Shabbat 90a (צ.) — the Talmud in English

And Ḥizkiya said:

They taught this with regard to types of sweet substances,

for all of them have a sweet taste,

since they are suitable for sweetening a dish;

therefore, they combine to prohibit, as their taste is the same.

And we deduce:

The reason

that they combine is because

they are suitable for sweetening the dish. But otherwise,

for example, in the case of other types of spices that do not sweeten a dish,

they do not

combine.

But the Mishna does not distinguish in this manner. Rather, all types of spices combine to reach the measure for carrying out, even though they are not suitable for use together, since their tastes are not the same?

And we answer:

Here too, they are suitable for sweetening.

We learned in the Mishna:

Walnut shells, pomegranate peels, istis, and foa: enough to dye a small garment.

And we raise a contradiction:

It was taught in a beraita:

One who carries out soaked dyes,

with which one dyes, their measure is

enough to dye

a small amount of wool for

a sample,

as is the practice of a dyer, who displays the color on wool to people to see whether they desire this shade or that one. This measure corresponds to the quantity of dye required

for a reed stopper

to close the mouth of the shuttle on which the weaver winds the weft thread.

And this measure is too small to dye a small garment, and the beraita contradicts the Mishna?

And we answer:

Rav Naḥman said that Rabba bar Avuha said:

The case of walnut shells is different,

as a person does not trouble himself to soak dyes

in an amount sufficient only

to dye a sample for a reed stopper;

rather, when he needs to soak them, he soaks at least enough to dye a small garment. Therefore, an amount less than this measure has no significance. But soaked dyes are significant even in an amount smaller than this.

We learned in the Mishna:

Urine.

It was taught: Urine is effective for up to forty days,

but if it remained longer than that, it is no longer suitable for laundering.

We learned in the Mishna:

Natron.

It was taught: Alexandrian natron, but not Anpaterin natron

[names of places].

We learned in the Mishna:

Borit.

Rav Yehuda said:

Borit

is sand.

And we object:

But wasn’t it taught: Borit and sand,

indicating that they are two different substances?

And we answer:

Rather, what is borit?

Kavrita,

sulfur.

Meytivi

from that which was taught:

They added to them

additional things to which the laws of the Sabbatical Year apply:

ḥalavitzin and le’inun,

wormwood,

and borit.

And if it enters your mind

that borit is

kavrita, does kavrita exist in the Sabbatical Year?

But wasn’t it taught: This is the general principle: Anything that has a root,

that is rooted in the ground,

has

the laws of

the Sabbatical Year.

But anything that has no root

does not have the Sabbatical Year.

And sulfur has no root in the ground; why, then, should the Sabbatical Year apply to it?

And we answer:

Rather, what is borit?

Ahalah.

And we object:

But wasn’t it taught: And borit and ahalah?

This indicates that borit is not ahalah.

And we answer:

There are two types of ahalah,

and one of them is borit.

We learned in the Mishna:

Kimoleya.

Rav Yehuda said:

Kimola is

shaluf dutz

[its nature was not explained, but this is its name. Rashi].

We learned in the Mishna:

Alum.

Shmuel said: I asked all the seafarers,

those who travel by sea,

and they told me: Its name is shunana, and it is found in a pearl’s hole,

the hole in the pearl,

and they remove it with an iron probe.

And they remove it with a long iron nail [the commentator on the margins of Niddah 62b].

Mishna:

One who carries out pepper—

any amount

[this does not refer to pepper, as it is included among the spices mentioned above; rather, it refers to what they used to eliminate bad breath. Rashi; see also Tosafot Yom Tov and Rashash].

And pitch,

the waste of tar—

any amount.

Types of perfumes and types of metals—

any amount.

From the stones of the altar, from the dust of the altar, bookworm refuse from books and bookworm refuse from their wrappings,

the portion gnawed from books or from their wrappings by the bookworm, which is called mekek—

any amount.

Since

they set it aside for burial,

as every sacred object requires burial, even any amount is significant.

Rabbi Yehuda says: Also, one who carries out objects used in idolatry—

any amount.

As it is stated: “And nothing from the condemned property shall cleave to your hand,”

indicating that Scripture considers even the smallest amount significant with regard to its prohibition [and when one removes it from his house, he performs a great rectification by removing idolatry from his house. Rav Ovadiah of Bertinoro]. Therefore, one is liable for it even in any amount.

Gemara:

And we explain:

Pepper, any amount—for what is it suitable?

For bad breath,

as it removes foul odor from the mouth.

We learned in the Mishna:

Pitch, any amount.

And we explain:

For what is it suitable?

For zilḥata,

as it is suitable as a remedy for a person who suffers from pain in half his head.

We learned in the Mishna:

Types of perfumes, any amount.

The Sages taught: One who carries out foul-smelling substances—

any amount,

as they are used to drive away harmful spirits from the sick and from infants.

Fine oil—

any amount. Purple dye,

the dye with which purple is dyed—

any amount,

as it is suitable for producing fragrance.

And an unopened rosebud,

a rose leaf that has not yet opened—

one.

We learned in the Mishna:

Types of metals, any amount.

And we explain:

For what are they suitable?

It was taught: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: Since one can make from it a small goad

[a needle inserted into the head of the ox-goad, with which the oxen are directed for plowing].

The Sages taught: One who says: It is incumbent upon me

to bring

iron

for the inspection and repair of the Temple, but did not specify how much:

Others

[Rabbi Meir]

say: He may not bring less than a cubit by a cubit

of iron.

And we explain:

For what is it suitable?

Rav Yosef said: For a crow deterrent,

as they placed on the roof of the Sanctuary iron plates, sharpened at their edges, one cubit by one cubit, standing upright on their sides, to prevent crows from settling on the roof of the Sanctuary.

And some say

the same matter in different wording:

Others say: No less

than

a “crow deterrent.”

And we explain:

And how much

is its measure?

Rav Yosef said: A cubit by a cubit.

And the beraita continues: If he said: It is incumbent upon me to bring

copper—

he may not bring less

than copper worth

a silver ma’a.

It was taught: Rabbi Eliezer says: He may not bring less than a small fork,

a small fork,

of copper.

And we explain:

For what is it suitable?

Abaye said: They use it to scrape out the wicks.

They remove the burnt head of the wick.

And they clean the lamps,

of the candelabrum, of the ash inside them.

We learned in the Mishna:

Bookworm refuse from books and bookworm refuse from a wrapping.

Rav Yehuda said: The bookworm of books, the silk-eating worm,

the worm that gnaws silk, and likewise all those mentioned below are names of worms:

the worm of grapes, the worm of figs, and the worm of pomegranates—

all of them are dangerous

to eat.

There was a certain student who was sitting before Rabbi Yoḥanan and was eating figs.

He said to him,

the student:

Rabbi! There are thorns in the figs!

The worm had pierced his throat, and he thought it was a thorn.

He said to him,

Rabbi Yoḥanan:

The worm called “mouth” killed

the worm whose name is “mouth”; kill

this one,

this man!

Mishna:

One who carries out a peddler’s case,

a small box belonging to sellers of perfumes,

even though it contains many types

of perfumes—

he is liable for only one sin-offering,

as everything is considered a single act of carrying out.

Garden seeds—

less than the measure of a dried fig,

and although the measure for all foods is the measure of a dried fig [as above, 76b], nevertheless, something intended for sowing has a measure of less than a dried fig. [That is, approximately the measure of a dried fig, Rambam in his Commentary on the Mishna].

Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira says:

Even if he carried out only

five

seeds, he is liable for a sin-offering.