If a jug were broken (on Shabbath), he may rescue from it food for three meals, [even in many vessels; for, if in one vessel, it has already been stated (16:3) that he may rescue as much as he wishes.] And he may tell others: "Come and rescue for yourselves," [each one, enough for three meals], so long as he not sponge it up, [i.e., that he sponge up the wine and release it (into a different vessel), even if the sponge has a handle, where there is no fear that he will squeeze it (with his hands), (still, it is forbidden) so that he not do (on Shabbath) as he does no a weekday. And it is forbidden even to take in his hands oil and honey (which are thick and stick to his hands) and wipe them on the edge of a vessel, so that he not perform a weekday activity.] It is forbidden to squeeze fruit to extract juice, [this being "mefarek" (unloading), a toldah of threshing.], and if it came out of itself, it is forbidden, [a decree, lest he squeeze it ab initio]. R. Yehudah says: If [those fruits were designated] to be eaten, what issues from them is permitted, for he does not desire what flows from them, so that there is no reason to decree that he might squeeze them]; and if to extract their juice, [in which instance, he desires what issued from them], it is forbidden, [a decree, lest he squeeze them. And with olives and grapes R. Yehudah concedes to the sages that even though he designated them for eating, what issued from them is forbidden. For since they are generally squeezed, if juice come out, he desires it. And with other fruits the sages concede to R. Yehudah (that what issues from them is permitted). They differ only in respect to berries and pomegranates, R. Yehudah comparing them to other fruits, and the sages to olives and grapes. The halachah is in accordance with R. Yehudah.] If honeycombs were broken on Sabbath eve, and the honey issued forth of itself, it is forbidden. R. Eliezer permits it. [When honeycombs are broken, the honey flows from the wax of itself, and it is not customary to squeeze them. And the sages forbid it — a decree, by reason of those that are not already broken. The halachah is in accordance with R. Eliezer.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
מצילין מזון ג' סעודות – and even in many utensils, for if it was In one utensil, they said in the chapter [sixteen of Tractate Shabbat, Mishnah two] “all the [holy] writings,” that as many as is necessary, one saves.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Introduction
The first section of this mishnah deals with a cask of wine which broke on Shabbat and the owner wishes to save as much wine as possible.
The remainder of the mishnah discusses the prohibition of squeezing juice or other liquids out of something.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
לכם – food for everyone for three [Sabbath] meals.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
A cask [of wine] which was broken, one may save from it the requirements for three meals. And he [the owner] may say to others, “come and save for yourselves”, provided that it is not sponged up. Above in 16:2 the mishnah taught that one can rescue from a fire food sufficient for three meals, the standard number of meals eaten on Shabbat. In our explanation there we explained that the reason that a person was not allowed to rescue more than that was lest she come to extinguish the fire. However, here it is less clear what the concern is. The commentators explain that if they let her rescue more than three meals she may carry them in the public domain. Alternatively, she may come to fix the casket. An alternative explanation which I would suggest is that more than three meals is muktzeh since it won’t be eaten on Shabbat. As above, she is allowed to say to other people, “come save the wine for yourselves.” However, no one is allowed to rescue the wine by sponging it up. The fear is that if they sponge it up they may squeeze the sponge out afterwards, and as we have already learned and will continue to learn below, squeezing liquids out of something is prohibited.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ובלבד שלא יספוג – that he should not place a sponge to absorb the wine and to go back and to cause it to drip and even though one must sponge the handle, for there is no fear of a wringing/squeezing out they were brought iin, even to take in his hand oil or honey which are thick and are affixed and clean his hand on the rim of the utensil, it is prohibited that he do so in the manner that he does it on weekdays.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
One may not squeeze fruit in order to get out their juices, and if they exude of their own accord they are prohibited. Rabbi Judah says: if [the fruit is meant] to be food, that which exudes from it is permitted, but if [is meant to be] juice, that which exudes from it is prohibited. Squeezing juice out of fruit is considered to be a prohibited labor derived from the prohibited labor of “threshing”. Just as “threshing” separates the desirable wheat from the undesirable chaff, so too squeezing separates the juice from the fruit. The mishnah teaches that even if the juice exudes without being squeezed by a person. The fear is that if this juice is allowed people will become confused and think it is permitted to actually squeeze the juice out. Rabbi Judah distinguishes between fruit that is intended to be eaten and fruit that is intended to be used for juice. If the juice exudes from fruit which is intended to be eaten, then it is permitted because a person doesn’t want the juice to come out of this fruit. A person won’t come to squeeze such a fruit. However, if the fruit is intended for juice then Rabbi Judah too is strict and rules that even the juice that exudes is forbidden.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
אין סוחטין את הפירות – for he is taking it apart/severing it which is a derivative of threshing.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Honeycombs which crushed on the eve of Shabbat and it [the honey] exudes on its own, it is forbidden; But Rabbi Eleazar permits it. In this section a person has crushed honeycombs before Shabbat in order to start the process of extracting the honey from them. If honey exudes from them on Shabbat, such honey may not be eaten. Again the fear is that if they permit such honey people will think that the honeycombs may be squeezed on Shabbat itself. Rabbi Elazar is not concerned with such a possibility and hence he allows this honey to be eaten on Shabbat.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
אסורין – a decree lest he squeeze it out/wring it ab initio.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ר"י אומר אם לאוכלין – those same fruits were collected that which comes out from them is permitted, for it is not satisfactory for him with what flowed out and we cannot make a decree lest he wring them out/squeeze them.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ואם למשקין – they were collected for it was satisfactory for him what came out from them – that which comes out from them is prohibited as a decree lest he squeeze them, and with olives and grapes, Rabbi Yehuda agrees with the Sages that even though he brought them in to eat, that which comes out from them is prohibited since they exist for squeezing when they come to a drink, he would give his attention to this, but in regard to the rest of the kinds of fruits, the Sages agree with Rabbi Yehuda, since it was not the manner for squeezing, they didn’t dispute other than with mulberries and pomegranates, for Rabbi Yehuda compares them to the rest of the priests and the Sages compare them to olives and grapes, and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
חלות דבש – when they are crushed/chopped, the honey flows on its own from the midst of the wax and it is not the manner to squeeze/wring it; therefore, Rabbi Eliezer permits it and the Sages forbid it, as a decree lest they are chopped/crushed; but the Halakha is according to Rabbi Eliezer.
