Komentarz do Szabbat 5:4

with a bell - A bell hung around the neck of the animal which emits a sound when it moves

Introduction The final mishnah of this chapter continues to provide examples of things that an animal may not carry on Shabbat.

אע"פ שהוא פקוק – [plugged] with a soft-spongy substance, for now its clapper of the bell does not ring to cause a sound to be made because it appears like he is leading it to be sold in the marketplace.

A donkey may not go out with a saddle-cloth, when it is not tied to it, If the saddle-cloth is not tied to the donkey, we are concerned lest it fall off and the owner picks it up on Shabbat. Above in mishnah two we learned that if it is tied to the donkey, it is permitted.

בסולם שבצוארו – when it has a wound, they place on its neck wood in the shape of warp and woof in order that it not turn its head to grasp at his wound.

or with a bell, even if it is plugged, Putting the bell on the donkey makes it look as if its owner is bringing it to the market to sell it. Hence, even if the bell is plugged up and doesn’t make a sound it is prohibited.

ולא ברצועה שברגלו – an animal that strikes its legs against each other while it is walking, they make a sort of ring of a thick strap and tie it at the place where its legs strike against each other.

or with a ladder[-shaped yoke] around its neck, This yoke was placed on the donkey when it had sores on its back. The yoke prevents the donkey from biting its sores.

בחוטין - they make it as a sign so that exchange it for other chickens.

or with a strap around its foot. If the donkey’s legs rub each other when it walks they would place a thong around its feet to keep the legs apart.

ולא ברצועות – that they tie/fasten its two legs together with a short cords so that they don’t jump and break the utensils.

Fowls may not go out with ribbons, The ribbons were placed on its legs so that people could tell their fowl apart from those of others.

בעגלה שתחת האליה – like a small wagon which they tie under the tail of the sheep for their tails are large in order that it does not become damaged by stones and rocks.

or with straps on their legs. Straps were placed on their legs to prevent them from hopping too far and damaging other people’s things.

חנונות – there is a kind of wood called חנון where they bring chips from it and place it on its nose in order that it should sneeze and the worms from its head would fall off but for the males, it is not necessary to do this for when they gore each other, the worms fall off on their own.

Rams may not go out with a wagon under their tails. These little wagons were placed under their tails to keep them from dragging on the ground.

בגימון – like a reed-grass yoke that is placed on the neck of the calf in order that it would be accustomed to bend its neck when it gets older.

Ewes may not go out with a hanun. According to the Talmud a “hanun” was a certain herb that they would place in the nose of female sheep so that the worms would come out (sounds like Vick’s vapor rub for sheep!). Since males butt each other and the worms will come out when they do so, they don’t need this herb. Hence it is forbidden to place this herb on a ram.

בעור הקופר – a reptile that its fibers are thin like a needle and we tie its skin at the nipples of the cow so that the vermin do not suck [its milk].

A calf may not go out with a small yoke. They would place a small yoke on the calf to accustom it to being yoked.

ולא ברצועה שבין קרניה – whether for beauty or to protect it, it is forbidden for all additional protection is a burden for it.

Or a cow with the skin of a hedgehog, They would attach the skin of a hedgehog to the udders of a cow to prevent other animals from suckling from the cow when she is asleep.

פרתו של רבי אלעזר בן עזריה – it did not belong to him, but to his neighbor and because he did not protest it [as it was forbidden] , it is called by his name.

or with the strap between its horns. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah’s cow used to go out with a strap between its horns, not with the approval of the rabbis. The strap was purely decorative. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah let his cow go out with this strap, meaning that this is permitted. All of these are prohibited because putting them on an animal is considered carrying or because we are concerned that the thing will fall and someone will pick it up on Shabbat.