R. Eliezer sagt: Wenn er das Instrument [das Milah-Messer] am Sabbatabend nicht gebracht hat, bringt er es am Schabbat im Freien [um zu zeigen, dass diese Mizwa so geliebt ist, dass der Schabbat dafür entweiht wird.] Und in der Zeit von Gefahr [dh wenn Milah verordnet wurde], wird sie mit (Begleitung von) Zeugen abgedeckt [die bezeugen, dass er das Mizwa-Messer trägt, damit er nicht verdächtigt wird, seine anderen Habseligkeiten zu tragen]. R. Eliezer sagte weiter: Holz wird geschnitten (ggf. sogar am Schabbat), um Kohlen zu machen und um das Eiseninstrument [dh das Milah-Messer] herzustellen. Eine Regel wurde von R. Akiva aufgestellt: Jede Arbeit, die am Sabbatabend ausgeführt werden kann (wie jene, die sich auf die Milah vorbereiten), überschreibt den Sabbat nicht. [Er unterscheidet sich von R. Eliezer.] Und was am Sabbatabend nicht ausgeführt werden kann [wie die Milah selbst, die am achten Tag durchgeführt werden muss (auch wenn es der Schabbat ist)], überschreibt den Sabbat.
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
רבי אליעזר אומר אם לא הביא כלי – cutting tool/knife to circumcise the baby.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Introduction
This mishnah discusses desecrating Shabbat in order to circumcise a child on Shabbat. While the tannaim do not debate that the circumcision itself is done on Shabbat, the question is what preparations for the circumcision may be done.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
מביאו בשבת מגולה – to announce that this Mitzvah is beloved for we desecrate the Sabbath for it.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Rabbi Eliezer says: if one did not bring an instrument [with which to circumcise] on the eve of Shabbat, he must bring it on Shabbat uncovered; but in [times of] danger he hides it on the testimony of witnesses. Obviously, a knife is needed to perform the circumcision. According to Rabbi Eliezer, if one forgot to bring the knife he may bring it on Shabbat eve, even if this entails violating the prohibition of carrying on Shabbat. In normal times, the knife should be carried openly so that people will learn that the Shabbat is violated in order to perform the circumcision on Shabbat. However, in a time when the Roman authorities forbade circumcision (the Hadrianic persecutions, leading up to and following the Bar Kochba revolt) the knife should be hidden so as to avoid danger. The witnesses are needed to testify that the reason that he is carrying is only in order to perform a circumcision. In other words, they are for his protection.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ובסכנה – when they (i.e., foreign powers) made a decree against circumcision.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Rabbi Eliezer said further: one may cut wood to make charcoal to make an iron instrument. Rabbi Eliezer goes to an even greater extreme. Even if one does not have any knife with which to circumcise, one may cut down wood to heat up iron to make a knife. It seems unlikely that one would actually find oneself in such a situation. Rabbi Eliezer’s statement is meant to have polemical value anything may be done so that the circumcision may be carried out on Shabbat.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
מכסהו ע"פ עדים – that they will testify that this cutting tool/knife that he is bringing is for the Mitzvah and that they should not suspect him that he is carrying the rest of his belongings.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Rabbi Akiva stated a general principle: any [manner of] work which could be performed on the eve of Shabbat does not supersede Shabbat; but that which could not be performed on the eve of Shabbat does supersede Shabbat. Rabbi Akiva disagrees with Rabbi Eliezer and holds that only activities that cannot be performed before Shabbat can be done on Shabbat itself. This would include the circumcision itself, as we shall learn in tomorrow’s mishnah. However, preparatory activities such as making the knife and carrying it to where the circumcision will be performed must be performed before Shabbat begins. The reason that Rabbi Akiva’s statement is phrased as a general rule is that it applies to several other halakhot as well (see Pesahim 6:2 and Menahot 11:3).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ולעשות ברזל –in order to make a cutting tool for the circumcision.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
כל מלאכה שאפשר לעשותה - such as the requirements of a religious act of circumcision [to be performed on the Sabbath] since it is possible to perform them on the Eve of the Sabbath (i.e., on Friday), they do not override the [observance of the] Sabbath and he disagrees with Rabbi Eliezer.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
שאי אפשר לעשותה מע"ש – such as the actual circumcision for it is impossible to do it for its [appropriate] time is the eighth day which overrides the Sabbath and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Akiba.
