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Shabbos 58a

שבת נ״ח ע״א

Shabbat 58a

Learn Shabbos 58a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Going out on שבת with a slave's seal or bell: who made it, metal versus clay, neck versus clothing, and the rules for an animal

Overview

This amud opens with the last line of an earlier discussion: an איסטמא is not included in the decree against עטרות כלות. רבי אבהו had said the כבול in the משנה is a woolen cap, and שמואל now says it is a slave's seal. The גמרא asks how this fits with שמואל's own ruling that a slave may go out with a seal on his neck. It answers that a seal the master made is allowed, and one the slave made for himself is forbidden. A seal on the clothing is forbidden even when the master made it, because if it breaks the frightened slave might fold the cloak and carry it on his shoulders. The גמרא supports this with רבי יוחנן's ruling and with שמואל's instruction to the רבנן of the ריש גלותא's house. Next, a ברייתא that forbids even the neck seal is resolved: a metal seal, which the master cares about, is forbidden, and a clay seal is allowed. The proof comes from the laws of טומאה. The גמרא then explains that the permitted bell on a slave's clothes is woven in, following רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע. Finally, it starts to question whether an animal's bell can become טמא, and that discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

אֵין בָּהּ מִשּׁוּם עַטְרוֹת כַּלּוֹת.

It does not fall under the decree of bridal crowns.

וּשְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר:

And Shmuel said:

כַּבְלָא דְעַבְדָּא תְּנַן.

It is a slave's seal that we learned about (in the mishna).

וּמִי אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל הָכִי?

And did Shmuel say this?

The steps (25)

  1. ConclusionAn איסטמא Is Not Covered by the עטרות כלות Decree
  2. Statementשמואל Explains the כבול as a Slave's Seal
  3. Challengeשמואל Seems to Contradict Himself
  4. ResolutionA Seal Made by the Master Versus One Made by the Slave
  5. ChallengeThen Why Not a Seal on the Clothing?
  6. ResolutionThe worry that a broken seal leads to carrying the cloak
  7. ProofCarrying a folded cloak on the shoulders is real carrying
  8. Proofשמואל's instruction to the רבנן of the ריש גלותא's house
  9. StatementReturning to שמואל's ruling about the slave's seal
  10. ProofA ברייתא agrees with שמואל
  11. ChallengeA second ברייתא forbids even the neck seal
  12. ChallengeEnd of the challenging ברייתא: rules for an animal and for טומאה
  13. ResolutionProposed answer: who made the seal
  14. RejectionRejecting the 'who made it' answer
  15. ResolutionNew answer: a metal seal versus a clay seal
  16. ProofSupport from the words 'neither can become טמא'
  17. ProofThe clay reading would create a false implication
  18. ProofVessels of earth never become impure
  19. ConclusionConclusion: the seal is metal
  20. StatementQuoting the rule about the bell
  21. ChallengeWhy is a bell on clothes any different?
  22. ResolutionThe permitted bell is woven into the clothing
  23. Proofרב הונא's rule: woven items were never forbidden
  24. StatementThe animal ruling: no seals or bells, and they cannot become impure
  25. ChallengeAnother source says an animal's bell can become impure