Shabbos 156a

שבת קנ״ו ע״א

Shabbat 156a

Learn Shabbos 156a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shabbos 156a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Kneading with a שינוי on שבת, and whether a person's nature and fate depend on מזל

Overview

The גמרא identifies the lenient view on kneading as רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה's, but limits it: kneading or mixing is allowed only with a שינוי (a change from the weekday method). Three times it asks 'how does one change it?' The answers are kneading little by little, putting the שתית in before the vinegar, and stirring animal feed crosswise or pouring it between vessels. A story about לוי teaches that one may knead feed but not stuff it into an animal's mouth, unless the animal cannot eat by itself. Notebooks of זעירי and לוי add rulings about animal feed, and tell how רבי could not stop people kneading שתיתא because they relied on רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה. רבי יהושע בן לוי's notebook then opens a new topic: a person's nature depends on the day of the week he was born, based on what was created on that day. רבי חנינא disagrees and says the planet ruling the hour of birth is what matters, and lists the seven planets. Finally, רבי חנינא says the Jewish people are subject to מזל. רבי יוחנן and רב disagree, proving from פסוקים in ירמיהו and from the story of אברהם that אין מזל לישראל. The discussion of אברהם continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (50)

1. ResponseThe lenient view belongs to רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה
2. StatementThe leniency only applies when done differently
3. QuestionHow does one change the kneading?
4. Responseרב חסדא: knead a little at a time
5. StatementAll agree one may stir שתית and drink Egyptian beer
6. ChallengeBut we said one may not knead
7. ResolutionThick versus thin mixture
8. StatementAgain, only with a change
9. QuestionHow does one change the stirring?
10. Responseרב יוסף: reverse the order of ingredients
11. Statementלוי stops a worker feeding the ox
12. StatementKnead but do not hand-feed, except a calf
13. StatementKneading feed also requires a change
14. QuestionHow does one change the feed kneading?
15. ResponseStir crosswise
16. ChallengeBut that won't mix well
17. Resolutionרב יהודה: pour it into another vessel
18. Statementזעירי's notebook: kneading is forbidden, emptying is allowed
19. Statementרב מנשיא limits how much may be emptied
20. Statementרב יוסף and עולא allow larger amounts
21. Statementלוי's notebook: רבי protested kneading שתיתא but could not stop it
22. Statementרבי יהושע בן לוי's notebook: one born on Sunday
23. QuestionWhat does 'there will not be one in him' mean?
24. RejectionIt cannot mean 'not one good trait,' because of רב אשי
25. RejectionIt cannot mean 'not one bad trait,' because of דימי בר קקוזתא
26. ConclusionConclusion: either completely good or completely bad
27. ResponseThe reason: light and darkness were created on Sunday
28. StatementBorn on Monday: short-tempered
29. StatementBorn on Tuesday: rich and promiscuous
30. StatementBorn on Wednesday: wise and bright
31. StatementBorn on Thursday: does kindness
32. StatementBorn on Friday: a seeker of מצוות
33. StatementBorn on שבת: dies on שבת, called holy
34. Rejectionרבי חנינא: the hour matters, not the day
35. StatementBorn under the sun: radiant and open
36. StatementBorn under Venus: rich and promiscuous
37. StatementBorn under Mercury: bright and wise
38. StatementBorn under the moon: unstable and hidden
39. StatementBorn under Saturn: plans come to nothing
40. StatementBorn under Jupiter: righteous in מצוות
41. StatementBorn under Mars: sheds blood
42. Challengeרבה: I was born under Mars
43. Resolutionאביי: you punish and execute as a judge
44. Statementרבי חנינא: מזל affects Jews too
45. Statementרבי יוחנן: no מזל for Jews
46. Proofרבי יוחנן's source from ירמיהו
47. Statementרב also holds there is no מזל for Israel
48. Statementאברהם worries his servant will inherit him
49. ProofStep outside your astrology, because Israel has no מזל
50. QuestionGod asks אברהם what he is thinking