Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 2, scan section 47

a reward for this we pray Thee, Thou living God, to command that our children be saved from the grave because of the cove- nant that is sealed in our flesh. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who hast made the covenant." One who circumcises proselytes must say: " Blessed art Thou, etc., and hast commanded us the circumcision." The one who pronounces the benediction (over the goblet) must say: " Blessed art Thou, etc., and hast com- manded us to circumcise the proselytes, and to draw from them blood of the covenant. For were it not for the blood of the covenant, heavens and earth would not exist, as it is written [Jeremiah xxxiii. 25] : ' If not my covenant by day and night, I would not have instituted the ordinances of heaven and earth.' Blessed be Thou, O Lord, who didst make the covenant." One who circumcises slaves pronounces the same prayer as is used for proselytes, inserting " slaves " where " proselytes " is used; and the one making the benediction does likewise. CHAPTER XX. REGULATIONS CONCERNING CERTAIN ACTS OF LABOR WHICH MUST BE PERFORMED DIFFERENTLY ON A SABBATH AND ON A FESTIVAL. MISHNA: R. EHezer says: One may stretch a wine-filter (of cloth) over a vessel on a feast-day, and on the Sabbath one may pour wine into it, if it was already fastened (to the vessel). The sages say : One must not stretch it (over a vessel) on a feast-day, and on Sabbath one must not pour (wine) into it, but the latter act is allowed on a feast-day. GEMARA: How is it possible that R. Eliezer should decide, that one may stretch a wine-filter, etc., on a festival, if he does not even allow a window-blind to be added to a temporary tent, as is explained by Rabba bar bar Hana in the name of R. Johanan [Chapter XVH., p. 272]. In that case he does not even allow the addition of a blind, and here he permits the stretching of a filter to commence with ? R. Eliezer holds as R. Jehudah, as we have learned in a Boraitha: There is no dif- ference between the Sabbath and the festival, except that the preparation of food is permitted on the latter. R. Jehudah, however, even permits the arrangements for the preparation of food. What arrangements for the preparation of food are we aware of, that R. Jehudah permits ? Such as cannot be made at any time before the festival ; but did we hear of his permitting the arrangements for the preparation of food that could be made before the festival, to be made on the feast-day ? In this respect R. Eliezer is more lenient than R. Jehudah, for he permits all arrangements for the preparation of food to be made on the festival. " The sages say : One must not stretch it," etc. The school- men propounded a question : What if a man did stretch the filter over a vessel on a festival ? Is he culpable ? Said Abayi : " This is only a rabbinical prohibition, that one should not do on a festival such things as one does on a week-day." Abayi collected all the rabbinical prohibitions to be found in the Boraithas, and taught as follows: A leather bag, a wine-filter, 309 3IO THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. a baldachin, and a folding-chair as used in the city of Galin, must not be spread; but if one does so, he is not culpable. Tents, however, which arc permanent, must not be put up, and if a man does this he is culpable. One may, however, set up an ordinary bed, a chair, a tripod, and a stool with impunity. " One must ?iot pour wine into it,'' etc. The schoolmen asked: "What if a man did pour wine into it? Is he cul- pable?" Said R. Kahana: "Yea; he is liable to bring a sin- offering. " R. Shesheth opposed this:" Have ye ever seen that R. Eliezer should permit a certain thing to be done to com- mence with, which the rabbis hold would make one liable for a sin-offering ? " R, Joseph interposed: " Why not ? Have we not learned (p. 1 14), in the case of a woman who went out with a golden ornament, that R. Meir held her liable for a sin-ofTering and R. Eliezer permitted her to go out with it to commence with ? " Said Abayi to him : " Dost thou think that R. Eliezer opposes R. Meir in the above passage ? Nay; he merely opposes the sages, who said that a woman must not go out wearing the ornament, but if she do so, she is not culpable ; whereas he says, that she may do so to commence with." How should a man be warned not to pour wine into the filter ? {i.e., in what category of labor is that act to be classed, so that the man can be warned that he is performing a certain prohibited principal act of labor ?*). Rabba said: " He is to be warned against fruit-cleaning." R. Zera said: "Against sift- ing." Said Rabba: " It seems to me that my decision is more in conformity with reason, for as in fruit-cleaning the good fruit is separated from the bad, so it is also in this case : he sepa- rates the clean wine from the lees." Said R. Zera: " It seems to me that my decision is more in conformity with reason, be- cause as in sifting the good falls to the bottom and the bad remains in the sieve, so it is also in this case : the good wine falls into the vessel, while the lees remain in the filter." Rami the son of Ezekiel taught: " A folded garment should not be spread on poles to serve as a sun-shade ; but if a man do this, he is free. If, however, a string or a hanger was already attached to the garment with which it could be fastened to the poles, this may be done to commence with." R. Kahana asked of Rabh : " What is the law regarding a baldachin?" and he answered: " Even a bed is not permitted." * See Chapter VII., note to page 138. TRACT SABBATH. 311 R. Kahana then inquired: "What is the law regarding a bed?" and Rabh answered: " Even a baldachin is allowed." " What is the law regarding a bed and a baldachin ? " "A bed is allowed but a baldachin is not allowed." In spite of this, there is no difficulty. In not permitting even a bed, Rabh had reference to a folding-bed as used by the Karmanites, and where he said, " Even a baldachin is allowed," he had reference to a baldachin as described by Rami bar Ezekiel; i.e., one which had strings attached to it. In saying, " A bed is allowed and a baldachin is not allowed," he meant to say, that an ordinary bed, such as is generally used, may be set up, but a baldachin, that had no strings or hangers attached, must not be set up. Said R. Joseph : " I have seen the baldachins in the house of R. Huna; at night (on Sabbath eve) they were folded up and in the morning they were all set up." Rami bar Ezekiel sent to R. Huna and asked him to impart to him some of the good sayings of Rabh, two concerning the Sabbath and one concerning the Law. So R. Huna sent him the following sayings: Concerning what we have learned in a Boraitha, that a leather-bag which had strings already attached