Shabbat 81a (פא.) — the Talmud in English

Mishna:

One who carries out

a bone—

its measure is

enough to make

from it

a spoon,

a ladle.

Rabbi Yehuda says: Enough to make from it a key

for opening a lock.

Glass—

enough to scrape

to sharpen

with it the head of a weaver’s shuttle,

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

A clod of earth 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 so merely by shouting. He is liable only for carrying out a clod or stone of a greater measure—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 Yehuda says: Enough to make a key from it.

And we raised a difficulty:

Does this mean that Rabbi Yehuda’s measure is larger,

greater than that of the Rabbis? For a key is larger than a spoon. But this would be difficult, since

is it not established for us that the measure of the Rabbis is larger?

And we answer:

Ulla said:

The term “key” used by Rabbi Yehuda refers to

the teeth of a key,

the teeth alone, which are smaller than a spoon.

The Sages taught: The teeth of a key,

the teeth of the key—

are pure,

they cannot contract impurity, since they are not fit for use independently and are not considered a utensil.

If one affixed them to the key,

to the key itself—

they are impure,

since from that point they are a utensil.

All this is said with regard to the key of a chest or a box.

But

a key

of a door,

of a house door or courtyard gate,

even though one attached it to the door and affixed it with nails [

see its explanation in the Iyyunim ]—

is pure.

Since the key is attached to the door, and the door is attached to the ground. And

anything attached to the ground is considered like the ground,

which cannot contract impurity.

We learned in the Mishna:

Glass, enough to scrape with it

the head of a weaver’s shuttle.

A tanna taught: Sakhukit [

glass; it is called zekhukhit because it is clear, and it is also 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 stone, enough to throw at a bird. Rabbi Elazar

bar Yaakov says: Enough to throw at an animal.

Rabbi Yaakov said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: And this is when the animal feels it,

when the animal feels the clod or stone striking 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]

entered the study hall and said to them: My masters! Stones used in a privy,

which are used for wiping—

what is their measure,

so that one would be liable for carrying them out into the public domain, or within a courtyard, where the Sages permitted the prohibition of muktzeh out of consideration for human dignity—how many of them may one move?

The two questions depend on a single measure: the measure suitable for wiping is the measure for which one is liable for carrying, and it is also the measure whose handling they permitted despite muktzeh.

They said to him: The size of an olive, the size of a nut, and the size of an egg.

One wipes with stones of three sizes, one after another.

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:

What, will he bring a scale

a weighing instrument

into

the privy in order to weigh the stones there?!

They reached a conclusion: A handful.

Even four or five stones, provided that altogether they amount to a handful.

It was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Yosei says: The size of an olive, the size of a nut, and the size of an egg.

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

The Sages taught: Three pointed stones

sharp and fit for wiping

may be brought into a privy

on Shabbat, and this does not involve the prohibition of muktzeh [in a place where there is no prohibition of carrying, 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 Yehuda says: The size of an egg.

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

between Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda

here—

so is their dispute with regard to an etrog.

Rabbi Meir holds that the measure of an etrog is the size of a nut, while Rabbi Yehuda holds that it is the size of an egg.

And we raised a difficulty: How could Rav Ḥisda make the dispute concerning an etrog dependent on the dispute concerning stones? For

there,

with regard to an etrog, it is

a Mishna

in tractate Sukkah, where Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda dispute the matter, whereas

here, it is a beraita,

and the Mishna is better known than the beraita. How, then, could Rav Ḥisda make the known matter dependent on the less known one?

And we answer:

Rather,

say:

Just as their dispute with regard to an etrog, so is their dispute here.

Rav Ḥisda gave a mnemonic, so that if the beraita were forgotten, it could be recalled through the Mishna: This is likewise the dispute between Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda.

Rav Yehuda said: But they did not

permit one to move

the pe’ayot

for the purpose of wiping.

And we explain:

What are pe’ayot?

Rabbi Zeira said: Babylonian karshin.

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

Rava said: It is prohibited to handle a clod on Shabbat in the manner in which one handles 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 this:

What,

should he endanger himself!?

He could come to danger if he does not handle it!

And we answer: Rava did not intend that he may not handle it at all on Shabbat. Rather, he may not handle it in the manner in which he does so on a weekday, since that causes hairs to be pulled out. Instead, he should handle it

in an unusual manner,

with a change from the ordinary practice—for example, by holding the clod between two fingers.

Rabbi Yannai said: If there is a designated place for a privy,

one may bring in stones

a handful,

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

But if not,

he may bring in only

the measure of a khara

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

A small spice mortar,

which is muktzeh, since it is used solely for a prohibited labor—

Rav Sheshet said: If there is a trace on it,

meaning that one has already wiped with it once,

it is permitted

to move it for wiping. For the act of wiping demonstrates with regard to the mortar that from now on it is designated exclusively for this purpose.

Meytivi

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 the leaves of reeds, the leaves of grapevines, and grapevine shoots,

and the ridges of an animal,

animal flesh containing grooves, such as the palate and tongue,

without salt.

And the spine of a fish.

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

And one who wipes

with lime or earthenware,

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 instead leans on his knees, thereby causing the openings to become excessively expanded.

Thus, one does not wipe with something with which another person 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 to be used for wiping again.

That

refers to when it is dry; after it has dried, one may wipe with it again.

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

on the side that has already been used, one may no longer wipe,

and here, it is on both sides,

as the other side is fit for wiping.

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

something with which he himself wiped, which he may use again.

That refers to his fellow’s,

something with which his fellow wiped, which is not fit for him to use.

Abaye said to Rav Yosef: If rain fell upon it,

on the mortar,

and the trace was blurred,

the mark of the wiping—

what

is the ruling concerning moving the mortar? Once the mortar has become clean, has its designation for wiping thereby been nullified?

He said to him,

Rav Yosef:

If

it was still

its trace visible—

it is permitted.

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