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Week 18 - Thursday - 30 March 2000

ERUVIN: CHAPTER 10 : MISHNA 14

If a priest was wounded on his finger - he may wrap a weed round on it in the Temple, but not in the country. If to bring forth blood, there and there it is prohibited. One may scatter salt on the ramp so that they shall not slip, and they may fill from the Pilgrim's Well and from the Great Well with a wheel on the Shabbat, and from the Hakar Well on a Festival.

Kahati

If a priest was wounded on his finger - on the Shabbat, he may wrap a weed round on it - his wound, if he is required to serve - in the Temple - although the reed has some healing property, this is permitted, for it is not proper that the wound should be seen during the service. The Gemara states that this is permitted only if the reed will not constitute an interposition between his flesh and a vessel. For instance, if it is on a finger of his left hand, since the Temple service is conducted entirely with the right hand, or on part of the right hand, such as the back of it, that does not come into contact with the objects of the service. Furthermore, it is permitted only with a reed, but not with a garment, such as a small belt because it would constitute an addition to the priestly garments. Anything, however, that is not a garment in its own right, and is not a part of the body where a garment is usually worn, such as the finger or the heel, constitutes as addition to the priestly garments, but - a person may - not - wrap a reed on his wound on the Shabbat - in the country - since the reed has some healing property, and the Sages prohibit acts of curing on the Shabbat, in order to prevent the person from grinding medicines. If - he tightens the plaster in the wound - to bring forth blood, there and there - even in the Temple, it is prohibited - for this is not for the need of his service. A further reason for the prohibition is the "causing of a work in the Temple - One may scatter salt - they used to scatter crushed salt on the Shabbat - on the ramp - upon which they ascend to the Alter, so that they - those ascending and descending - shall not slip - because the Ramp was smooth, without any steps.

However, this is prohibited in the country, because it is an improvement executed in the Shabbat, and they may fill - water, in the Temple - from the Pilgrim's Well and from the Great Well - the names of two wells which were in one of the chambers of the Temple Court (see Tosefot Yom Tov), with a wheel on the Shabbat - with which they raised the bucket by means of ropes. It was permitted to draw water on the Shabbat by means of a wheel only from these two wells. The Sages prohibited doing this from other wells on the Shabbat, for fear that since water may be drawn by means of a wheel easily and quickly, people will come to water their gardens from them on the Shabbat, and transgress the prohibition of "sowing," and from the Hakar Well on a Festival - The Gemara explains that the Hakar well was a well in the country. It was called the "Hakah well" because it was a fresh water well from the wording, "As a cistern wells [ke-hakir] with her water" [Jer. 6:7]. It was much needed by the Jews of the Diaspora who made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, the Prophets who were among the pilgrims from the Diaspora, permitted them to draw water from it by means of a wheel on a Festival. This permission has remained in effect ever since. However, it is prohibited to draw water from other wells by means of a wheel, even on a Festival.

ERUVIN: CHAPTER 10 : MISHNA 15

If an unclean reptile is found in the Temple a priest carried it out with his belt, so as not to prolong the uncleanness; so Rabbi Yohanan ben Beroka. Rabbi Yehudah says: with wooden tongs so as not to increase the uncleanness. From where do they carry it out? From the Hekhal (sanctuary), from the Entrance Hall and from between the Entrance Hall and the Alter; so Rabbi Shimon ben Nanas. Rabbi Akiva says: A place where one is liable to karet and to a hatat - from there they remove it, but in any other place, they put over it a large pot. Rabbi Shimon says: Wherever the Sages permitted you anything, they gave you from your, for they permitted you only on account of a shevut.

