It is permitted to remove four or five bushels of hay or of grain to accommodate guests or to prevent neglect of Torah study [i.e., if the space is needed for seating guests at a meal or for allowing students to hear the (Torah) lecture. It is permitted only for mitzvah purposes, and we are not concerned (in that instance) with undue exertion on Shabbath. ("four or five":) not necessarily; if he wishes, he can remove even more.], but not the store-house. [That is, so long as he does not empty out the entire store-house to the ground, for he might come to make holes.] It is permitted to remove clean terumah [Even an Israelite, for whom it is not fit, may move and remove it, it being fit for a Cohein.], demai (grain suspect as untithed), [it being fit for the poor, viz.: "The poor may be fed demai." Since, if he wishes, he can make his property hefker, rendering himself "poor," in which instance demai would be permitted to him, it is now also (considered) fit for him.], and ma'aser rishon whose terumah was taken, [i.e., from which terumath ma'aser was taken, but not terumah gedolah — as when a Levite came forward and took the ma'aser in the stalks, when it was not yet subject to terumah gedolah, that obligation not obtaining until the grain is smoothed in the pile. And this Levite who came forward and took the ma'aser in the stalks separates only terumath ma'aser, after which he may eat it, even though terumah gedolah has not been separated.], and ma'aser sheni and hekdesh which had been redeemed, [i.e., which the owner had redeemed and for which he had given the principal, but not the fifth. We are hereby apprised that they are (nevertheless) redeemed and that the fifth is (considered) a debt that he must repay.], and dried lupine, for it is food for the poor — but (he may) not (move) tevel (untithed grain), [even tevel d'rabanan, such as what is sown in an unperforated flower pot], and not ma'aser rishon whose terumah had not been taken [If a Levite came forward and took ma'aser after it had been smoothed in the pile, but before terumah gedolah had been separated from it, and he separated terumath ma'aser, but not terumah gedolah, this is "ma'aser rishon whose terumah had not been taken." For since it was smoothed in the pile and made subject to terumah, when he takes the ma'aser rishon, even if he separates terumath ma'aser, so long as he does not separate terumah gedolah, it is tevel, and forbidden to be moved on Shabbath.], and not ma'aser sheni and hekdesh which were not redeemed, [i.e., when they were redeemed, but not in accordance with the halachah, as when he redeemed ma'aser sheni with scraps of silver. For ma'aser sheni is redeemed only with money which has a design (tzurah), it being written Deuteronomy 14:25): "Vetzarta (similar to 'tzurah') the money in your hand." And hekdesh is not redeemed with land, it being written (Leviticus 27:23): "And he (the Cohein) shall give your valuation on that day" — something that is given from hand to hand.], and not luf [a kind of bean which, when raw, is not fit even for a beast. Rambam explains that it is a variety of onion.], and not mustard. R. Shimon b. Gamliel permits it with luf, for it is food for ravens, [as with the rich, who raise ravens for show. The halachah is not in accordance with R. Shimon b. Gamliel.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
מפנין – if one needs their space to sit guests to place divans around the table for a meal or students to hear the sermon, and specifically for a matter of a Mitzvah it is permitted and we don’t concern ourselves with the trouble of Shabbat.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Introduction
This mishnah deals with clearing food away in order to make room for other things. Even though it is permitted to carry foods (both those for animals and those for people), the sages did not permit this if it was a lot of trouble to do so. Under certain circumstances, it was permitted even if moving the food required a lot of work.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ארבע וחמש – not specifically, for if he needs even more also.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
One may clear away even four or five baskets of straw or produce to make room for guests or on account of the neglect of the study hall, but not the storehouse. Under normal circumstances, it would be forbidden to move large portions of straw and produce on Shabbat. Moving large baskets is a lot of work, and so to preserve the character of Shabbat as a day of rest, the sages said that this was forbidden. Therefore, moving baskets out of a storehouse is forbidden. However, if moving baskets is done in order to make room for guests or in order to clear out the study hall so that people can sit and learn, it is permitted. These are two important mitzvot (welcoming guests and studying Torah) and therefore the sages allowed one to do things for their sake that would normally be prohibited.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
אבל לא את האוצר – that is to say, only that he should no complete the entire hoarded up treasure until he reaches its bottom, for perhaps he will come to make holes/indentations.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
One may clear away pure terumah, doubtfully tithed produce, the first tithe whose terumah has been separated, redeemed second tithe and sanctified things, and dry lupinus, because it is food for goats. But [one may] not [clear away] untithed produce, first tithe whose terumah has not been taken, unredeemed second tithe and sanctified things, luf or mustard. Rabbi Shimon b. Gamaliel permits [it] in the case of luf, because it is food for ravens. The mishnah now deals with which foods one is allowed to move and which foods one is not allowed to move on Shabbat. The first list is mostly of foods that may be eaten on Shabbat, even if not everyone can eat them. Pure terumah may be eaten by priests, so it may be carried even by Israelites. In contrast, impure terumah cannot be eaten by anyone and therefore it cannot be carried. Doubtfully-tithed produce may be eaten by poor people. The first tithe is eaten by Levites, but only once terumah has been separated from it. Second tithe and sanctified things are redeemed with money and then one brings the money to Jerusalem and uses it there. The produce and sanctified things then become non-sacred and one may eat them, hence they can be carried. Lupinus is a type of bean and since it is eaten by goats, it may be carried on Shabbat. [Note that printed editions of the mishnah state that lupinus is eaten by poor people. Albeck says that this is a mistake.] The second list is of things which may not be eaten on Shabbat and hence cannot be carried. These include most of the opposites to the previous list. Note, terumah and tithes may not be separated on Shabbat such that un-tithed produce cannot be “fixed” by tithing it until after Shabbat. Mustard seed is not eaten until it is processed. Since it can’t be processed on Shabbat, the raw seeds cannot be carried either [you may carry your Grey Poupon as long as it has a heksher ☺. “Luf” is a type of onion. According to the first opinion, it is not eaten it can’t be carried on Shabbat. Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel disagrees and holds that since luf is eaten by ravens, it is food and can be carried on Shabbat. The Talmud explains that rich people and kings would raise ravens and give them luf to eat. Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel says that all Jews are considered to be like kings and therefore all Jews can carry luf on Shabbat. The other sages hold that since people don’t normally raise ravens, food for ravens cannot be carried on Shabbat.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
מפנין תרומה טהורה – even an Israelite (i.e., non-Kohen) for whom it is not fit can carry it and clear it away because it is fit for a Kohen.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
דמאי – because it is fit for the poor as is taught in the Mishnah (Tractate Demai, Chapter 3, Mishnah 1): “We feed the poor and to quarter given to troops on march/transient poor men produce about which there is a suspicion as to whether or not the tithes were appropriately taken,” and if he requires it he would make ownerless his possessions and would be poor and be fit for it; now also the poor is fit for it.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ותרומת מעשר שניטלה תרומתו – the tithe of the tithe which the Levite owes to the Kohen that was taken from it but he did not take the Great Tithe (i.e., the 2% that goes from an Israelite to a Kohen) such as the case where a Levite anticipated first and took the [First] Tithe in the ears of corn but had not yet occurred the obligation of Terumah/priest’s due, for the grain is not liable for Terumah until it becomes shaped into an even pile, and he (i.e., the Levite) advanced and took the [First] Tithe of the ears of corn does not separate anything other than the tithe of the tithe which the Levite owes to the Kohen alone, and he is permitted to consume it even though the Great Tithe was not yet separated out.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ומעשר שני והקדש שנפדו – the owners redeemed them and gave the principal but did not give the [added] one-fifth, and we derive from here that they are redeemed and the one-fifth is a loan to the owners.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
אבל לא את הטבל – and even eatables forbidden pending the separation of priestly gifts according to the Rabbis such as that which is sown in a pot without a hole.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ולא את מעשר ראשון שלא נטלה תרומתו – if the Levite anticipated first and he took the [First] Tithe after the grain had been shaped into an even pile before the Great Terumah/priest’s due had been separated from it (i.e., the Israelite’s requirement to give a Kohen two percent), and he (i.e., the Levite) separate the tithe of the tithe (which the Levite owes to the Kohen) but he didn’t separate the Great Terumah – this is First Tithe where Terumah had not been taken which is spoken about here, for since [the grain] had been shaped into an even pile and had become liable for Terumah/priest’s due, when he (i.e., the Levite) takes the First Tithe, even though he separates from it the tithe of the tithe, all the while that he did not separate from it the Great Terumah, it is considered eatables forbidden pending the separation of priestly gifts and it is prohibited to carry it on the Sabbath.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ולא מעשר שני והקדש שלא נפדו – such as the case when they were redeemed, but not redeemed according to Halakha, such as when he redeemed the Second tithe out of fragments of vessels/broken ware, which is no longer a vessel or rubbish (see Tractate Shabbat 123a) and not Second Tithe which is redeemed with money that has upon them a shape/form, as it is written (Deuteronomy 14:25): “[You may convert them into money.] Wrap up the money [and take it with you to the place the LORD your God has chosen].” But sanctified things are not redeemed with land, as it is written (Leviticus 27:23): “and he shall pay the assessment as of that day”- a thing that is given from hand to hand.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
לוף – a kind of a legume which is not appropriate raw even for animals. But Maimonides explained it is a from the species of onions.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
לעורבין – like the rich people who raise ravens to adulthood, but the Halakha is not according to Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel.
