Shabbos 34b

שבת ל״ד ע״ב

Shabbat 34b

Learn Shabbos 34b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shabbos 34b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Why one may not insulate food in heat-adding material even before שבת, and the definition and halachic status of בין השמשות

Overview

The amud opens at the end of a discussion about הטמנה, wrapping food to keep it hot. חז"ל forbade insulating in heat-adding material even before שבת. The reason is a chain of two גזירות: someone might insulate in ashes with a live coal, and then stir the coals on שבת. The גמרא then quotes a ברייתא that says בין השמשות is a doubt, so the stringencies of both days apply to it. The ברייתא gives three definitions of twilight: רבי יהודה goes by the color of the sky, רבי נחמיה by the time to walk half a מיל, and רבי יוסי says it is only a blink of an eye. רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע shows that 'the stringency of both days' matters for the laws of a זב who sees a discharge at twilight. Next, the גמרא notices that רבי יהודה's definition seems to contradict itself. רבה and רב יוסף resolve this in different ways, so רבה's בין השמשות is longer and רב יוסף's is shorter. Each one stays consistent in a second dispute about its length: רבה says three quarters of a מיל. רב יוסף says 'two parts of a מיל', and the explanation of that phrase continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (20)

1. QuestionWhy forbid heat-adding insulation even before שבת?
2. ResponseA decree: he might insulate in ashes with live coals
3. Challengeאביי: So what if he insulates in ashes with coals?
4. ResolutionSecond decree: he might stir the coals
5. StatementTwilight is a doubt, so both days' stringencies apply
6. Statementרבי יהודה's definition of twilight by the color of the sky
7. Statementרבי נחמיה: the time to walk half a מיל
8. Statementרבי יוסי: twilight is just a blink of an eye
9. QuestionWhere does 'the stringency of both days' matter?
10. Responseרב הונא: it matters for טומאה
11. ProofProof from the משנה about a זב seeing at twilight
12. ChallengeThe ברייתא seems to contradict itself
13. Resolutionרבה: join both lines into one longer twilight
14. Resolutionרב יוסף: the red stage is still day
15. QuestionEach follows his own view: how long is twilight?
16. Responseרבה: three parts of a מיל
17. QuestionWhat does 'three parts' mean? Two options rejected
18. ResponseIt means three-quarters of a מיל
19. Responseרב יוסף: two parts of a מיל
20. QuestionWhat does 'two parts' mean? Two options rejected