Commentaire sur Shabbat 20:6

רבי אליעזר אומר: תולין את המשמרת – they filter in it the sediment of the wine and stretch/extend its mouth over the entire side in a circle and it makes a “tent” over the hollow/cavity of the utensil but even though he made a “tent,” it is permissible on Jewish holy days, for Rabbi Eliezer holds that acts preliminary to the preparation of food where it is possible to do them from the eve of the Jewish holy day, it is permitted to do them on the Jewish holy day, but on the Sabbath, ab initio, he may not suspend [a strainer] , but if it is [already] suspended, he may place into it the sediments, and stretch it for this is not the manner of "בורר"/sifting (which is one of the primary forms of labor prohibited on the Sabbath).

Introduction This mishnah deals with pouring wine through a strainer on festivals and Shabbat. They would suspend or sort of stretch the strainer over the mouth of a vessel and the unstrained wine would be poured through it. In order to understand the mishnah we must remember that on festivals food may be prepared, even if this requires a labor normally prohibited such as slaughtering an animal or cooking a dish. The issue discussed here is can one prepare vessels with which to prepare food if these vessels could have been done prepared before the festival. On Shabbat there are two issues involved in this mishnah: 1) the preparation of food; 2) the making of a vessel.

אין תולין את המשמרת - for he is making a temporary tent and it appears like an act of the weekdays.

R. Eliezer says: one may suspend a strainer on festivals, and pour [wine] through a suspended [strainer] on Shabbat. According to Rabbi Eliezer, even though she could have set up the strainer the day before the festival, since the strainer is set up in order to prepare food, which is permitted on festivals, she may also suspend it on top of the vessel on the festival itself. She obviously may pour wine through it. On Shabbat, she cannot suspend the strainer for this is considered similar to making a tent, because she is placing the strainer on top of the vessel. However, Rabbi Eliezer holds that it is permitted to pour the wine through the strainer if it is already suspended and this is not considered an act of “selecting” (see 7:2). “Selecting” is separating the pebbles from the kernels and this is not similar enough to be forbidden.

ואין נותנין לתלויה בשבת – for it is a derivative of "בורר"/sifting or "מרקד" /shaking in the sieve, and the Halakha is according to the Sages.

But the sages say: one may not suspend a strainer on festivals, nor pour [wine] through a suspended [strainer] on Shabbat, but one may pour [it] through a suspended [strainer] on festivals. The sages disagree with Rabbi Eliezer on both issues. Since she could have prepared the strainer before the festival, it is forbidden to do so on the festival itself. This is the same opinion as Rabbi Akiva’s in 19:1 vessels which can be prepared before Shabbat or a festival cannot be prepared on Shabbat or a festival. Secondly, the sages hold that pouring the wine over the strainer is an act similar enough to “selecting” that it is prohibited on Shabbat. This is only permitted on festivals since on festivals food preparation is permitted.

נותנין מים – [the pour water] on the Sabbath on top of the sediment that is placed in the strainer/filter in order that they will dilute them so that the sediment will be clear and that all their wine will flow. Another explanation: on top of the sediment that remains in the barrel, and the water retains the taste of the wine and they release it on the Sabbath and drink it, and there is nothing in this of [the prohibition of] "בורר" /sifting.

Introduction This mishnah continues to deal with straining things on Shabbat.

את היין – because of the white flour that exists in it.

One may pour water over lees in order to clarify them; There are two explanations for this section. The first is that the lees of the wine are on the bottom of the strainer and that one may pour water over them so that the wine will flow through the strainer. While pouring the unfilterd wine over the strainer was forbidden, this is permitted. The second explanation is that the lees are on the bottom of a jug. One may pour water into the jug so that the lees will mix with the water and make a weak wine mixture.

בסודרין – that are uniquely designed for this and we should not decree lest that he is “pressing out”/ “wringing out,” for they are made for this labor, so that it doesn’t have to be done by hand with a kerchief like a bulrush in the utensil in order the wine will descend down a declivity, so that he will not do it as he would on a weekday.

and one may strain wine through cloths and through a basket made of palm twigs; This section allows wine to be passed through either a special cloth or basket to help clarify it. The question which we must ask is what makes this different from the previous mishnah where the sages were more stringent regarding pouring wine through a strainer? According to some commentators, this cloth or basket was already set up before Shabbat. Furthermore, there is no problem of “selecting” here because this wine is drinkable even if it isn’t passed through these secondary strainers. Others explain that this is permitted because it is not the usual way of straining and things are often more permissible if they are done differently on Shabbat.

ובכפיפה מצרית – a basket made of the bands made of palm-bark so that the basket should not be higher than the bottom of the lowest utensil by a handbreadth, so that the tent is not made temporary.

and one may place an egg in a mustard strainer; This refers to breaking an egg into a strainer which has mustard already in it. This is done so that the mustard will receive some of the color from the egg. It is not a prohibited act of “selecting” because even though the yoke will remain in the strainer, it is still edible. “Selecting” refers to taking waste away from edible parts and not separating a food into two different edible parts.

