פירוש על שבת 21:4

נוטל אדם את בנו – in the courtyard and the stone is in his hand, but we don’t say that he is carrying regarding the stone.

Introduction This mishnah deals with picking up something that is muktzeh (forbidden to be touched on Shabbat) with something which a person is allowed to carry on Shabbat.

כלכלה – basket

A man may pick up his son while he has a stone in his hand or a basket with a stone in it. One can carry a child on Shabbat; a child is not “muktzeh.” However, the stone which the child is holding is muktzeh (because there is no purpose to it on Shabbat). The mishnah teaches that the parent can pick up the child even though she has a stone in her hand. Similarly, one can pick up a basket (not muktzeh) with a stone in it, even though the stone is muktzeh.

והאבן בתוכה – and it is the case that there will be fruit/produce in the basket, for if there were no fruit in it, it would be made the basis for a prohibited thing for it is prohibited to carry it, and there needs also that there would be in it fruit so that if he casts them on the ground, they would be detestable, such as mulberries and grapes and similar things, but if there were no fruit in it, such as nuts and almonds, he would empty the fruit and they would fall, but the detestable fruit also such as mulberries and grapes, if it is possible to remove them to the sides of the basket and to remove the stone alone, and to cast it away, for it is prohibited to carry it with the stone. But our Mishnah is speaking about the case where it had broken through from the sides of the basket or its rim at the bottom of the vessel and the stone was a wall to it, that it is impossible to use the basket without [the presence] of the stone.

And one may carry impure terumah together with pure [terumah] or with non-sacred produce. Impure terumah cannot be eaten and therefore it can’t be used on Shabbat. This makes it muktzeh. Nevertheless, if the impure terumah is in the same container as either pure terumah or non-sacred produce (hullin), both of which can be used on Shabbat, then it may be carried. The Talmud explains that this is so only if the pure terumah cannot be taken off the top. If however, the pure terumah can be removed without touching the impure terumah then the impure terumah should not be touched.

תרומה טמאה עם הטהורה ועם החולין – subsidiary to the pure produce and subsidiary to the non-holy produce but the unclean is separate and is not carried.

Rabbi Judah said: one may also remove the mixture [of terumah in non-sacred produce] when one [part is neutralized] in a hundred [parts]. If terumah becomes mixed with non-terumah (hullin) then the whole mixture takes on the status of terumah and it may only be eaten by priests. However, if there are more than one hundred parts hullin to one part terumah than one may take up one part out of the one hundred and one parts, give that part to terumah and the remainder reverts to being hullin, edible by non-priests. Rabbi Judah teaches that on Shabbat one can carry a mixture of one part terumah and one hundred parts hullin and even take out the one part on Shabbat in order to make it edible by non-priests.

אף מעלין את המדומע באחד ומאה – A Se’ah of Terumah/priest’s due that fell into one-hundred Se’ah of non-holy produce, it is permissible to raise it up to a Se’ah of Terumah from them on Shabbat and all of it (i.e., the rest) would be non-holy produce, and it is permissible for foreigners (i.e., non-priests) and we don’t say that he is making things legally fit for use by giving the priest’s dues, for the Terumah that fell in the non-holy produce, we consider it as if it was placed alone, and didn’t become mixed up, and when it comes up as one-part in one-hundred and one, the Terumah itself that fell comes up. Therefore, it is not repairing, but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.

מטה על צדה – incline the barrel on its side if it is necessary to take from the wine and stone falls, but he he should not take it with his hands.

Introduction This mishnah deals with retrieving things that have on them something that is muktzeh.

היתה בין החביות – and he is afraid that the stone won’t fall on the barrels and break them, he should lift the entire barrel and remove it from among the barrels and there tilt/incline it on its side.

If a stone is on the mouth of a cask [of wine], one tilts it to its side and it falls off. She can’t just pick up the stone because it is muktzeh. However, she can tilt the cask of wine and thereby cause the stone to fall off.

נוער את הכר והן נופלות – when he needs the cushion, but he doesn’t need the place of the cushion. But if he needs its place, he lifts the cushion with the coins that are upon them, and we don’t say other than that other than when he forgot the coins on the cushion from the Eve of the Sabbath but he intentionally placed them there, the cushion becomes the basis for a prohibited thing and it is prohibited to carry it nor to shake the coins that are upon it.

If it [the cask] is [standing] among [other] casks, he lifts it up, tilts it on its side, and it falls off. In this case she is afraid that if she tilts the cask the stone may fall off and break the other cask. Alternatively, there may not be room to tilt the cask to the side. In such a case she can pick the cask up and then let the stone fall off.

לשלשת – a matter of filth such as spittle, secretion or excrement.

