Gemara Clarity

Shabbos 150a

שבת ק״נ ע״א

Shabbat 150a

Learn Shabbos 150a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shabbos 150a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

End of the נבוכדנצר אגדה, then the משנה on arranging weekday matters on שבת: hinting versus speaking, speech versus thought, and permitted talk about חפצי שמים and calculations.

Overview

This amud first finishes the אגדה about נבוכדנצר and בבל: two readings of a verse about בבל's greed for gold, and a teaching that נבוכדנצר even ruled over wild beasts. A new משנה then forbids hiring workers on שבת, asking someone else to hire them, or waiting at the edge of the תחום in order to hire workers or bring produce. Waiting there in order to guard produce is allowed. אבא שאול sums it up: whatever I may talk about on שבת, I may wait at the תחום for. The גמרא asks why the משנה mentions 'his friend' at all. After רב פפא's answer (the friend is a גוי) is rejected, רב אשי explains that the clause implies a hint like 'will you join me this evening?' is permitted. That is the view of רבי יהושע בן קרחה, and the הלכה follows him. רבי יוחנן derives it from the פסוק 'ודבר דבר': speaking is forbidden, but thinking is allowed. A side discussion squares this with the ban on thinking Torah in a bathroom, and with רב יהודה's rule against reciting קריאת שמע before a naked גוי. Finally the גמרא shows that talk about מצוה and community matters is permitted, because only 'your business' is forbidden, not חפצי שמים. It then begins to discuss which calculations are permitted on שבת, a discussion that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מְדוֹד וְהָבֵא.

Measure and bring.

וְאִיכָּא דְאָמְרִי,

And some say

שֶׁאָמְרָה ״מְאֹד מְאֹד הָבֵיא בְּלֹא מִדָּה״.

that it said: 'Bring very, very much, without measure.'

״וּרְבוּ יַתִּירָה הוּסְפַת לִי״,

'And extra greatness was added to me,'

The steps (25)

  1. StatementTwo readings of the nation that demanded gold
  2. Statementנבוכדנצר rode a lion with a serpent tied on its head
  3. StatementNo hiring workers on שבת, not even through a friend
  4. StatementWaiting at the boundary: forbidden for hiring, allowed for guarding
  5. Statementאבא שאול's general rule
  6. ChallengeWhy mention the friend at all?
  7. Resolutionרב פפא: the 'friend' is a גוי
  8. Challengeרב אשי: telling a גוי is already a known שבות
  9. Resolutionרב אשי's own answer: the clause teaches that hinting is allowed
  10. QuestionWhose view does the משנה follow?
  11. ProofThe ברייתא where the hint question is disputed
  12. StatementThe הלכה follows רבי יהושע בן קרחה
  13. StatementThe reason: speaking is forbidden, thinking is allowed
  14. ChallengeContradiction: רבי יוחנן forbids thinking Torah in a bathroom
  15. ResolutionBathroom case is different: the camp must be holy
  16. ChallengeBut that same verse says 'דבר', implying speech
  17. ResolutionThat verse is needed for רב יהודה's rule about nakedness
  18. ChallengeWhy mention a non-Jew specifically?
  19. ResolutionThe non-Jew case is the bigger חידוש
  20. ChallengeMaybe a non-Jew's nakedness really doesn't count
  21. Resolutionנח's nakedness is called ערוה
  22. ChallengeMany sources allow speaking about plans on שבת
  23. ResolutionYour business is forbidden; Heaven's business is allowed
  24. StatementCalculations that are not your business or have no purpose are permitted
  25. ProofA ברייתא supports the ruling: real past and future accounts are forbidden