Il bambino viene lavato sia prima che dopo milah [Questo lavaggio non viene fatto nel solito modo, per quello che segue, vale a dire: "Viene cosparso a mano ma non con una nave" spiega cosa precede, cioè come viene lavato . Ma con una nave è vietato persino l'aspersione, e, ovviamente, lavarsi come di consueto.], E viene spruzzato a mano, ma non con una nave. R. Eliezer b. Azaryah dice: Il bambino viene lavato il terzo giorno (dopo la circoncisione) se cade di sabato, viene scritto (Genesi 34:25): "Ed era il terzo giorno, quando soffrivano (dalla circoncisione )." [Si differenzia dal primo tanna e sostiene che il bambino viene lavato nel solito modo, sia prima che dopo milah, e anche il terzo giorno dopo milah, sia con l'acqua riscaldata prima di Shabbath o con l'acqua riscaldata su Shabbath stesso, il bambino essere in pericolo. L'halachah è conforme a R. Eliezer b. Azaryah.] Shabbath non è profanato per un caso dubbio o per un ermafrodita. [("un caso incerto" :) un dubbio sul fatto che abbia una nascita di otto o nove mesi. Perché se ha una nascita di otto mesi, è come una pietra (cioè, incapace di sopravvivere), e il suo milah non prevale su Shabbath.] R. Yehudah lo permette con un ermafrodito, in fase di scrittura (Genesi 17:10): "Circoncisi a te stesso ogni maschio", incluso un ermafrodito. E il primo tanna dice: È scritto (Levitico 12: 3): "la carne del suo prepuzio"—uno che è tutto prepuzio, per escludere uno (cioè un ermafrodito) che è una mezza femmina. L'halachah non è conforme alla prima tanna.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
מרחיצין את הקטן – this washing is not in its regular manner, as the Tanna/teacher of the end [of the Mishnah] indicates to explain the first part [of the Mishnah] – how do they wash/cleanse? Such as to drip/sprinkle by hand, but even to sprinkle with a utensil is forbidden, and all the more so to wash in the regular manner.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Introduction
The first part of this mishnah discusses bathing the child on Shabbat before and after his circumcision. The second part of the mishnah deals with circumcision of a child on Shabbat if something about his status is doubtful.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ראב"ע כו' - he disputes the first teacher [of the Mishnah] and he (i.e., Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah) holds that we wash/cleanse the [newborn] baby in the normal manner, whether before the circumcision, [or] whether after the circumcision, and on the third day [after] the circumcision also, whether the water was heated on the eve of the Sabbath (i.e., Friday) or even whether the waters were heated on the Sabbath itself, for it is a matter of danger to life and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
They bathe the infant both before and after the circumcision, and sprinkle [warm water] over him by hand but not with a vessel. It is permitted to bathe the infant with hot water on Shabbat both before and after the circumcision. The mishnah now proceeds to explain that this bathing is not a full bath as is usually done when it is not Shabbat but rather just sprinkling him with water by hand. Some commentators explain that before he is circumcised the hot water may not be heated on Shabbat, but that after he is circumcised, when the bath is more crucial for his recovery, the water may be heated even on Shabbat.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
ספק – it is doubtful whether a child is eight months old or nine months old, for if he is eight months old, he is like a mere stone and his circumcision does not supersede the Sabbath day.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
R. Elazar ben Azaryah says: they may bathe an infant on the third day [of circumcision] which falls on the Shabbat, as it is said, “And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore” (Genesis 34:25). Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah disagrees with the previous opinion in two ways. First of all, he holds that the child may be bathed in a normal manner and not just by sprinkling on him. Secondly, the child may be bathed even if Shabbat falls on the third day after his circumcision, and not just on the day of the circumcision itself. This Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah learns from the story of Shechem’s circumcision where we see that he and the people from his city were still hurting on the third day. Talmudic commentators debate whether this means that the infant may be bathed up until the third day, and also on the first and second day after the circumcision, or just the third day, but not the first two days. It seems to me that the first position is more reasonable. According to the latter position we would have to say that for some reason the pain is worse on the third day.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
רבי יהודה מתיר באנדרוגינוס – since it is written (Genesis 17:12): “every male among you shall be circumcised,” including an androgynous individual, but [for] the first teacher [of our Mishnah], (Genesis 17:14) “his foreskin” is written, [meaning] he who is totally uncircumcised, excluding the case of someone who is half-female. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
For one who about whom it is doubtful, and a hermaphrodite, they may not desecrate Shabbat But Rabbi Judah permits [it] in the case of a hermaphrodite. If a child is born at twilight it is considered doubtful whether he was born on the previous day or on the following day. Such a child can never be circumcised on Shabbat. For instance, let’s say he was born on twilight between Friday and Shabbat. His circumcision will end up being on Sunday. It can’t be on Friday, lest he was born on Shabbat and Friday is only the seventh day. It can’t be on Shabbat lest he was born on Friday and Shabbat would be the ninth day. Circumcision overrides the rules of Shabbat only if it is on the eighth day. Therefore the circumcision is pushed off until Sunday (we shall learn more about this below in mishnah five.) I should note that others explain the mishnah differently. This explanation goes according to Albeck. A hermaphrodite has signs of being both male and female. He is circumcised but his circumcision cannot take place on Shabbat. This is because we are not sure of his halakhic status as male and hence it could be that he doesn’t really need to be circumcised. His circumcision is “doubtful” and therefore it doesn’t override Shabbat. Rabbi Judah considers a hermaphrodite to be a male and therefore his circumcision overrides Shabbat.