If money is lying on a cushion, one shakes the cushion, and it falls off. Money is muktzeh since it cannot be used on Shabbat. As an aside, the reason that it can’t be used on Shabbat is lest one write a receipt or an account of the money spent. To move the money one merely tilts the cushion and the money falls off. Again, we see that if something which is “muktzeh” rests on something that is not muktzeh, the bottom item may be moved to get the muktzeh item to fall off.

בסמרטוט מקנחת – but he should not put water upon it, for a mere cushion is of cloth and cloth is soaked in water which is its cleansing/washing.

If snot is on it, one wipes it off with a rag; “Snot” may alternately be translated as “feces”, or some other type of disgusting material. This “snot” is on a cushion which she wants to use. To clean it off she must wipe it with a rag. She can’t pour water over it because this is prohibited due to “laundering.”

היתה – on the cushion.

If it is on leather, one pours water over it until it disappears. However, if the snot is on leather, she may pour water over it, because putting water over leather is not considered “laundering”. However, to actually launder the leather is prohibited.

של עור – which is not washed/cleansed – he puts waster upon it until it (i.e., the dirt) is gone and the secretion goes away, but no actual cleansing, for since mere cushions and pillow cases are soft and require cleanings with soft leathers; but however, soaking is their cleansing.

ב"ש אומרים מגביהין מעל השלחן עצמות וקליפין – In the Gemara (See Talmud Shabbat 143a) that we do not rely upon our Mishnah as it is taught but the statements must be reversed (i.e., the authorities for the two opinions must be exchanged) for it is the School of Hillel that states that we take up [on the Sabbath] table bones and shells and the School of Shammai that states that one removes the whole board and shakes it, for it has the status of a utensil, but he should not carry the bones and shells by hand, for the School of Hillel is like Rabbi Shimon and the School of Shammai is like Rabbi Yehuda. But, however, the School of Hillel did not permit other than the bones and shells that are fit for the food for an animal, even though they are not fit for the food of a person, but if they are not fit even for food for an animal, the School of Hillel admits that it is prohibited to carry them , for in such a manner even Rabbi Shimon admits to.

Bet Shammai says: one may remove bones and nutshells from the table; But Beth Hillel says: one must remove the whole board and shake it off.
One may remove from the table crumbs less than the size of an olive and the husks of beans and lentils, because they are food for animals.
A sponge, if it has a handle, one may wipe [the board] with it;
If not, one may not wipe [the board] with it.
The sages say: in either case it may be handled on Shabbat and it is not susceptible to defilement.
This mishnah deals with clearing the table at the end of a meal on Shabbat.
Section one: Bet Shammai does not hold that the bones and nutshells left over on the table after the meal are muktzeh even though they have no use. Hence one may remove them. Bet Hillel disagrees and holds that these are muktzeh. Hence, if she wishes to remove them, she must remove the board from the table (a sort of personal tray placed in front of one or several diners) and shake it off. In the Talmud they bring a source according to which these two opinions should be reversed, Bet Hillel holding the more lenient opinion and Bet Shammai the stricter one.
Section two: Animal food is not muktzeh. Since crumbs and husks of beans and lentils may be used for animal food, they are not muktzeh and it is permitted to remove them from the table on Shabbat.
Section three: This section discusses the problem of sponges. Squeezing water or liquids out of something is prohibited. Its prohibition is derived from the prohibited labor of “laundering”, since squeezing water out of clothes is part of the laundering process. One can’t use a sponge that does not have a handle because by doing so one might squeeze water from the sponge.
The sages say that whether or not it has a handle it may be carried on Shabbat because it is a vessel and all vessels may be carried on Shabbat. However, it is not the type of vessel that can receive impurity.
Some manuscripts read differently in the concluding clause. Some read, “and the sages say: in any case he may use it for wiping.” According to this version, the sages disagree with the previous opinion, according to which wiping with a sponge without a handle is forbidden. Other versions skip the words “and the sages say” and rather read the final point as a point of agreement between all. All agree that even though you can’t use the sponge to wipe things, it still may be carried.

מעבירין מעל השלחן פרורין פחות מכזית – even less than an olive’s bulk and the reason is as it is explained shortly that they are fit for the food of cattle.

ושער של פולין – a twig that the beans grow on them.

עור בית אחיזה – a leather handle that one holds onto.

אין מקנחין בו – for when he holds it, it is pressed out/flows between his fingers and there is an unavoidable result of an act that Rabbi Shimon admits to.

בין כך ובין כך – whether or not it has a handle it is taken on Shabbat when it is dry.

ואינו מקבל טומאה – it is not a wooden utensil nor a cloth/garment nor a sack nor metal.