פירוש על שבת 2:7

צריך אדם לומר בתוך ביתו – and he needs to say them in a gentle way (Tractate Shabbat 34a) in order that he will accept it from him.

Introduction The final mishnah of this chapter discusses what last minute preparations should be double-checked right before Shabbat begins. The mishnah then proceeds to discuss what things may be done during twilight, a time which the rabbis were unsure whether to consider night or not.

עם חשיכה – which is near darkness and there is yet time during the day to tithe or to make an Eruv but not a lot of time prior to darkness.

A person must say three things in his house on the eve of Shabbat just before night: Have you separated tithes? Have you prepared the ‘eruv? Kindle the [Shabbat] lamp. There are three things a person should check before Shabbat begins. The first is that his food has been tithed. Tithes may not be separated on Shabbat and therefore food which has not been tithed will not be able to be eaten on Shabbat. He should also ask if the “eruv” has been set up. There are two types of eruvin (the plural of eruv): one which allows a person to go further out of the city than he would otherwise be allowed to go and one which allows a person to carry things in places where it would normally be prohibited. The tractate which follows Shabbat is tractate Eruvin so we will reserve in-depth discussion of these issues until later. Setting up both types of eruvin is an important part of Shabbat preparation. When all other preparations have been made, he tells his wife to light the Shabbat candles.

עשרתם – for the Sabbath meal, for even for an incidental meal of the Sabbath establishes for tithing.

If it is doubtful, whether it is night or not, they do not tithe that which is certainly [untithed], they do not immerse utensils, and they do not kindle the lights. The mishnah now begins to discuss what things may be done during twilight, the period after sunset before it is completely dark. It is forbidden to tithe produce which we know has not been tithed. Tithes are part of a forbidden labor called “completing” something’s preparation (metaken). Similarly, immersing an impure vessel in a mikveh is considered completing its preparation and is forbidden. Finally, if the candles have not yet been lit, they do not light them. All three of these activities are prohibited by the Torah (deoraita) and hence cannot be done even during twilight.

ערבתם – the joining of borders and courtyards and for these two it belongs to mention them in the form of a question, lest they have already been made, but with a candle, it does not belong to mention “have you kindled the candle” for this is a matter that is apparent to the eye – either that I should light or that I should not light.

But they can tithe doubtfully tithed produce, and they can set up an eruv, and they can store hot food. However, the following three activities are permitted. It is permitted to tithe doubtfully tithed produce (demai) because according to Torah law he doesn’t even need to separate tithes from demai in the first place. Since the entire obligation is only a rabbinic stringency, the rabbis allowed it to be done during twilight, although not on Shabbat. One can still set up an eruv. Finally, it is permitted to cover hot food with something that will maintain the food’s warmth. On Shabbat it is forbidden to do so lest by doing so she cooks, an activity which is prohibited. This last clause also functions as a transition to the next chapter which is devoted to the important prohibition of cooking on Shabbat.

ספק חשיכה – from the beginning of the setting of the sun, all the time that one star alone appears, it is definitely daylight and all the while that two medium-sized stars appear, it is doubtfully dark and it is called twilight and we place upon it the stringencies of the daytime and the stringencies of the nighttime, and when three medium-sized stars appear, it is definitely dark for all matters.

אין מעשרין את הודאי – this is a valid preparation but because of rabbinic decrees designed to enhance the character of the Shabbat as a day of rest/Shevut, this Tanna/teacher holds that they made a decree designed to enhance the character of the Sabbath as a day of rest even at twilight.

ואין מטבילין את הכלים – to elevate them from their ritual impurity for it is like repairing a utensil which has the rabbinic decree designed to enhance the character of the Sabbath as a day of rest.

ואין מדליקין את הנרות - all the more so since it is a doubtful Biblical commandment and this, and you don’t have to mention that, is taught. But my teachers explained that one does not kindle the candles nor does one tell a heathen to kindle [them].

אבל מעשרין את הדמאי – and it is not similar to repairing for most ignoramuses/Amei HaAretz tithe.

ומערבין – for the joining of courtyards is a mere stringency but not the joining of Sabbath boundaries that have support from Biblical verses.

וטומנין את החמין – concerning something that does not add vapor, for if it were something that added vapor, even while it is still daylight, it is prohibited, and the reason is that we cover up hot foods at twilight with something that does not add vapor for they (i.e., the Sages) did not prohibit covering up hot foods on the Sabbath itself with something that does not add vapor as a decree lest one finds a pot that has cooled off and its growing hot in fire and it is found to be cooking on the Sabbath and at twilight, one cannot make a decree on this for mere pots at twilight boil and one cannot suspect lest it cooled off and became hot. Therefore, we cover hot foods at twilight even though we do not cover hot foods on the Sabbath.