Der Stein in einem [trockenen] Kürbis [der zum Wasserziehen verwendet wird. Weil es leicht ist, sinkt es nicht, sondern schwimmt, so dass ein Stein hineingelegt wird, um es zu beschweren.]—Wenn es [der Kürbis] gefüllt ist und es [der Stein] nicht herausfällt [es ist gut in der Mündung des Kürbisses fixiert, in welchem Fall es als Gefäß angesehen wird], wird es gefüllt; Wenn nicht, ist es nicht gefüllt. [Es ist wie bei anderen Steinen und der Kürbis darf nicht bewegt werden, da er eine Basis für den Stein darstellt, den er trägt.] Eine Stange, die an einem Tafiach befestigt ist [ein kleiner Krug, mit dem Wasser aus einem Brunnen oder einer Quelle entnommen wird], kann am Schabbat gefüllt werden, [denn der Stab wird als Gefäß angesehen].
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
האבן שבקרויה – a dry gourd and we fill it with water and because it is light, it is not drawing water but rather it floats and we put a stone to make it heavy.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Introduction
This mishnah deals with certain unusual contraptions used to draw water from a well.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
אם ממלאין – the pumpkin-shell
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
A stone in a dried-out pumpkin: If one can draw [water] in it and it [the stone] does not fall out, one may draw [water] in it; if not, one may not draw water in it. They would use the dried-out pumpkin to draw water from a cistern or well. Because the pumpkin would float, they would place a stone in it to weigh the pumpkin down and submerge it in the water. If the stone was attached well to the pumpkin, such that the stone would not fall out when submerged, one can use this contraption to draw water on Shabbat. In such a case the stone is part of the vessel and it is not muktzeh. However, if the stone is not attached well then one can’t use it, just as one cannot pick up other non-useful stones on Shabbat. Such stones are muktzeh because they have no practical use.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ואין האבן נופלת - for the pounded stone fits well in the mouth of the pumpkin shell and it is a utensil.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
A vine-branch tied to a pitcher: one may draw [water] with it on Shabbat. The pitcher was attached to a vine in order to lower it down into the well. The mishnah rules that one may use such a contraption on Shabbat and that the vine is not muktzeh. Were the vine not to have a practical use, it would be muktzeh.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ואם לאו – then it is like other stones, and we don’t carry the pumpkin shell that had become the base for the stone that carries it.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
זמורה שהיא קשורה בטפיח – to a small pitcher that we draw from it water from the well or from the spring from which we fill it for this branch is considered a utensil.
