Wenn man die Lampe löscht, weil man Götzendiener fürchtet [wie die Perser, die in ihren Ferien außerhalb ihrer Tempel kein Feuer anzünden lassen], Räuber, [damit sie sich seiner Anwesenheit nicht bewusst sind und ihn angreifen] wegen eines bösen Geistes, der auf ihm ruht — nicht sehen, ihm Erleichterung verschaffen (Rambam erklärt: "ein böser Geist" —eine Art Krankheit, für die Melancholiker anfällig sind. Sie finden Erleichterung nur, wenn sie im Dunkeln sitzen und vor Männern verborgen sind.] Oder damit ein kranker Mann schlafen kann, ist er befreit. [Dieser "kranke Mann" ist einer, dessen Leben in Gefahr ist; denn wenn er es für einen kranken Mann ausstellt, dessen Leben nicht in Gefahr ist, haftet er, und dies bedeutet, dass man für eine Arbeit haftet, die nicht um ihrer selbst willen erforderlich ist. Ebenso aus Angst vor Götzendienern, Räubern und einem bösen Geist—Alles, wo das Leben in Gefahr ist. Und zu Recht hätte es als "erlaubt" (und nicht als "befreit") bezeichnet werden sollen, aber weil es am Ende als "haftbar" gelehrt werden sollte, wird es am Anfang als "befreit" gelehrt.] (Wenn er sagt in Bezug auf die Lampe, in Bezug auf das Öl, in Bezug auf den Docht haftet er. [Und obwohl das Löschen nicht an und für sich benötigt wird, sondern um etwas anderes willen— dass der Docht nicht brennt oder dass die Lampe nicht spaltet —er haftet, einer haftet für eine Arbeit, die nicht um seiner selbst willen benötigt wird.] R. Yossi befreit in allen Fällen, außer (wenn er dies in Betracht zieht) für den Docht, weil er ihn dadurch beschuldigt. [Es gibt kein Löschen, das um seiner selbst willen benötigt wird, sondern das Löschen von Holzkohle und das Verkohlen des Dochtes, wodurch es leichter "dauert", wenn er es wieder anzündet. Die Halacha stimmt nicht mit R. Yossi überein. ("weil er es dadurch verkohlt" :) Er beabsichtigt, es zu verkohlen, damit es später besser brennt.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
מפני עובדי כוכבים – such as the Persians who do not allow the lighting of a candle on the day of their festivals other than in their houses of idolatrous worship.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Introduction
Our mishnah introduces an abstract concept called “work which is not needed for its own sake.” This refers to someone who performs a prohibited labor on Shabbat but does not need the results of the labor itself but a side result. The tannaim debate whether someone who does this activity is liable for having transgressed the Shabbat. We shall see an illustration of this in the mishnah.
The immediate topic is laws concerning extinguish lamps.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
מפני לסטים – that they do not fear that there is there a person who will come upon him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
One who extinguishes the lamp because he is afraid of non-Jews, robbers, or an evil spirit, or so that a sick person may sleep, he is exempt. Extinguishing a fire is forbidden on Shabbat. However, saving a life always takes precedence over the laws of Shabbat. Hence, any of the activities listed in this mishnah are permitted. We should note that the mishnah states “exempt.” Exempt usually means that one who does such a thing is not liable for a penalty, but the activity is still not permitted. This mishnah is an exception exempt means that it is totally permitted. The sick person referred to in this mishnah is someone with a potentially life-threatening disease. It is forbidden to extinguish a lamp for someone who only has a slight headache, or similar non life-threatening illness.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
מפני רוח רעה – that comes down upon him and when he doesn’t see [it], it is pleasant for him. But Maimonides explains [the words] רוח רעה as a kind of the illnesses that come upon those with black bile that they cannot rest other than when they sit in the dark and when hiding their faces from people.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
If [he does so because] he wants to spare the lamp, the oil, or the wick, he is liable. Rabbi Yose exempts in all cases, except for the wick, because he makes charcoal. According to the first opinion, if a person puts out a lamp not because she wants it to be dark, but because she wants to save the material used in the lamp she is still liable. This is “a work not needed for its own sake.” According to this opinion a person who does this type of work is liable. Rabbi Yose holds that one who performs “a work not needed for its own sake” is generally exempt. The exemption is one who puts out a lamp because she wants to singe the wick. Singing the wick makes it into a type of charcoal and therefore this is no longer “work not needed for its own sake” but rather work for its own sake and hence she would be liable.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ואם בשביל החולה שיישן פטור – this illness is when there is danger involved for if one extinguishes a flame for a sick person who is not in danger, he is liable [for a sin-offering] for what reason this Tanna/teacher holds that labor that is not necessary for its own sake, one is liable for it; and similarly because of idolaters and because of robbers and because of an evil spirit where there is danger, but according to the law, where it teaches that it is permitted – but because it (i.e., the Mishnah) was required to teach at its conclusion that it is prohibited, the first part of the Mishnah taught that one is exempt.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
כחס על הפתילה חייב – and even though he does not need it for the body of the extinguishing but rather for the needs of something else, that he should not kindle the wick or that he should not split the candle, he is liable for that is labor that is not necessary for its own sake, and one is liable for it.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
פוטר בכולן חוץ מן הפתילה – for you do not have something extinguished that is needed for itself, but rather the extinguishing of coals and the extinguishing of the singeing of the wick that makes the extinguishing process to take hold of the fire rapidly when one wants to kindle it. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yosi.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
שהוא עושה פחם – that he intends to make it now with the extinguished – which is coals which will be singed to light well.
