Shabbos 111a

שבת קי״א ע״א

Shabbat 111a

Learn Shabbos 111a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shabbos 111a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Sterilizing remedies and סירוס; healing teeth and loins on שבת (vinegar, rose oil); רבא's retraction because of הוֹאִיל; רב's ruling like רבי שמעון.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a question from the previous page: how may anyone drink a remedy for jaundice that causes sterility, when causing sterility (סירוס) is forbidden? The גמרא proves that sterilizing someone already sterile is still forbidden, so it rejects a סריס and then an old man, and settles on a woman. For רבי יוחנן בן ברוקא, who holds that women are also commanded in פרו ורבו, it must be an old or barren woman. Then a new משנה teaches that on שבת you may not do obvious medical treatment for aching teeth or loins, but you may act in your normal everyday way. רבי שמעון adds that all Jews count as princes, so anyone may use rose oil. The גמרא explains how vinegar can heal teeth when a פסוק says it harms them. Next it settles a clash between the משנה and a ברייתא about sipping vinegar, through the answers of אביי and רבא. It concludes that רבא retracted his own answer because of his principle of הוֹאִיל. Finally, רב rules like רבי שמעון on rose oil, and the גמרא begins a challenge from another teaching of רב that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (23)

1. ChallengeLeavening a meal-offering that is already leavened
2. ChallengeCastrating someone already castrated is also forbidden
3. ResolutionThe remedy is for an old man
4. ChallengeEven old men can regain fertility
5. ResolutionThe remedy is for a woman
6. ChallengeAccording to רבי יוחנן בן ברוקא women are also commanded
7. ResolutionAn old woman or a barren woman
8. StatementToothache and vinegar on שבת
9. StatementPain in the loins and smearing oils
10. StatementAll Jews are princes
11. ChallengeDoes vinegar help teeth or harm them?
12. ResolutionFruit vinegar versus wine vinegar
13. ResolutionWound versus no wound
14. ChallengeA ברייתא seems to permit sipping vinegar
15. Resolutionאביי: the משנה is about spitting out
16. Resolutionרבא: before dipping versus after dipping
17. ChallengeChallenge to רבא from his own principle of הוֹאִיל
18. ProofProof that רבא holds הוֹאִיל: שבת and יום הכפורים
19. Resolutionרבא retracted one of his positions
20. QuestionHow do we know which statement he retracted?
21. ResponseA ברייתא supports the יום הכפורים ruling
22. Statementרב rules like רבי שמעון on rose oil
23. ChallengeDoes רב really follow רבי שמעון?