Shabbat 81a — the Talmud in English

Mishna:

One who carries out

a bone—

its measure is

enough to make

from it

a tarvad

a spoon.

Rabbi Judah says: Enough to make from it an arrowhead

a key.

Glass—

enough to scrape

to sharpen

with it the head of a weaver’s shuttle,

a rod used by weavers during weaving, whose head is sharp.

A clod or a stone—

enough to throw at a bird

to drive it away.

Rabbi Elazar bar Yaakov says: Enough to throw at an animal.

For a person does not trouble himself to lift a stone in order to drive away a bird, since he can do this merely by shouting. And he is liable only for a measure of a clod or stone larger than this—enough to throw at an animal.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna: One who carries out a bone, enough to make a spoon from it. Rabbi Judah says: Enough to make an arrowhead from it.

And we raised an objection to it:

Is this to say that Rabbi Judah’s measure is greater

than that of the Rabbis? For a key is larger than a spoon. And it is difficult, since

do we not hold that the Rabbis’ measure is greater?

And we answer:

Ulla said:

Rabbi Judah’s “arrowhead” means

the teeth of a key

alone, which are less than a spoon.

The Sages taught: The teeth of a key,

the key’s teeth—

are pure,

they do not contract impurity, because they are not fit for use independently and the status of a vessel does not apply to them.

If he fixed them into a key,

into the key—

they are impure,

for from now they are a vessel.

And all this is stated with regard to the key of a chest or a box.

And

a key

of a gate,

of the door of a house or the gate of a courtyard,

even though he connected it to the door and fixed it with nails

see its explanation in the studies —

is pure.

Because the key is connected to the door, and the door is connected to the ground. And

anything connected to the ground is considered like the ground,

which does not contract impurity.

We learned in the Mishna:

Glass, enough to scrape with it

the head of a weaver’s shuttle.

A tanna taught: sakhukhit [

glass, and it is called glass because it is clear. And it is likewise called sakhukhit because one looks through it. Rashi]—

enough to sever

to detach

with it two threads

threads

at once.

We learned in the Mishna:

A clod or a stone, enough to throw at a bird. Rabbi Elazar

bar Yaakov says: Enough to throw at an animal.

Rabbi Yaakov said that Rabbi Yohanan said: And this is when it is felt by it

the animal feels the clod or stone when they strike it.

And what is its measure?

It was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Elazar ben Yaakov says: The weight of ten zuz.

Zunin

a person’s name

went to the study hall and said to them: My masters! Stones of the privy

with which one wipes—

their measure is how much,

in order to be liable for carrying them out into the public domain, or within the courtyard, where the Sages permitted the prohibition of muktzeh because of human dignity—how many of them is it permitted to move?

And the two questions depend on one measure, for the measure fit for wiping is the measure for which one is liable because of carrying out, and it is the measure whose moving was permitted on account of muktzeh.

They said to him: An olive-size, a nut-size, and an egg-size.

One wipes with stones of three sizes, one after the other.

At first with a small stone the size of an olive, afterward with a stone the size of a nut, and finally with one the size of an egg.

He said to them

Zunin:

And will he bring a tortani

a weighing instrument

into

the privy to weigh the stones there?!

They counted and concluded: A handful.

Even four or five stones, provided that all of them together are a handful.

It was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Yose says: An olive-size, a nut-size, and an egg-size.

Rabbi Shimon, son of Rabbi Yose, says in the name of his father: A handful.

The Sages taught: Three rounded stones

pointed and fit for wiping

are permitted to bring into the privy

on Shabbat, and there is no prohibition of muktzeh in this [and in a place where there is no prohibition of carrying out, such as within a courtyard or within four cubits in the public domain].

And what is their measure?

Rabbi Meir says: The size of a nut,

each of the stones.

Rabbi Judah says: The size of an egg.

Rafram bar Pappa said that Rav Hisda said: Just as the dispute

between Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Judah

here—

so is the dispute regarding an etrog.

