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Week 9 - Monday - 24 Jan. 2000

SHABBAT: CHAPTER 17: MISHNA 4

Rabbi Yose says: Any utensil may be moved except the large saw and the pin of the plow. Any utensil may be moved in case of need or not in case of need. Rabbi Nehemiah says. They may take only for a need.

Kahati

This mishnah teaches the essence of the halakhah of moving utensils on Shabbat (see the quotation from the Mishneh Torah of Rambarn in our introduction to 17:1, above). In the first section of the Mishnah, Rabbi Yose teaches that a utensil that is muktzeh because of monetary loss (i.e., one is careful to use it only for its specific purpose for fear that it might break), may not be moved at all on Shabbat.

Rabbi Yose says, Any utensil - whose usual use entails a work prohibited on Shabbat, may be moved - on Shabbat, for a permitted use (see the preceding mishnah), except the large saw - which is used for sawing lumber, and the pin of the plow - that makes the furrow when plowing. Their owners are careful with these two implements not to do any other work with them, because if they are spoiled a great monetary loss is incurred. Therefore, they are "muktzeh because of monetary loss," i.e., they are set aside and not used for any other purpose, because of the monetary loss their use would entail, and therefore they may not be moved on Shabbat.

Any utensil - whose usual use entails an activity permitted on Shabbat, such as dishes and cups, may be moved - on Shabbat, in case of need - When there is a need for the utensil itself, such as eating from the dish, or drinking from the cup, and similarly when there is a need for its place, e.g., the person requires the place where the vessel is standing, and he takes it and moves it to another place, or not in case of need - I.e., even when there is no need, neither to use the utensil nor for its place, one may move it for some extraneous reason, e.g., he may move it from a place in the sun to a place in the shade so that the utensil should not be spoilt, or he may set it down in another place so that it should not be

stolen. On the other hand, utensils whose usual use entails an activity prohibited on Shabbat, such as those listed in mishnah 2, above, may be moved only when it is necessary to use it for a permitted purpose on Shabbat, or if the place occupied by the utensil is needed. It is, however, prohibited to move them from a place in the sun to a shady place, or to move it because of thieves. Moving for no need at all is prohibited, even for utensils whose usual use is permitted on Shabbat (Maggid Mishneh on Rambarn. Hil. Shabbat 25:3; Ran). According to another opinion, it is permitted to move a vessel whose usual use is permitted on Shabbat, even if this moving is for no reason at all. According to this opinion, this is the intent of this mishnah's phrase "or not in case of need" (see Ran', see also Maggid

Mishneh {ibid.], who writes about these commentaries, "They have nothing upon which to base their opinion").

Rabbi Nehemiah says, They may take only for a need - Even a utensil whose usual use is permitted on Shabbat may be moved on Shabbat only when the utensil itself is needed, that is, only if it is needed for its special purpose, e.g., a knife for cutting bread, but not for another use, such as using the knife to support a dish (Gemara.) Rabbi Nehemiah also permits moving a utensil when its place is needed (Gemara), but for no other purpose. The halakhah does not follow Rabbi Nehemiah.

SHABBAT: CHAPTER 17: MISHNA 5

All articles which may be moved on Shabbat, their fragments may be moved with them, provided that they will do some sort of work: fragments of a kneading trough to cover with them the mouth of a jug, fragments of glass to cover with them the mouth of a flask. Rabbi Yehudah says: Only if they will do a reflection of their work: fragments of a kneading-trough to pour into them a stiff mass, and of glass to pour into them oil.

Kehati

This mishnah discusses the moving of fragments of utensils on the Shabbat.

All articles which may be moved on Shabbat, their fragments may be moved with them - If the articles broke, whether on Shabbat or before Shabbat, it is permitted to move their fragments on Shabbat, provided that they will do some sort of work - That it is possible to use these fragments for any purpose, even if it is not in line with their original purpose, e.g: fragments of a kneading-trough - A vessel in which dough is kneaded, if it is possible to use these fragments, to cover with them the mouth of a jug - of wine or of oil, fragments of glass to cover with

them the mouth of a flask - fragments such as these may be handled on Shabbat. If, however, no use at all may be made of these fragments on Shabbat, it is prohibited to move them on Shabbat.

Rabbi Yehudah says: It is permitted to handle fragments on Shabbat - Only if they will do - If it is possible to do with them a reflection of their original - work - e.g: fragments of a kneading-trough to pour into them a stiff mass - A thick soup which resembles the dough which was put in the trough, and of - fragments of - glass to pour into them oil - and any similar use. If, however, it is not possible to use them for any use that resembles their original use, even if they may be utilized for some sort of use, they may not be moved. The Gemara explains that Rabbi Yehudah disagrees with the First Tanna only regarding utensils which broke on Shabbat, that if it is not possible to utilize the fragments for a reflection of their original use, these are considered as new utensils, and they therefore may not be moved because of''muktzeh on account of nolad," as something which became newly available for use on Shabbat. If, however, the utensils were broken before Shabbat, even Rabbi Yehudah agrees that they may be handled on Shabbat, even if they are not utilized for something resembling their original usage, but for any other use.

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