Gemara Clarity

Shabbos 109a

שבת ק״ט ע״א

Shabbat 109a

Learn Shabbos 109a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shabbos 109a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Shabbat 109a: morning hand-washing and eye care, then what counts as forbidden רפואה on שבת: foods, drinks, soaking wounds, and bathing in healing waters

Overview

This amud opens at the end of a list of dangers from touching things with unwashed hands in the morning. It adds רבי נתן's teaching that the harmful spirit leaves only after washing three times, and רבי יוחנן's teaching on the benefits of פוך. The גמרא then turns to healing on שבת. It names items that are not medicine: leaves, coriander and hops (except טרוזא). It discusses which drinks are permitted, with a story about זעירי's wife and זעירי's reasoning. מר עוקבא permits soaking a wound in wine but not vinegar, and רבא limits this for the delicate people of מחוזא. A story about רב אשי soaking his foot teaches that a wound on the back of the hand or foot is dangerous enough to break שבת for. Finally, two ברייתות disagree about bathing in the Great Sea on שבת. רבי יוחנן explains that they follow רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה. רב נחמן בר יצחק begins to challenge this, and his challenge continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

לַגִּיגִית — תִּיקָּצֵץ,

[a hand placed] into a barrel should be severed,

יָד מְסַמָּא, יָד מַחְרֶשֶׁת,

a hand [on the eye] blinds, a hand [on the ear] deafens,

יָד מַעֲלָה פּוֹלִיפּוּס.

a hand [on the nose or mouth] brings up polyps.

תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי נָתָן אוֹמֵר:

It was taught: Rabbi Natan says:

The steps (26)

  1. StatementEnd of the list of dangers from unwashed hands
  2. Statementרבי נתן: the spirit leaves only after washing three times
  3. Statementרבי יוחנן on the benefits of eye shadow
  4. ProofA ברייתא from רבי יוסי supports רבי יוחנן
  5. StatementLeaves, coriander and hops are not medicine
  6. Statementרב יוסף and רב ששת add personal remarks
  7. StatementAll hops are permitted except טרוזא
  8. Statementרב חסדא: melon juice permitted, פיעפועי juice forbidden
  9. Statementזעירי's wife and חייא בר אשי
  10. Proofזעירי follows his own reasoning about the strainer
  11. Statementמר עוקבא: a wound may be soaked in wine
  12. QuestionWhat about vinegar?
  13. ResponseIn רב כהנא's house they said vinegar is not allowed
  14. Statementרבא: for the delicate people of מחוזא, even wine heals
  15. Statementרבינא sees רב אשי soaking his injured foot in vinegar
  16. Challengeרבינא asks: doesn't רב הלל forbid vinegar?
  17. Resolutionרב אשי answers: the back of the hand and foot is different
  18. StatementAnother version: רב אשי was soaking his foot in wine
  19. Challengeרבינא asks: aren't you delicate like the people of מחוזא?
  20. Resolutionרב אשי answers again: a wound on the back of the hand or foot is like a life-threatening wound
  21. StatementA ברייתא lists which healing waters one may bathe in on שבת
  22. ChallengeA second ברייתא contradicts the first about the Great Sea
  23. Resolutionרבי יוחנן says the two ברייתות follow different תנאים
  24. ProofThe משנה where רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה disagree about seas as a מקוה
  25. Statementרבי יוסי's view on the purifying power of seas
  26. Challengeרב נחמן בר יצחק begins to challenge רבי יוחנן