Sunday, July 10, 2005

Rif Shabbat 32a



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32a

{we have currently digressed to Shabbat 95a, but will shortly return to Shabbat 73b}

He who makes cheese is liable on account of building.
{The solidifying of the liquid is regarded as similar to the act of putting together an edifice.}

{Shabbat 73b resumes}
"BINDING SHEAVES": {vehamaamar}
Rava said: He who collects salt out of a salina {=a salt deposit, formed by causing sea water to flow into a trench} is liable on the score of binding sheaves.
{t partakes of the same nature, and ranks as a derivative thereof.}

Abaye said: Binding sheaves applies only to products of the soil.

"THRESHING":
They learnt {tana}: Threshing, beating [flax in their stalks], and beating [cotton] are all the same form of work.

{Shabbat 74a}
"WINNOWING, SELECTING, GRINDING":
The Sages learnt {in a brayta}: If various (in parens, in Rif - so should be crossed out: two) kinds of food lie before one, he may select and eat, select and put aside; but he must not select, and if he does, he incurs a sin-offering.

What does this mean?
He may select and eat immediately, and he may select and put aside for immediate use; but he may not select for [later consumption on] the same day, and if he does, it is regarded as though he were selecting for [making] a store, and he incurs a sin-offering.
{But the former does not constitute sifting and is entirely permissible.}

They reported this {statement of Abaye} before Rava, and he said to them: Nachmani {=Abaye} has spoken well.

If two kinds of food lie before a person, and he selects and eats or selects and puts aside {for another to eat}, Rav Ashi learned {matni - I would render had a girsa in this brayta}: He is not culpable; and Rav Yirmiya of Difti learned: he is culpable.
"Rav Ashi learned: He is not culpable":
But it was taught {in a brayta}: he is culpable?!
There is no difficulty: the one treats of a reed-basket and a plate {when the selecting is done by these, he is not culpable}; the other refers to a sieve and a basket-sieve.

Chizkia said: One who picks lupines [after boiling] out of their husks is culpable.
Shall we say that Chizkia holds that it is forbidden to select the eatable from the non-eatable?
No.
Lupines are different,

{Shabbat 74b}
because they are boiled seven times, and if one does not remove it [the edible portion], it goes rancid, hence it is like [picking] the non-edible out of the edible {which is forbidden}.

"GRINDING":
Rav Papa said: He who cuts up beets very fine is liable on account of grinding.
And Rav Menashia said: He who cuts chips [for fuel] {desalit siltei} is liable on account of grinding.
Rav Ashi said: If he is particular about their size, he is liable on account of cutting {hides - a different labour mentioned in the Mishna}.

**
By way of explanation of desalit siltei -- this is wood from palms that has a vein-like structure {shivei shivei -- that is, nimin nimin} and when you separate these nimin there goes out from among them something resembling fine flour, and because of this, it as considered like grinding.

"KNEADING AND BAKING":
Rav Acha bar Ashi bar Avira {our gemara: Rav Acha bar Avira} said: He who throws sikta into a stove {to dry it} is liable on account of cooking.
But that is obvious?
You might say, His intention is to strengthen [harden] the article {whereas cooking softens}, therefore we are informed that it [first] softens and then hardens.

The explanation of sikta -- cakes of animal dung. {Rashi translates - a peg.}

Rava {our gemara: Rabba bar Rav Huna} said: He who boils pitch is liable on account of cooking.

"SHEARING WOOL, BLEACHING, HACKLING {=disentagling it}, DYEING, SPINNING":
The Sages learnt {in a brayta}: He who plucks the wing [of a bird], trims it [the feather], and plucks it [the down], is liable to three sin offerings.

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