Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Rif Shabbat 46a {Shabbat 121b continues... 122a}



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46a

{Shabbat 121b continues}
Abba bar Marta, who is Abba bar Minyumi, owed money to the house of the Exilarch. [So] they brought him [before the Exilarch]; he distressed him [and] he spat out saliva, [whereupon] the Exilarch ordered, 'Bring a vessel and cover it.' He said to them: 'You do not need this, [for] thus did Rav Yehuda say: One can tread down saliva incidentally.' He {the Exilarch} said to them: He is a scholar, let him go.

Rabbi Abba bar Kahana cited Rabbi Yochanan {our gemara: Rabbi Chanina}: The candlesticks of Rabbi's household may be handled on Shabbat.
Rabbi Zera said to him: [Does that mean] where they can be taken up with one hand, or [even] with two hands?
{Shabbat 122a}
He said to him: Such as those of your father's house {that is, small}.

And Rabbi Abba bar Kahana cited Rabbi Yochanan {our gemara: Rabbi Chanina}: The litters {used for carrying people} of Rabbi's household may be handled on Shabbat.
Rabbi Zera said to him: [Does that mean] where they can be taken up by one man, or [even] only with two men?
He said to him: Such as those of your father's house.

MISHNA:
IF A GENTILE LIGHTS A LAMP {on Shabbat}, AN ISRAELITE MAY MAKE USE OF ITS LIGHT; BUT IF [HE DOES IT] FOR THE SAKE OF THE ISRAELITE, IT IS FORBIDDEN.

IF HE DRAWS WATER TO GIVE HIS OWN ANIMAL, TO DRINK

2 comments:

asher said...

Amazing stuff..do you actually read it? spitting saliva goes into handling candlesticks and then handling litters of people....great stuff..Is there any method to this madness?

joshwaxman said...

yup. it's really interesting stuff.

there is a method to the madness, which is partially obscured by the Rif's methodology. Obviously, everything here relates to Shabbat, but there *is* indeed more of a relation.

The relation is more visible in the original gemara. The Mishna spoke of what to do about snakes and scorpions on Shabbat, and the gemara contained statements about what to about snakes and scorpions.

On the previous page of the Rif, there was talk of treading down snakes and scorpions incidentally {lefi tumo} and a statement by Rabbi Yehuda that saliva could also be tread upon incidentally. Thus the entire segment about treading things (including saliva) is brought down here in the gemara and the Rif.

In terms of handling candlesticks and litters of people, and why it is brought down here, Rashi actually asks and answers the question. On the previous daf, there was an incident told over by Rabbi Abba bar Kahana relating to a scorpion in the study hall (not cited by the Rif). Once they cited one thing from Rabbi Abba bar Kahana, they brought down another three statements from him, two of which Rif cites because we rule in accordance with them (the candlesticks and the litters for carrying people).

So it is the Rif's method of citing and thus excerpting only that which we rule like that further obscures the relationship.