If one bathed in the waters of a cave or in the waters of Tiberias, and he wiped himself, even with ten towels, [one after the other — Even though not much water was absorbed in each one, still,] he may not bring them in his hand into his house, even by means of an eiruv. For there is no problem of carrying here, but a decree, lest he forget and wring them out upon entering]. But ten men can wipe their faces, hands, and feet with one towel and bring it in their hands. [for since they are many, they will remind each other. Even with one towel for ten men, where much water is absorbed, still, they may bring it in their hands, and we do not fear that they might wring it out.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ונסתפג – to wipe off/cleanse.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Introduction
This mishnah discusses drying oneself off with a towel after bathing and the potential problem involved in wringing the towel.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
אלונטיות – sheets that we cleanse with them and dry off with them one after another even though there is not a lot of water on them, nevertheless, he should not he should not bring them in his hand into his house, even through an Eruv, for there is no prohibition of taking it out here but rather a decree lest he wring it out/squeeze it since they are many.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
One who bathes in the water of a pit or in the waters of Tiberias and dries himself even with ten towels, he must not bring them [back] in his hand. After the bather has dried herself, she may not bring the towel back to her home, lest in doing so she wrings it in order to squeeze out the water. This is true even if she uses ten towels to dry herself and the last one has almost no water in it and doesn’t need to be wrung out. It too may not be carried back to her home.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
But ten men may dry their faces, hands, and feet on one towel and they may bring it [back] in their hands. However, a towel which has been shared by a large group of people, and has therefore become very wet, may nevertheless be carried by the group. Since there are many people together, they will remind each other that it is forbidden to wring a towel on Shabbat and they won’t come to transgress. Note how the mishnah purposely exaggerates each section. In the first section the tenth towel is barely wet, and nevertheless, it may not be carried. In the second section the towel is soaked and nevertheless it may be carried.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
פניהם ידיהם ורגליהם – it the manner of the thing that the Mishnah took [in using these terms] and the same law applies for their entire body. But, the Halakha is not according to this Mishnah but rather, even if one brings a wrapping cloth/sheet in his hand that he dried off with, and we don’t suspect lest he will wring it out/squeeze it.
