Gemara Clarity

Shabbos 30a

שבת ל׳ ע״א

Shabbat 30a

Learn Shabbos 30a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shabbos 30a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Extinguishing a lamp for a sick person: the משנה follows רבי יהודה, and רבי תנחום's דרשה on the value of life versus death

Overview

The גמרא proves that our משנה follows רבי יהודה. It then asks why the first clause says פטור for a sick person. The answer is that the case is a dangerously ill person, where it is really מותר, and פטור was used only to match חייב in the next clause. A ברייתא of רבי אושעיא says פטור אבל אסור, and the גמרא explains that it is about a non-dangerous illness and follows רבי שמעון. Next, רבי תנחום is asked about putting out a lamp for a sick person on שבת. He opens his answer with a puzzle: verses of שלמה and דוד seem to disagree about whether the living or the dead are better. דוד's verse is explained to mean that only the living can do תורה ומצוות. שלמה's praise of the dead is explained three ways: the merit of the אבות, משה's lasting decrees, and the gates of the בית המקדש opening only in דוד's merit. Finally, the 'living dog' verse is explained through the story of דוד, who learned he would die on שבת and was refused even one extra day, because each day of תורה is precious.

Opening lines

גְּמָ׳

GEMARA:

מִדְּקָתָנֵי סֵיפָא חַיָּיב —

From the fact that the latter clause teaches 'liable'

שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה הִיא.

conclude from it: it is Rabbi Yehuda.

רֵישָׁא בְּמַאי עָסְקִינַן?

With what is the first clause dealing?

The steps (20)

  1. StatementThe משנה follows רבי יהודה
  2. ChallengeWhat case is the first clause about?
  3. ResolutionExempt was said only for style
  4. Challengeרבי אושעיא's ברייתא says it is forbidden
  5. ResolutionThe ברייתא is a non-dangerous illness, following רבי שמעון
  6. QuestionQuestion to רבי תנחום about the lamp
  7. Challengeשלמה's verses seem to contradict דוד and each other
  8. Resolutionדוד's verse means: do תורה and מצוות while alive
  9. ProofSupport from רבי יוחנן: free among the dead
  10. ResolutionPraising the dead: משה's prayer was answered through the merit of the forefathers
  11. ResolutionSecond explanation: משה's decrees last forever, even after his death
  12. StatementThird explanation: דוד is forgiven but must wait for a public sign
  13. ResolutionThe gates of the בית המקדש open only in דוד's merit, proving he was forgiven
  14. ProofA verse confirms the story: the people rejoiced over the good done for דוד
  15. StatementExplaining each phrase of the verse
  16. ResolutionExplaining the verse about the living dog
  17. Statementדוד asks to know his end and the measure of his days
  18. StatementGod tells דוד he will die on שבת
  19. Questionדוד asks to die on Sunday and is refused
  20. Questionדוד asks to die on ערב שבת and is refused