Shabbos 2a

שבת ב׳ ע״א

Shabbat 2a

Learn Shabbos 2a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The opening משנה of מסכת שבת: eight cases of carrying between a private and public domain and who is חייב, plus the גמרא's opening comparison to the 'two that are four' of שבועות.

Overview

The משנה opens מסכת שבת with a short rule: יציאות השבת, the acts of carrying between domains, are 'two that are four inside, and two that are four outside.' It then asks כיצד, 'how?', and explains with a poor person (עני) standing in the street and a homeowner (בעל הבית) standing in his house. In four cases one person does the whole act of carrying, picking the object up in one domain and putting it down in the other, and that person is חייב. In four more cases the act is split between the two people, so both are פטור. Together these eight cases fill the count of four inside and four outside. The גמרא then opens by quoting a similar משנה in מסכת שבועות, which also says 'two that are four,' about oaths. This sets up a comparison between the two משניות that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (7)

1. StatementThe opening rule: carrying on שבת is 'two that are four'
2. QuestionThe משנה asks how these cases work
3. ResponseThe poor person does the carrying, so he is liable
4. ResponseThe homeowner does the carrying, so he is liable
5. ResponsePoor man reaches in, both share the act
6. ResponseHomeowner reaches out, both share the act
7. StatementThe גמרא opens with a similar משנה about oaths