Kahati

If - a dead - a unclean reptile is found in the Temple a priest carried it out with his belt - but in order to avoid becoming unclean, he may not touch it with his hands, for the unclean reptile, which is an an tum'ah (a direct cause of uncleanness), renders a person unclean by touch but not by being carried. The belt rendered unclean by the reptile does not make the priest who holds it unclean, or the belt is a rishon le-tum'ah (first degree of uncleanness), and a rishon le'tum'ah does not convey uncleanness to a person. Even if it is found on the Shabbat, it may be moved and removed from the Temple. The priest does not search for a flat wooden implement which is unsusceptible to uncleanness, but rather takes it out with his belt, so as not to prolong the uncleanness - in the Temple; so Rabbi Yohanan ben Beroka - who holds that it is preferable to make the belt unclean than to search for a flat, simple implement and thus prolong the uncleanness in the Temple.
Rabbi Yehudah says: - a priest takes it out - with wooden tongs - which are susceptible to uncleanness, but not with a belt, so as not to increase the uncleanness - i.e.., so as not to render the belt unclean. Rabbi Yehudah holds that it is preferable to prolong the uncleanness and to search for a wooden tong, rather than make the belt unclean as well. The law follows his opinion. The Sages were lenient in respect of the sanctified areas of the Temple out. The mishnah therefore asks: From where do they carry it - the unclean reptile, out - on the Shabbat?
From the Hekhal (sanctuary), from the Entrance Hall and from between the Entrance Hall and the Alter - in the Temple Court; so Rabbi Shimon ben Nanas - who holds that if an unclean reptile is found in the other sections of the Temple Court, they do not take it out in the Shabbat, on account of the prohibition of moving it.
Rabbi Akiva says: A place - any place in the Temple, where one - who entered intentionally - is liable to karet and - if he entered unintentionally, to a hatat - from there they remove it - the unclean reptile, on the Shabbat - but - if an unclean reptile is found on the Shabbat, in any other place - according to Rabbi Shimon ben Nanas, the entire Temple Court and according to Rabbi Akiva, the Temple chambers, they do not take it out, rather - they put over it a large pot - to cover it until nightfall.

Rabbi Shimon says: Wherever the Sages permitted you anything, they gave you from your - from what is permitted to you - for they permitted you - in the Temple, things which are prohibited - only on account of a shevut - The Gemara explains that Rabbi Shimon's statement refers to two different laws, in one of which he is extremely lenient, and in the other he is stringent. As it was taught, "A person who was overtaken by nightfall outside the bounds, even one amah, may not enter. Rabbi Shimon says, even fifteen amot - he may enter, for the surveyers do not measure exactly, because of those who err" (4:11; see our commentary in loco). Rabbi Shimon is lenient in this matter. Regarding, however, the matter of the harp whose cord broke, about which it was taught, "One may tie a cord in the Temple, but not in the country" (10:13, above), Rabbi Shimon is stringent. He holds that ever in the Temple, one may not tie a cord on the Shabbat, lest a person should tie a durable knot and thereby become liable to a hatat sacrifice. A baraita in the Gemara also teaches: "If a cord broke in a Levite's harp, he may tie it; Rabbi Shimon says, He makes a loop" (Eruv. 103a). This is what Rabbi Shimon is stating in the current mishnah: I am lenient regarding the person who was overtaken by nightfall, for "wherever the Sages permitted you anything," i.e., in the matter of the Shabbat bounds, "they gave you from yours," for those fifteen amot are not outside the Shabbat bounds at all, for the surveyors do not measure out exactly, and they do not establish the Shabbat bounds precisely at the end of 2,000 amot limit (as explained there). In the matter of the harp cord that broke however, I am stringent and hold that even in the Temple a person may not tie it, but only fasten a loop in it, for the Sages permitted you in the Temple things that are forbidden "on acount of shevut only," and where we do not have to fear that it will result in the transgression of a Torah prohibition. Therefore, the fatening of a loop, which in the country is only a shevut prohibition, is permitted in the Temple. But tying a knot, which can cause a person to transgress a Torah prohibition, is forbidden in the Temple also. According to this interpretation, Rabbi Shimon's statement belongs in the mishnah 13, above, but was not taught until after the conclusion of the Tanna's teachings regarding the distinction between the Temple and the country. (Tosefot). According to another interpretation, Rabbi Shimon;s statement was place here by the compiler of the mishnah because it is a fitting conclusion to the Tractates of Shabbat and Eruvin.

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