For Rabbi Meir holds that the measure of an etrog is the size of a nut, and Rabbi Judah holds that it is the size of an egg.

And we raised an objection to it: How did Rav Hisda make the dispute regarding an etrog dependent on the dispute regarding stones? For

there,

with regard to an etrog,

the Mishna

in tractate Sukkah, where Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Judah disputed, is involved, whereas

here, the beraita

is involved, and the Mishna is better known than the beraita. How, then, did Rav Hisda make the known dependent on the unknown?

And we answer:

Rather,

say:

Just as the dispute regarding an etrog, so is the dispute here.

And Rav Hisda gave a mnemonic: If they forget the beraita, they will remember through the Mishna that this is the dispute between Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Judah.

Rav Judah said: But they did not

permit moving

the pa’is

for the purpose of wiping.

And we explain:

What are pa’is?

Rabbi Zeira said: Babylonian karshina.

Clods of earth that are not fit for wiping because they crumble. [And they are called “Babylonian” because Babylonia is a moist land, and the plow raises clods].

Rava said: It is forbidden to manipulate a clod on Shabbat in the manner in which one manipulates it on a weekday

in order to open the opening of the anus, for one who suffers from constipation.

Mar Zutra raised an objection to him:

But

will he endanger himself!?

For he may come to danger if he does not manipulate it!

And we answer: Rava’s intention was not that he should not manipulate it at all on Shabbat, but that he should not manipulate it in the manner in which he does so on a weekday, since he removes hairs [with it]. Rather, he should manipulate it

in an unusual manner,

with a change, such as holding the clod with two fingers.

Rabbi Yannai said: If there is a fixed place for a privy

he brings in stones

a handful,

so that if some of the stones remain, he may use them another time on that same Shabbat. And

if not,

he may bring only

as the weight

of three stones, namely, that the three stones should each be the size of a nut, which is the “deciding” [intermediate] measure between the size of an olive and the size of an egg.

A small spice mortar,

which is muktzeh, because its function is exclusively a prohibited labor—

Rav Sheshet said: If it has a trace on it,

that is, he has already wiped with it once,

it is permitted

to move it for wiping. For the wiping testifies concerning the mortar that from now it is designated only for this purpose.

He raised an objection

to Rav Sheshet’s statement: It was taught in a beraita:

Ten things bring a person to hemorrhoids,

hemorrhoids.

And these are they: One who eats reed leaves, grape leaves, and grape shoots,

and the ridges of an animal,

animal flesh that has grooves, such as the palate and the tongue,

without salt.

And a fish spine.

And salted fish that has not been fully cooked. And one who drinks wine sediment.

And one who wipes

with lime and potsherd

or

with a clod with which his fellow wiped.

And some say: Also one who “hangs” himself in a privy,

who does not sit but leans on his knees, whereby the openings are opened excessively.

It follows that one does not wipe with something with which his fellow wiped. How, then, did Rav Sheshet say that one uses the mortar several times for wiping?

And we answer:

It is not difficult: This refers to when it is wet,

while it is wet it is not fit for repeated wiping.

This refers to when it is dry,

after it has dried, one wipes with it again.

And if you wish, say: Here it is on one side,

on the same side that was already used, one no longer wipes,

and here it is on two sides,

for on the other side it is fit for wiping.

And if you wish, say: This refers to his own,

that which he himself used for wiping, he uses again.

This refers to his fellow’s,

that which his fellow used for wiping is not fit for his use.

Abaye said to Rav Yosef: If rains fell upon it

upon the mortar

and blurred

the trace of wiping—

what

is the ruling regarding moving the mortar? Is it that after the mortar became clean, its designation for wiping was thereby nullified?

He said to him Rav Yosef:

If there was

still

its trace recognizable—

it is permitted.

Because it is repulsive and is no longer fit for spices, and he completely sets it aside for the needs of the privy.

Since it is repulsive and is no longer fit for spices, he completely designates it for use in the latrine.