donkey may not go out with a saddlecloth when it is not tied to it.

And we inquire about it:

What is the reason?

And we answer: The reason is

as we said

above: he must reveal from the eve of Shabbat that it is the donkey’s garment.

We learned in the Mishna:

Nor with a bell, even though it is stopped up.

And we explain: The reason for the prohibition is

because it appears

like one who is going

with it

to

sell it in

the fair

market, and he hangs the bell upon it to adorn it, so that buyers will leap upon it [to purchase it].

We learned in the Mishna:

Nor with a ladder around its neck.

Rav Huna said:

This refers to

a jaw-ladder,

which they tie to it beside its cheek.

And for what do they make it

this ladder for the donkey? —

For where it has

the donkey

a wound. For

because of the ladder tied to it, it cannot turn its neck, and

it does not return and scratch

rub

it

with its teeth, the wound.

We learned in the Mishna:

Nor with a strap around its leg.

And we explain: A strap

that they make for it

for the donkey

for gizra,

when an animal’s steps are short and it strikes one leg against the other, they tie rings above its hooves.

We learned in the Mishna:

And chickens may not go out with cords!

And we explain: These are cords

that they make for them

for the chickens for

a sign, so that they will not be exchanged

with another person’s chickens.

We learned in the Mishna:

Nor with a strap

around their legs.

And we explain: This is a short strap

that they make for it

for the chicken, with which they tie its two legs so that it cannot raise them,

so that it will not break vessels

so that vessels will not be broken by its legs.

We learned in the Mishna:

And males may not go out with a cart

beneath their tails.

And we explain: This is a cart that they tie to them

so that they will not injure

so that it will not be struck against rocks

their tail-fat.

We learned in the Mishna:

And ewes may not go out as hanunot.

Rav Aḥa bar Ulla sat before Rav Ḥisda,

and sat and said

to explain it:

When they shear it

the ewe,

they soak a compress

cotton wool or any soft substance

in oil and place it on its forehead

its brow,

so that it will not become chilled.

And these are the “ewes that are hanunot” that we learned in the Mishna: they may not go out with the compress on their foreheads.

Rav Ḥisda said to him: If so, you have made

this ewe into an object of distinction,

like

the distinction of

Mar Ukva

who was wealthy and head of the court. Is this its ordinary manner of distinction?

Rather, Rav Pappa bar Shmuel sat before Rav Ḥisda, and sat and said: When it crouches to give birth, they soak two compresses in oil and place them upon it, one on its forehead and one on the womb, so that it will become warm.

These are the “ewes that are hanunot.”

Rav Naḥman said to him: If so, you have made it

important

like

the importance of

Yalta

the wife of Rav Naḥman. Is this its ordinary manner of distinction?

Rather, Rav Huna said: There is a tree in the coastal cities, and “ḥanun” is its name. And they bring

from it

a splinter and place it in its nostril, so that it will sneeze and the worms will fall

worms that are in it from

its head.

And this is the meaning of the Mishna’s “ewes that are hanunot”: they may not go out with this splinter.

And we raise an objection:

If so,

in the case of

males also,

the Mishna should have written “hanunim.” Why did it specifically mention female ewes?

And we answer: Males do not need this.

Since males butt one another

one another,

automatically they fall

the worms from their heads.

Shimon the Nazirite said: “Hanunot” means that there is placed in their nostrils

splinter called

a splinter of broom tree

a splinter of broom tree.

And we raise an objection:

Granted

according to

Rav Huna,

the Mishna is understandable, and

this is why it teaches “hanunot

”—because of the wooden splinter of the “ḥanun” tree.

But according to

the other explanations given by

the Sages,

the compress or the broom-tree splinter,

what is “hanunot

”? What does this expression mean, and where is the compress or the splinter hinted at in it?

And we answer: It is because

we do this thing

for them,

this matter,

because

we have compassion on them.

And hanunot is an expression of compassion.

We learned in the Mishna:

And a calf may not go out with a gimon.

And we inquire about it:

What is “a calf with a gimon

”?

Rav Huna said: A neck-yoke.

A small yoke placed around the calf’s neck, so that it will become accustomed to bending its head when it grows.

Rav Elazar said: From where is it understood that this “gimon” is an expression of bending? —

—

For

it is

written: “To bend his head like a bulrush.”

For the agmon is a type of bent needle with which fish are caught. [Rashi there. And Metzudat David explained that it is the gome plant, which is soft and bent.]

We learned in the Mishna:

Nor a cow with the skin of the koper.

And we explain:

They make for it

for the cow a leather pouch around its udders,

so that leeches will not find a way to suck it

so that they will not suck from it.

We learned in the Mishna:

Nor with a strap between its horns.

And we explain: There are two types of straps for a cow: one is made solely for adornment, and the other is made to guard it so that it will not flee.

Rav and Shmuel disagreed above [52a].

If according to Rav, both

with a strap

for adornment

and

both

with a strap made

for guarding are prohibited,

the Mishna prohibits both. This is because a cow does not need guarding, and he holds that excessive guarding is a burden. Even a strap for adornment is considered a burden, because this is not the animal’s ordinary manner.

But if according to Shmuel, the “strap” in the Mishna refers to

only

adornment.

Only in that case is it

prohibited.

But with a strap made

for guarding, it is permitted

for it to go out with it, since he holds that excessive guarding is not considered a burden.

We learned in the Mishna:

Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah’s cow,

etc.

And we are astonished:

And

was it

only one cow

alone

that he had

Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah!?

But Rav said, and some say that Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rav: Twelve thousand

calves Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah would tithe from his herd every year,

for the animal tithe.

And we answer:

The tanna taught: This cow was not his

this cow,

but it belonged to his neighbor

it did.

And because he did not protest against it

when it went out on Shabbat in the public domain with a strap between its horns, it was

called by his name.

Rav, Rabbi Ḥanina, Rabbi Yoḥanan, and Rav Ḥaviva taught

the statement brought immediately below—

And

throughout

everywhere

in the Order of Moed,

when a tradition is stated in the name

of all such a group

all four of them together,

there are substitutions

some replace one of them—and they do not count

Rabbi Yoḥanan and bring in

in his place

Rabbi Yonatan.

And so they said:

Anyone who is able to protest against the members of his household

for a sin in their possession,

but did not protest

against them,

is held accountable for

the sin of

the members of his household.

And anyone who is able to protest

among the people of his city,

but did not protest against them,

is held accountable for

the sin of

the people of his city.

And anyone who is able to protest

throughout the entire world,

all of it—for example, a king or a leader whom everyone fears and obeys his words—but did not protest,

is held accountable for

the sin of

the entire world.

Rav Pappa said: And these members of the house of the Exilarch, they are held accountable for everyone.

For since authority is in their hands, they are able to protest against everyone.

As in that which Rabbi Hanina said: What is the meaning of that which is written, “The Lord

will enter into judgment with the elders of His people and its princes”!

And “elders”—that means the Sanhedrin.