ונותנין ביצה במסננת – that they placed in it mustard to be filtered for it is customary to place a scrambled egg in decaying things and they become whitened and clear through this.

and one may make anumlin on Shabbat. Rabbi Judah says: on Shabbat [it may only be made] in a cup; on festivals, in a jug; and on the intermediate days of festivals in a barrel. Rabbi Zadok says: it all depends on the [number of] guests. “Anumlin” is a mixture of wine, honey and pepper. This mixture can be made on Shabbat because there is no prohibited labor involved in preparing it. However, the rabbis debate how much can be made. According to Rabbi Judah, on Shabbat she can prepare only a cup’s worth at a time, because more than that is considered to be too much labor to do on Shabbat. On a festival she can make slightly more, a jug’s worth and on the intermediate days of the festival, when work is most permitted, she can make a barrel’s worth. For Rabbi Judah the operative criterion is how much work is involved. In contrast, for Rabbi Zadok the operative criterion is how many guests are in attendance. No matter what the day, she can only make enough anumlin for the guests who are there. She may not prepare anything to be used at some later date.

ינומולין – wine, honey and peppers.

לגין – lager than a cup and smaller than a barrel.

הכל לפי האורחין – if he will have many guests, he makes a lot whether on Shabbat, on the Jewish holy day or during the Intermediate Days of the Festival, and the Halakha is according to the first Tanna/teacher that we make wine mixed with honey [and pepper] according to what they want.

חלתית – [assa foetida]. This is its name in Arabic, and it is hot and it is the custom to eat it in cold places, and we do not dissolve it [the resin of assa foetida] on the Sabbath because it appears like an act of the weekdays.

Introduction The mishnah deals with food preparations that may not be done in a normal manner on Shabbat but may be performed by doing them slightly differently.

את הכרשינין – pour water in a utensil to separate their refuse , for the refuse floats to the top.

One may not soak hiltith in warm water, but he may put it into vinegar. Hiltith is an herb which was used both as a spice and as medicine. It is forbidden to soak it in warm water on Shabbat, but one may put it in vinegar and dip her food in it. The prohibition is explained in either of two ways: 1) it looks like something that is only done during the week; 2) it is medicinal and therefore prohibited.

ולא שפין אותן – by hand to remove their refuse for this is "בורר"/sifting.

And one may not soak leeks, nor rub them, but he may put them into a sieve or a basket. Above in 1:5 Bet Hillel allowed one to begin soaking leeks before Shabbat and leave them to soak over Shabbat. Here we see that all agree that they may not be soaked on Shabbat itself, and according to commentators, even putting water over them is prohibited. The prohibition is “separating” putting water over them causes the waste parts to float and separate from the leeks. Similarly, they may not be rubbed in order to remove the inedible parts. This is prohibited under the category of “threshing” separating the wheat from the chaff. However, one may put them into a sieve or basket, even though this also will sometimes cause the separation of the inedible parts. The difference is that in this case these parts separate on their own, and hence she has not performed a forbidden act.

אבל נותן לתוך הכברה – and even though their refuse falls sometimes through the holes of the sieve and it becomes selected on its own.

One may not sift straw through a sieve, nor put it on a high place, for the chaff to drop down, but one may take it up in a sieve and put it into the trough. One may not sift stubble through a sieve; sifting is one of the 39 prohibited labors listed in 7:2. Even though that mishnah is dealing with separating the wheat from the chaff, and here we are dealing with separating straw for an animal from dirt, it is still essentially the same activity. One also may not put the stubble in a high place so that the dirt blows away, because this is “separating”. However, one may pick up a bunch of straw with a sieve and put it in front of an animal’s trough, even though this may also cause the dirt to separate. The key difference is that this is not the direct intention of the activity.

התבן – that they would make from the straw/stubble and they would cut it with a threshing sledge and each tail of the ears of corn would be made into straw.

מוץ – this is old upper ears of corn/spike and it is not fit for an animal’s eating and we sift it in a sieve so that the chaff will fall.

אבל נוטל בכברה ונותן לתוך האבוס – and even though the chaff falls on its own, since it is a thing that one doesn’t intend to happen, it is permissible according to Rabbi Shimon.

גורפין – on the Sabbath, the feeding receptacle/manger that is in front of the ox, we fatten it so that it will not become combined with the sandy matter in the grain that is in the manger in the straw and barley that we place before him and he will cut himself in his food and we remove the straw that is before him to the sides when there is a lot of it so that the animal will not tread on it with his foot and become dirty from the excrement.

Introduction This mishnah discusses cleaning out a trough for an animal on Shabbat. The mishnah is placed here due to the end of yesterday’s mishnah which also discussed a trough.

