Bundles of straw or bundles of wood or bundles of z'radim [moist tree shoots, cut for animal food] — if one had prepared them as animal food, they may be moved; if not, they may not be moved. A basket may be inverted for chicks, so that they can go up or go down. [And this is not considered voiding a vessel from its function, for the chicks do not remain standing on it. And according to the view that a vessel may not be moved except for the sake of another vessel that may be moved, the Mishnah is to be understood as speaking of an instance where the place of the vessel is needed.] A hen that ran away (from the house)] may be pushed [with one's hands] until it re-enters. [And only pushing is permitted, but not pulling; for a hen lifts itself from the ground, so that (by pulling) he will be found to have moved her. But geese and other birds may be pulled.] Calves and colts may be pulled in the public domain [by taking hold of their neck and sides and dragging them and assisting them and moving their legs]. A woman may pull her son. [She holds him by his arms from behind, and he moves his legs and walks.] R. Yehudah says: When is this so? When he picks one leg up and puts one down; but if he drags them, it is forbidden. [For then, she lifts him. Whenever R. Yehudah says "When is this so" in the Mishnah, he is not differing but explaining the words of the sages. Therefore, the halachah is in accordance with him.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
חבילי – bundles/bunches.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Introduction
The mishnah begins by discussing things which were prepared to be given as fodder to animals. The remainder of the mishnah deals with other laws concerning animals on Shabbat.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
זרדים – branches of the tree that are moist and we trim them for the food of cattle.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Bundles of straw, bundles of twigs, or bundles of young shoots, if they were prepared as animal food, they may be carried; if not, they may not be carried. It is permissible to carry animal food on Shabbat, so if these bundles of various things were prepared for this purpose they may be carried. However, if they weren’t specifically prepared to be animal food then we can assume that they were prepared to be used in lighting a stove or oven, an act prohibited on Shabbat. Therefore, they may not be carried for they are muktzeh.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
כופין את הסל לפני האפרוחים – We disturb the utensil (i.e., turn it over from its place so that it is not [functioning] for the young chickens are not standing upon it and the individual who states that the utensil is not being taken other than for the need of the things for which it is taken, our Mishnah establishes that is necessary for the place of the utensil.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
One may overturn a basket before young birds, so that they will get up and then get down. The young birds themselves are muktzeh since there is nothing that one can do with them on Shabbat. However, the mishnah holds that one may nevertheless move a basket in front of them so that they will get up onto the basket and then get off of it.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
שברחה – from the house.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
A chicken which has run away, they may push her until she re-enters. Again, it is forbidden to hold the chicken itself because it is muktzeh. However, if it runs away one may push it back to its place. This is assumedly allowed to prevent the loss of the chicken, just as activities normally prohibited on Shabbat were allowed to prevent loss of property from fire.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
One may make calves and foals walk in the public domain. And a woman may make her son walk. Rabbi Judah says: when is this so? If he lifts one [foot] and places [another] down; but if he drags them it is forbidden. One can help small animals or toddlers walk around on Shabbat and we need not be concerned that the mother or the one helping the animal will pick the animal up, which is forbidden. Rabbi Judah limits this permission to a child who can at least walk a little bit on his own. But if the child is only “dragging its feet”, then one can’t help it walk on Shabbat, lest one come to pick it up and thereby carry it.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
עד שתכנס – and specifically drive it but not push and pull because the chicken lifts itself from the ground and it is found that he is carrying it but geese and other fowl one may lead them.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
מדדין עגלים – grab hold of its neck and its sides and drag it and assist it to move its legs.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
והאשה מדדה את בנה – she grabs hold of his arms from behind him and moves his feet and walks.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
שנוטל אחת ומניח אחת – when the baby moves his legs, he places one leg down and lifts up the other.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
אבל גורר אסור – when she carries him, and everywhere in the Mishnah where Rabbi Yehuda says, "אימתי"/”from when,” he does not come to dispute, but rather to explain the words of the Sages. Therefore, the Halakha is according to him.
