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Shabbos 121b

שבת קכ״א ע״ב

Shabbat 121b

Learn Shabbos 121b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shabbos 121b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Covering feces and a scorpion on שבת, when harmful creatures may be killed on שבת, and related stories and rulings

Overview

This amud opens with a story: רב חנן בר רבא hears רבי אבין teaching that one may cover a child's feces with a bowl on שבת. He objects that such feces are fit for dogs and may simply be moved, so he corrects the text to chicken feces. The גמרא then asks why chicken feces could not be removed as a גרף של רעי. After several back-and-forths it settles on a garbage heap inside a courtyard. Turning to the scorpion in the משנה, רבי יהושע בן לוי rules that all harmful creatures may be killed on שבת. רב יוסף challenges this from a ברייתא listing only five. He then answers that רבי יהושע בן לוי means creatures chasing a person, where everyone agrees killing is permitted. The גמרא adds teachings and stories about killing snakes and scorpions, including a debate over whether pious behavior means refraining. It also asks whether רבי approved when a snake was killed in the בית המדרש, and it brings the rule that one may step on spit, a snake, or a scorpion לפי תומו. The amud ends with רבי חנינא's ruling that the candlesticks of רבי's house may be moved on שבת, and רבי זירא's question about which size he meant.

Opening lines

אַיְיתוֹ לְהוּ פּוּרְיָיתָא,

They brought beds for them,

לְרַב חָנָן בַּר רָבָא לָא אַיְיתוֹ לֵיהּ.

but for Rav Chanan bar Rava they did not bring one.

אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ מַתְנֵי לֵיהּ לִבְרֵיהּ:

He found him teaching his son:

וְעַל צוֹאָה שֶׁל קָטָן מִפְּנֵי קָטָן.

"And over a child's feces, because of a child."

The steps (31)

  1. StatementThe story: רב חנן is overlooked and hears אבין's teaching
  2. Challengeרב חנן objects: the feces are fit for dogs
  3. ProofBlocking a defense: rivers and springs are counted as prepared
  4. QuestionAvin asks how he should teach it
  5. ResponseCorrected wording: chicken feces
  6. ChallengeWhy not remove it as a disgusting pot of waste?
  7. Proofרב אשי's mouse shows filth may be moved without a vessel
  8. ResolutionAnswer: the feces were in a garbage heap
  9. ChallengeWhat would a child be doing in a garbage heap?
  10. ResolutionAnswer: in a courtyard
  11. ChallengeBut in a courtyard it would be removable
  12. ResolutionFinal answer: a garbage heap inside a courtyard
  13. StatementThe scorpion, and רבי יהושע בן לוי's rule
  14. Challengeרב יוסף's challenge: a list of only five creatures
  15. QuestionWhose view is the ברייתא? Not רבי יהודה's
  16. ChallengeSo it follows רבי שמעון, and only these five are allowed
  17. RejectionMaybe the ברייתא is not reliable
  18. ResolutionWhen the creatures are chasing him, everyone agrees
  19. StatementPious people are displeased with killing snakes on שבת
  20. RejectionThe חכמים are displeased with those pious people
  21. Statementרב הונא disapproves of killing a hornet
  22. StatementWhat it means when snakes cross your path
  23. StatementOnly when they were touching him
  24. StatementA snake in the בית המדרש killed by a נבטי
  25. QuestionDid רבי approve of killing the snake?
  26. Proofרבי ינאי would kill even a hornet on שבת
  27. RejectionMaybe only by stepping on it casually
  28. ProofSources for stepping on things casually
  29. Statementאבא בר מניומי and the spit at the ריש גלותא's house
  30. StatementThe candlesticks of רבי's house may be moved on שבת
  31. QuestionSmall candlesticks or large ones?