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Week 18 - Wednesday - 29 March 2000

ERUVIN: CHAPTER 10 : MISHNA 12

One may replace the lower hinge in the Temple, but not in the country. The upper - there and there it is prohibited. Rabbi Yehudah says: The upper - in the Temple, and the lower - in the country.

Kahati

This mishnah deals with the doors of cupboards, closets and the like, and discusses whether it is permitted to replace on the Shabbat the lower or the upper hinge, that had slipped out of its place.

If the lower hinge of a door, e.g., that of a closet, had slipped out of its place, One may replace the lower hinge - in the Temple - for as long as the upper hinge has not become dislocated, it is easy to replace it, for this is only a Rabbinic prohibition (shevut), and those restriction do not apply in the Temple, but not in the country - outside the Temple. The Sages enacted this prohibition, lest he strike it with a mallet or with an axe, or reinforce it with nails, which is a prohibited form of work. But, if The upper - hinge is dislocated, thereby causing the entire door to fall, there and there - both in the Temple and in the country, it is prohibited - to replace it on the Shabbat, because this constitutes building proper, and work is not permitted in the Temple. According to another opinion, the term "building" is not applicable to articles and the reason for the prohibition in this case is that such an important shevut is in force in the Temple also, lest one strike with a mallet or an axe (Tosefot Yom Tov).

Rabbi Yehudah says: - Even if - The upper - hinge is dislocated, it may be replaced - in the Temple - for Rabbi Yehudah holds that the term "building" is not applicable to articles and replacing the hinge is forbidden only on account of shevut, and shevut prohibitions do not apply in the Temple, and - if - the lower - hinge is dislocated, the door does not fall, and it is easy to replace the hinge. It may therefore be replaced - in the country - anywhere, for we do not fear that it might lead to transgression of a type of work prohibited by Torah law.

ERUVIN: CHAPTER 10 : MISHNA 13

One may replace a plaster in the Temple, but not in the country. If for the first time - there and there it is prohibited. One may tie a cord in the Temple, but not in the country. If for the first time - there and there it is prohibited. One may cut off a wart in the Temple, but not in the country. And if with a utensil - there and there it is prohibited.

Kahati

This mishnah lists further Shabbat prohibitions that are not on force in the Temple.

One may replace a plaster in the Temple - If a priest had a wound on his hand and put a plaster on it, i.e., a bandage with a curative ointment and he had to remove it from his hand on the Shabbat so that it should not constitute an interposition between his hand and the objects he has to handle in the course of his service in the Temple, he may replace it on his wound after the service on the Shabbat. This is because it is feared that if he is not allowed to replace it on his wound after the service on the Shabbat. It is feared that if he is not allowed to replace it, he may refrain from performing services in the Temple in order not to have to remove the plaster from the wound, but not in the country - outside the Temple - He may not replace on the Shabbat a plaster that fell off the wound, lest he rub the ointment which is forbidden under the category of "erasing", which is one of the main classes of work forbidden on the Shabbat. If - a person puts plaster on his wound on the Shabbat - for the first time - there and there - even in the Temple - it is prohibited - in this case the shevut prohibition applies in the Temple because this act of shevut is not required for the purpose of the ritual, but rather for the person's own needs (Rashi). The Gemara states that it is forbidden to replace the plaster in the Shabbat only if it is on the ground, but if he tool it is his hand, or placed it on a vessel, he may replace it anywhere.

One may tie a cord in the Temple - for the Levites played the harp when the sacrifices were being offered in the Temple. The mishnah teaches that it is permitted to tie a cord of the harp that had broken in the Shabbat, The Gemara explains the reason for this law. The preparation of instruments required for the ritual which cannot be made on Shabbat eve, overrides the Shabbat. Hence, Rashi states that one may even tie a durable knot. However, if this is unnecessary, one may fasten only a loop. According to other commentators, only a non-durable knot may be tied, for the tying of a durable knot is one of the main classes of work, and is prohibited even in the Temple (Rabbi Yonatan of Lunel, Bartenura; see also Tosefot Yom Tov) but - it is - not - permitted to tie on the Shabbat a cord of the harp that had broken - in the country - outside the Temple. If - to tie on the Shabbat - for the first time - i.e, a cord on the harp that was not previously there - there and there - even in the Temple, it is prohibited - since he could have tied it on Shabbat eve, this does not override the Shabbat.

One may cut off a wart in the Temple - a wart on the body of the priest, since it disqualifies him for serving in the Temple, (because it is a blemish), he may cut it away on the Shabbat in other than the usual manner, e.g., with his hand or teeth (Rambam, Hameiri). The Gemara explains that is the wart is dry, he may cut it even with an instrument, but - he may - not - cut a wart on the Shabbat, not even in an unusual way, in the country - outside the Temple, for fear that he might cut it with a knife or with scissors, and such an act is a derivative of the main class of work of "shearing". And if - but to cut a moist wart - with a utensil - there and there - even in the Temple, it is prohibited - for this is one of the main clauses of work. According to one opinion, this refers to a wart that appeared on a sacrifice offered on the Shabbat and since the wart constitutes a blemish on the animal to be sacrificed, it may be cut on the Shabbat by hand, but not with an instrument. (Rashi, Bartenura).

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