Комментарий к Шаббат 8:11

המוציא [יין] כדי מזיגת כוס – [of wine] for the Blessing after the Meal which is one-fourth part of a רביעית of pure wine in order that he would mix it to a percentage of one [part] of wine and three [parts] of water and he will become consistent with a quarter of a “log” (which equals the volume of six eggs) which is the measurement for a cup [of wine] for a blessing.

Introduction This mishnah discusses how much liquid one must carry in order to be liable.

כדי גמיעה – what a person absorbs at one time but the milk of a ritually impure animal that is not proper for drinking, its measure is to paint the eyelids [for medical or for cosmetic purposes] of one eye (see Talmud Shabbat 78b and the end of Mishnah 3 of our chapter).

One who carries out: [unmixed] wine, [is liable if it is] enough for the mixing of a cup; milk, as much as is swallowed at a time; honey, as much as is placed on a scab; oil, as much as is required to rub on a small limb; water, enough to rub with it collyrium; and all other liquids, a revi’it; and all waste water, a revi’it. The amount for which one is liable for carrying these liquids is dependent upon the minimal amount that is useful. Wine was mixed with water to dilute it. Therefore, if one carries unmixed wine, she is liable if she carries enough to mix a cup. For carrying milk, she is liable if she carries the amount normally swallowed at one time. Honey was evidently used to heal wounds. Oil was used like lotion and therefore she is liable if she carries enough to oil up a small limb, for instance a finger. Water was mixed with collyrium, an eye ointment. Although there are certainly other uses for water, this is the smallest amount that has any use. All other liquids and even waste water must be a revi’it (less than 100 cl, or 3 oz.)

על הכתית – a wound on the back of horses and donkeys on account of the burden; and I found it written that the inflammation that comes out of the hide of the flesh that when it reaches a boiling point it makes a head about and it is called the “mouth” of a scab, and even though the honey is principally for eating, because its healing [capacity] is found, and it is “something,” we go according to the smallest measure possible for a strict [ruling].

Rabbi Shimon says: all of them are a revi’it, they stated all of these measures only in respect of those who put them away. Rabbi Shimon disagrees with the previous opinion. He holds that all liquids have the same measure a revi’it. These measures have a different relevance with regard to liquid, one which relates back to that which we learned in 7:3. There we learned that if someone cares enough about an object to store it, she is liable if she carries it from domain to domain on Shabbat. Rabbi Shimon adds that the object also has to have a minimum measure. Our mishnah provides, according to Rabbi Shimon, the minimum measure for liquids. If a person is one who “stores” these liquids then the minimum measure to be liable for carrying is as listed above in section one. However, if a person is not careful about these liquids than she is liable only if she carries a revi’it.

אבר קטן – [smallest limb] of a one-day old baby which is the little toe of the foot.

לשוף – to rub and dissolve them.

קילור – that we put on the eye.

ושאר כל המשקין – that we don’t use for medicinal purposes.

שופכין – decaying waters and they are fit to stamp the clay.

ברביעית – even wine, milk and honey, whose measurements are not mentioned in the Mishnah other than those who set them aside (see Mishnah Shabbat, Chapter 10, Mishnah 1), but the rest of all people, they are not liable other than for a quarter of a “log”(i.e., the volume of six eggs), and Rabbi Shimon holds that when he himself sets something aside/stores away, he requires a small measurement and less than that amount he is not liable for it, for Rabbi Shimon does not hold that all that is not fit to set aside, we do not set aside/store it like him for he will become liable for it, but sets aside/store away a little bit, but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Shimon.

אזן לקופה – to hold on to it.

Introduction This mishnah teaches how much rope or paper a person must carry in order to be liable for carrying on Shabbat. Again, in each case she is liable if she carries an amount that can be put to some use.

תלאי – to suspend it and this is less than the measurement of a handle for a basket.

One who carries out rope, as much as is required for making a handle for a basket; A small amount of rope could be used to make a handle for a basket. Therefore she is liable if she carries this small amount of rope.

מדת מנעל – to show to an artisan: “like this measure I need” and its measurement is less than a hanger.

A reed cord: as much as is required for making a hanger for a sifter or a sieve. Rabbi Judah says: as much as is required for taking the measure of a child's shoe. A reed cord might be used to make a hanger for a sieve or sifter; hence the minimum amount for which a person is liable is this amount.

נייר – they make it from grasses.

Paper, in order to write a tax-collector’s receipt on it. And one who carries out a tax-collector’s receipt is liable. The smallest paper document would be a tax-collector’s receipt. Therefore, if one carries paper which is this size she is liable. Furthermore, if one carries out a tax-collector’s receipt written on something else such as parchment for which the minimum measure is normally larger (as we will learn in tomorrow’s mishnah), she is also liable. According to the Talmud, the tax-collector would write only two letters on such a receipt.

קשר של מוכסין – sometimes when a person pays his tax at the head of the river from this side, and he transfers to him a signature to show the him that he already paid the tax and it was his practice to write two large letters as a sign and they were larger than our two letters.

Erased paper, as much as is required to wrap round a small vial of perfume. Erased paper is used paper which is no longer fit for use. One of its uses was as a wrap around bottles, the smallest of which would have been a small vial of perfume. Therefore, even if she carries such a small amount of erased paper, she is liable. We should note that this amount is larger than the size mentioned in section three.

נייר מחוק – it is not appropriate to write again, therefore, he needs a large measure to wrap around the mouth of the flask/bottle.

לעשות בו קמיע – to cove with it the amulet.

Introduction The mishnah continues to list the minimum amount of various items which must be carried in order for one to be liable. Again, the rule of thumb is the smallest amount that has practical use will make one liable.

קלף כדי לכתוב [עליו] פרשה קטנה – for since his ink was expensive, he didn’t make from it the tax-collector’s receipt but rather [only] Tefillin and Mezuzot and he was not liable for a small measure.

[One who carries] animal hide: as much as is required for making an amulet; Animal hide was used to make small amulets. Therefore, one who carries enough to make such an amulet is liable.

דיו כדי לכתוב שתי אותיות – to mark on two segments of a utensil or on two boards to couple them.

Parchment, for writing on it the shortest passage of the tefillin, which is “Sh’ma Yisrael”: Parchment is used for writing tefillin. The smallest passage that goes on one piece of parchment in the tefillin is the Sh’ma.

בדי לכחול עין אחת – for modest women who walk wrapped up do not reveal other than one eye and they color/paint it.

Ink, for writing two letters; As we saw in yesterday’s mishnah, the shortest document, that of the tax collector, had two letters. Therefore, one who carries enough ink to write such a document is liable.

Eye shadow, for painting one eye. Usually women would paint both eyes, but sometimes women would paint only one. Therefore, one who carries enough eye-shadow to paint one eye is liable.

השבשבת – the hunters place a planed board at the head of a reed and put glue on it and the bird sits on it and is fastened to it and most put a lot of glue on it in order that the bird will be fastened to it.

Paste, for putting on the top of a lime twig.
Pitch and sulfur, for making a small hole.
Wax, for putting over a small hole.
Clay, for making a hole in a gold refiner’s pot. Rabbi Judah says: for making a [tripod’s] leg.
Bran, for putting on the mouth of a gold refiner’s pot.
Lime, for smearing the smallest of girls. Rabbi Judah says: enough to take off the hair on the temples. Rabbi Nehemiah says: enough to take the hair of the forehead.
This mishnah discusses minimum measurements for carrying various pastes and mixtures. Some of these references are quite obscure and it is hard to tell exactly what the mishnah is referring to.
Section one: This paste was used to trap birds. The birds would sit on a branch and if the branch was smeared with paste, the bird would get stuck.
Sections two and three: To “make” a hole means to plug up a hole. Pitch, sulfur and wax were all used for this purpose.
Section four: Clay was used to plug up a hole in a gold refiner’s pot. Rabbi Judah disagrees and holds that the minimum amount is enough to fix the leg of a tripod, used to hold up small stoves.
Section five: Bran was not regularly eaten by people (see 7:4). Rather it was used to plug holes on the mouth of a gold refiner’s pot.
Section six: Lime was used to remove hair on women. The Talmud explains that the amount referred to here is enough to remove the hair from a small girl’s finger.
Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Nehemiah provide slightly different measures for lime than does the first opinion.

לעשות בו נקב קטן – a utensil that place on it pure silver and we close up its mouth with pitch or bitumen/sulfur and it makes while closing It a small hole to remove the pure silver.

חרסית – crushed bricks.

לעשות פי כור – the mechanic’s bellows enter into it.

פטפוט – a leg for the place where the smelting pot sits for we set it down it and a base is made for it.

סובין כדי ליתן על פי הכור של צורפי זהב – in a place where there isn’t charcoal, they smelt gold in fire of coarse-bran. Another explanation: they would customarily place coarse bran on the mouth of the bellows’ hole when they smelt the gold.

לסוך קטנה שבבבנות – girls who reached their period of maturity, and they had not come to menstruation, the poor girls would line it with plaster and menstruation would quickly come and also remove the hair and the rich girls with line it with fine-flour, and the daughters of royalty with olive oil that had not grown one-third.

כלכול – the temples, and we paint the skin with a depilatory of plaster to cause the hair to lie down.

אנדיפי – lower than the temples a bit and we call it temple, but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda nor according to Rabbi Nehemiah.

אדמה – red plaster/clay.

Introduction And even more minimum measurements for which a person is liable for carrying! One interesting thing to note is that as we reach the end of the chapter, there are more and more debates between the sages. According to Abraham Goldberg, the editor of the Mishnah intentionally saves debates for latter portions of the discussion in order not to confuse the reader at an earlier point. In other words, the redaction of the mishnah serves the pedagogic purpose of making the material clearer. This is probably one of the unique attributes of the Mishnah that make it the best-edited work in the entire corpus of rabbinic literature.

מרצופין – large sacks which we carry for business on ships and we seal them In the manner in which we seal letters and their Rabbinic measure is less than that of Rabbi Akiba, and the Halakha is according to the Sages.

Red earth, as much as is required for a seal on merchandise bags, the words of Rabbi Akiva. But the sages say: as much as is required for the seal on letters. Red earth was used for making seals. According to Rabbi Akiva, the minimum amount of red earth which causes a person to be liable for carrying is enough to make a seal on a merchandise bag. The sages disagree and set an even smaller amount the amount used to make a seal on a letter.

כדי לזבל ברישא – leek-greens and its measure is less than cabbage stalks and Halakha is according to the Sages.

Manure, or thin sand, as much as is required for fertilizing a cabbage stalk, the words of Rabbi Akiva. But the sages say: for fertilizing one leek plant. Manure and thin sand were used to fertilize vegetables. Rabbi Akiva sets the minimum amount at enough to fertilize a cabbage stalk, whereas the sages set the minimum amount at enough to fertilize a leek plant. In both this section and the above Rabbi Akiva is more lenient than the sages.

מלא כף סיד – spoon of plasterers.

Thick sand, as much as is required for putting on a full plaster trowel. Lime plasterers would mix thick sand with their lime. The measure of thick sand for which one is obligated for carrying on Shabbat is enough to fill one plasterer’s trowel so that the sand can be mixed with lime. This is the minimum amount of thick sand that has practical use.

כדי לעשות קולמוס – that reaches to the joints of his middle fingers.

