Shabbos 12a

שבת י״ב ע״א

Shabbat 12a

Learn Shabbos 12a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Shabbat 12a: The זב's pouch, תפילין before שבת, the lamplight decrees, lice, and visiting the sick on שבת

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a debate about two ברייתות on a זב who goes out on שבת with his pouch (כיס): one says he is חייב, the other פטור. A comparison to water caught only to protect a wall fails, since the זב does want his pouch, and אביי ורבא resolve the contradiction as the מחלוקת of רבי יהודה and רבי שמעון. Next, דבי רבי ישמעאל allows going out in תפילין on ערב שבת near dark, because a person must constantly be aware of his תפילין, learned by a קל וחומר from the ציץ. חנניא adds that one should check his clothes before שבת, which רב יוסף calls a great הלכה. The גמרא then proves from a ברייתא that the משנה's bans on delousing and reading by lamplight share one reason, שמא יטה, and שמואל extends the ban even to telling apart his clothes from his wife's, which רבא limits. Further rules about lice follow: no delousing in public out of dignity, a dispute on whether one may squeeze a louse on שבת, and the practices of several אמוראים. The amud ends with בית שמאי and בית הלל on killing a louse and on מצוה activities on שבת, and with what to say when visiting the sick on שבת.

Opening lines

The steps (31)

1. ProofEnd of the cited source: water caught to protect the wall
2. RejectionThe comparison fails: the זב actually wants his pouch
3. RejectionThe pouch is really like the later clause: water inside the bowl
4. Resolutionאביי ורבא: the two ברייתות follow רבי יהודה and רבי שמעון
5. StatementA person may go out wearing תפילין on ערב שבת near dark
6. QuestionWhy is it allowed?
7. ResponseOne must constantly touch his תפילין
8. ProofThe source: a קל וחומר from the ציץ
9. ConclusionTherefore he will remember the תפילין
10. Statementחנניא: check your clothing before Shabbat
11. Conclusionרב יוסף: a great הלכה for שבת
12. QuestionIs delousing forbidden by day too, or only by lamplight?
13. ProofFirst proof: a ברייתא lists both rules together
14. RejectionRejected: the ברייתא is no clearer than the משנה
15. ProofSecond proof: 'by lamplight' is said about each rule
16. ConclusionConclusion: both rules are about tilting the lamp
17. StatementEven sorting his clothes from his wife's is forbidden by lamplight
18. Statementרבא limits it to the people of מחוזא
19. StatementEven in מחוזא, only old women's clothes are a problem
20. StatementNo delousing clothes in public
21. StatementNo taking an emetic in public
22. StatementSqueeze the louse and throw it, but do not kill it
23. Statementאבא שאול: you may not even squeeze it
24. Statementרב הונא rules: squeeze and throw, even on a weekday
25. Statementרבה and רב ששת killed lice
26. Statementרבא threw lice into water
27. Statementרב נחמן told his daughters to kill lice
28. Statementבית שמאי and בית הלל on killing a louse on שבת
29. Statementמצוה activities on שבת: בית שמאי forbid, בית הלל permit
30. StatementWhat to say when visiting the sick on שבת
31. Statementרבי מאיר: שבת itself can bring compassion