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Week 6 - Tuesday - 4 Jan. 2000

SHABBAT: CHAPTER 10: MISHNA 4

If one intended to carry before him but it followed after him, he is exempt; after him but it preceded him, he is liable. They truly said, The woman who wears a petticoat, either in front or behind is liable, for it slips round. Rabbi Yehudah says. Even the receivers of edicts.

Kehati

This mishnah teaches that if the intent of one who carries is not fulfilled (e.g., he intended to carry an object in a well-guarded manner, and it transpired that it was not well-guarded, as will be explained in this mishnah), he is exempt.

If one intended to carry before him - e.g., he tied an object in his cloak intending that it would hang in front of him, so that it would be properly guarded, but it followed after him - The object moved behind his back when he removed it, so that it was not well guarded, he is exempt - because his intent was not fulfilled. He intended that it would be well guarded, and it transpired that it was not so well guarded. If, however, one intended to carry after him but it preceded him, he is liable - because it transpires that it was better guarded than he had intended; in such a case we say that his intent was fulfilled. They truly said -See the explanation of 1:3, above,

The woman who wears a petticoat - and hung something in it, to carry it on Shabbat, either in front or behind - I.e., even if she intended to carry the object in front of her and it moved behind her, she is liable - to bring a sin-offering, for it slips round - a petticoat does move around, and since she

knows that it is liable to do so, she carried the object with this in mind, and it follows that her intent was fulfilled. Rabbi Yehudah says: Even the receivers of edicts - Messengers, such as the king’s couriers, who brought letters from place to place, used to put them in a wooden tube, which they hung in a belt around their waist, or from their necks. This tube might move around from in front of them to behind them. Since they knew this beforehand, they are liable for carrying it on Shabbat, even if they had put it in front of them and it moved behind them.

SHABBAT: CHAPTER 10: MISHNA 5

If one person carries a loaf into the public domain, he is liable. If two carried it, they are exempt. If one person cannot carry it and two carried it, they are liable; but Rabbi Shirnon exempts. If one carries foods less than the measure in a vessel, he is exempt also for the vessel, for the vessel is secondary to it; a live person in a bed, he is exempt even for the bed, for the bed is dependent upon him; a corpse in the bed, he is liable. And similarly, an olive’s-bulk of a corpse or an olive’s-bulk of carrion or a lentil’s-bulk of a reptile he is liable; but Rabbi Shimon exempts.

Kehati

This mishnah deals with an act of carrying that is performed by two people. It also teaches that if one carries two objects, one of which is secondary to the other, and if the quantity of the main object is less than the measure of liability, he is exempt for carrying the secondary object as well. The last section of the mishnah teaches the dispute between the Sages and Rabbi Shimon regarding the carrying of a corpse on Shabbat; their disagreement is based on the question of whether one is liable for an activity which is not required for its own sake (see 2:5, above).

Before teaching the second case of two people who carry one object, the Tanna first teaches the law of one person who carried.

If one person carries a loaf from a private domain into the public domain, he is liable - to bring a sin-offering. If two - together, carried it - I.e., removed it from the private domain and set it down in the public domain, or similarly, if one removed the object from a private domain and another person set it down in the public domain (as was taught in 1:1, above), they are exempt - as it is written, “And if any one of the common people sin through error, in doing \ba’asotaK\ any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done” (Lev. 4:27); ba’asotah (lit., in doing it) indicates that the person who does the whole action is liable, but not one who does only part of it.

If one person cannot carry it - because of its weight, and two carried it, they - both of them, are liable - for each of them has done an activity that he is capable of doing; but Rabbi Shimon exempts - He holds that even an activity which one person cannot perform and which was performed by two people, the two are exempt. The halakh~h does not follow Rabbi Shimon. It was taught above (7:3) that the measure for foods which incurs liability for carrying, is “as a dried fig”; if one carries foods less than the measure - of a dried fig’s bulk, in a vessel, he is exempt also for the vessel - since he did not intend to carry the vessel, but only the foods. As he is exempt for the foods, because they are less than the

measure for carrying, he is also exempt for the vessel, for the vessel is secondary to it - The vessel is not significant in relation to the food; if one carries a live person in a bed - since he is not liable for carrying the living, because they are considered to carry themselves and are not considered to be a load, he is exempt even for the bed, for the bed is dependent upon him - the bed is not significant in relation to the live person. If, however, the live person were tied up, one who carried him would be liable. Similarly, if one carries a corpse in the bed, he is liable - for carrying the corpse. And similarly if one carries an olive’s-bulk of a corpse or an olive’s-bulk of carrion or a lentil’s bulk of a reptile - he is liable - since an olive’s-bulk is the minimum quantity of a corpse or of carrion that imparts uncleanness, or a lentil’s-bulk is the minimum quantity of a reptile that imparts uncleanness, these measures are also significant when carried on Shabbat, for by carrying them out one can save oneself from uncleanness; but Rabbi Shimon exempts - even one who carries a corpse, since it is an activity which is not required for its own sake, for he does not carry out the corpse because he wants the body in the public domain, but because he wants to clear the house of him. Rabbi Shimon holds that one who performs on Shabbat an activity which is not required for its own sake is exempt for so doing. The First Tanna, however, holds that one is liable even for an activity which is not required for its own sake. Rambarn rules in accordance with the First Tanna: “Whoever performs an activity on Shabbat, even if it is not required by him for its own sake, is liable for it” (Hi!. Shabbat 1:7). According to another opinion, the halakhah follows Rabbi Shimon {Ravad, Ramban, Rashba).

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