וחכמים אוסרים – it refers to both – cleaning out the manger and the straw that is in front of him (i.e., the animal), he should not sweep it to the sides but Rabbi Sosa and the Sages only argued with regard to the real manger (see Talmud Shabbat 140b in Rashi – as opposed to a piece of ground fenced in and used as a manger/אבוס של קרקע ). But a piece of ground that is fenced in and used as a manger, all agree that we do not clean it out, lest one make indentations/holes, , but the Rabbis decreed that a real manger is just like a piece of ground that is fenced in and used as a manger. But the Halakha is according to the Sages.

One may rake out [the trough] for a stall ox, and move [the remnants] aside for the sake of a grazing [ox], the words of Rabbi Dosa. But the sages prohibit it. One may sweep out the trough of the remnants that are left over after the a previous feeding so that the old food the ox would not eat before doesn’t become mixed with the food given to it in the current feeding. A “stall ox” is one that is being fattened up by giving it high quality food. Since it is rather “fussy”, Rabbi Dosa allows its trough to be cleaned out on Shabbat. A “grazing” ox is less fussy and used to dirtier food and hence one may not completely rake out the trough on its behalf. However, one may move the remnants to the side so that they don’t get mixed up with the next feeding. The sages prohibit both of these things because of sweeping and raking on Shabbat. The problem is that by sweeping or raking one may come to fill up a hole, an activity prohibited on Shabbat.

נוטלים מלפני בהמה זו ונותנין לפני זו – and we don’t say that it does not appear like carrying , because it really appears like it, because an animal is not set aside with food that is taken from its fellow [animal]. And specifically, from before a donkey and we place it (i.e., the food) before a ox, and similarly to it, but not something that is before the ox and placing it before the donkey, for the food of an ox is detestable with the spittle that comes out of its mouth, and the donkey will not eat of it.

One may take [food] from one animal and place it before another animal on Shabbat. One may move food from one trough to another on Shabbat. We might have thought that this is prohibited because it is carrying without purpose. However, since one animal will generally eat food which has already been put in front of another animal, this is not considered “carrying without a purpose” and it is permitted.

הקש שעל מטה – merely for kindling and it is Muktzeh/something set aside/designated for weekday use only and when he comes to lie on it and moves it about in order to be soft and looks to lie on it.

Introduction The first section of this mishnah discusses clearing things off one’s bed in order to sleep on it. The second section deals with removing clothes from a “clothes press.” A “clothes press” was made by placing a piece of clothing between two boards and then fastening them together.

לא ינענענו בידיו – for it is Muktzeh but he may move it with his body [or] his shoulders, for it is carrying from the side, and it is not called carrying.

The straw [lying] upon a bed one may not move it with his hand, but he may move it with his body. Straw is usually used for lighting a stove and hence it is muktzeh. If this straw is on her bed she can’t just remove it with her hand. However, she may move the bed with her body and thereby cause the straw to fall off. “Carrying” with the side of one’s body is not considered carrying and therefore this is permitted.

או שהיה עליו כר או סדין – for he revealed his intention that he set it aside for sleeping so from now it has the status of a utensil.

But if it is animal feed, or a pillow or a sheet was upon it [on the eve of Shabbat], he may move it with his hand. If the straw had been designated to serve as animal feed, then it is not muktzeh and she may remove it by hand. We see here that something is defined to be that which it is intended to be used for if it is intended to be used for something permitted on Shabbat, then it is not muktzeh. Furthermore, if she set the bed aside for sleeping (as opposed to using it to store things) by placing on it a pillow or sheet, then she may move the straw even though it was set aside to light a fire. It was only forbidden if it was unclear whether the bed was going to be used for storage or for sleeping.

מכבש – two boards that they place the clothes between them after laundering them and they fasten the upper board on the clothing that are lying on the lower board, in order that they fold nicely.

A householder’s clothes press one may undo it, but not force it down. But a launderer’s [press] one may not touch it. Rabbi Judah says: if it was undone before Shabbat, one may unfasten the whole and remove it. A “householder’s clothes press” is not an item used by a professional. Therefore, one may undo it, meaning take the clothes out, but not put the clothes in. Putting clothes in the clothes press is considering “fixing” them, and “fixing” is forbidden on Shabbat. A launderer’s press is a professional piece of equipment. Hence one may not touch it at all on Shabbat. This is forbidden because of “tearing down” by taking it apart it is as if she is “tearing down.” Rabbi Judah, however, is more lenient. If the launderer’s press was already somewhat unfastened before Shabbat, she may take the rest of the press apart and take the clothes out. Since it was already not fully closed up, this is not considered “tearing down.”

מתירין – that is for the needs of the Sabbath to take the clothing, but we do not press/tighten them for that is a need of the weekdays.

ושל כובסים לא יגע בו – because it is made to repair clothing and fasten them more , and loosening them is similar to tearing down/destroying and the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda..