Beth Shammai say: Bundles of flax are not placed into the oven [to whiten], unless they are [fully steamed] while it is yet day; nor wool into the [dyer's] vat, unless the color take [while it is yet day.] Beth Hillel permit it, [i.e., to put it there while it is yet day and have the color take the entire night. Beth Hillel permit it only in a vat removed from the fire. For if there is a fire under it on the Sabbath, it is forbidden — a gezeirah, lest he stir the coals. And the vat must also be closed and sealed with lime — a gezeirah lest he stir and mix it on the Sabbath and be liable by reason of "cooking"]. Beth Shammai say: Nets are not spread (for trapping) animals, birds, or fish, unless they be trapped while it is still day. Beth Hillel permit it.
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
אונין – bundles of beaten [wet] flax, and we put them in the oven and heated.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Introduction
Today’s mishnah contains two more debates between Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel over whether work may be begun on Friday before Shabbat, if that work will continue on its own throughout Shabbat.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
שיבהילו – when they are warmed, the steam would rise up on them
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Beth Shammai says: bundles of wet flax may not be placed in an oven unless they can begin to steam while it is still day, nor wool in the dyer’s kettle unless it can [absorb the color] such that [the color] is visible. But Bet Hillel permits it. Bet Shammai prohibits putting flax in the oven or wool in the dyer’s kettle if the work will continue to be performed on Shabbat. If the essential part of drying the flax or dying the wool has been done before Shabbat, then she may leave her things over Shabbat. But if not, Bet Shammai prohibits. Bet Hillel again permits this.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ליורה – of the dyers.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Bet Shammai says: traps for wild beasts, fowl, and fish may not be spread unless they can be caught while it is still day; But Bet Hillel permits it. This is in essence the same debate as above. The one innovation is that Bet Hillel permits even though the whole work might end up being done on the Shabbat, as opposed to the other cases where the work began on Friday. Similarly, Bet Shammai forbids this, even though there is no certainty that the traps will catch anything on Shabbat.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
אלא כדי שיקלוט את העין – that it would absorb the color while it is still day (i.e., on Friday).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
וב"ה מתירין – to put them into it while it still day so that it would absorb it all night long. But the School of Hillel did not permit other than with a dyer’s kettle uprooted from the fire, for if there is fire underneath it on Shabbat, it is prohibited, as a preventive decree lest he rake the coals underneath the ashes (Talmud Shabbat 18b and 34b). But he also needs that the kettle is sealed with plaster, as a preventive decree lest he stir it and turn it over on Shabbat (Talmud Shabbat 18b), and he would be liable because of [the prohibition against] cooking.