Reed, as much as is required for making a pen. But if it is thick or crushed, as much as is required for boiling the lightest of eggs beaten up and placed in a stew pot. Reeds were often used to make pens. If the reed was usable for making pens, then the minimum amount is enough to make one pen. This would be a very small amount. If it was not possible to use the reed to make a pen, for instance the reed was too thick or it was crushed, then they would burn it in the fire. With regard to carrying such types of reed, the minimum amount is enough to make a fire which would fry a small egg. This would obviously be a much larger amount than above.

עבה – which is not appropriate for writing.

מרוסס – crushed and broken.

ביצה קלה – the egg of a chicken, and why do we call it the smallest of eggs? For it is easy to cook more than other eggs and the measure required in order to cook it is like a dried fig [size] from it.

טרופה – mixed with oil.

ונתונה באלפס – it was already warmed and it cooks speedily.

תרווד – spoon.

Introduction This mishnah deals with harder materials: bone, glass, pebbles and stones.

חף – a tooth from the teeth of the key that we open with it doors, but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda (see Talmud Shabbat 81a).

Bone, is as much as is required for making a spoon. Rabbi Judah says: enough for making a tooth [of a key] with it; According to the first opinion, the minimum amount of bone for which one is liable for carrying must be enough to make a large spoon. Rabbi Judah sets a smaller amount enough to make part of a key which was typically made from bone.

כרכר – of weavers and we transfer it on the warp (i.e., longitudinal direction) when it is stretched before him and he presses the threads.

Glass, enough for scraping the end of a shuttle. A small piece of glass would be used to scrape the end of the spinning shuttle (used in weaving). Therefore, one who carries a piece of glass large enough for this purpose is liable.

כדי לזרוק בבהמה – an a person doesn’t have to trouble him to throw a stone because of bird to chase it away, for one’s mere voice is enough for him.

A pebble or a stone, large enough to throw at a bird; Rabbi Elazar ben Yaakov says: large enough to throw at an animal. Pebbles and stones were used to kill birds and small animals (although for Jews these animals would not be edible.) According to the first opinion the pebble or stone need only be large enough to throw at a bird, whereas Rabbi Elazar ben Yaakov holds that it needs to be large enough to throw at an animal.

בין פצים לחבירו – when they arrange the boards and the pillars and the beams and make rows of beams on the ground, and there is a space tween this one and that one, we support it underneath so that it does not become curved.

Introduction The final mishnah of our chapter is about the minimum size of a shard for which a person is liable for carrying.

זכר לדבר – for it is considered earthenware when taking the fire out in it.

A shard, as much as is needed for placing between one board and another, the words of Rabbi Judah. A small shard would be placed between building pillars used in making a house, if there were gaps between the pillars or boards. According to Rabbi Judah this is the measure of the type of shard one is liable for carrying on Shabbat. This is the smallest of the measures given in the mishnah.

לחשוף – to lift up/raise

Rabbi Meir says: enough to scoop out the coals with it. Rabbi Meir sets a slightly larger amount. The shard must be enough to scoop out coals from a fire. This is the largest measure of the three that are in the mishnah.

מגבא – a small hole where the water is gathered in it, so we see that it is considered earthenware also in the receiving of water, and Halakha is according to Rabbi Yosi.

Rabbi Yose says: large enough to contain a revi’it. Rabbi Yose holds that the shard must only be large enough to hold a revi’it of water, which is about 3 oz.

Rabbi Meir said: even though there is no proof of the matter, there is a hint: “So that no shard is left in its breakage to scoop coals from a brazier” (Isaiah 30:1. Rabbi Yose said to him: proof [of my view] is from there [as well]: “Or to take ladle water from a puddle” (. In this section Rabbi Meir tries to prove from a verse in Isaiah that shards were used for scooping out coals. Rabbi Yose responds that if that verse is going to be used, why not look to the end of the verse which proves that shards were also used to ladle water. Therefore, a shard that is large enough to use to draw water is already large enough such that one who carries it is liable for carrying on Shabbat.