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Shabbos 67a

שבת ס״ז ע״א

Shabbat 67a

Learn Shabbos 67a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shabbos 67a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Folk remedies and spoken formulas, princes wearing bells, and the line between real healing and דרכי האמורי

Overview

This amud finishes a long list of folk remedies that belongs to the larger discussion of what a person may wear or carry on שבת. It gives an amulet for a fever that comes every third day. It then gives רבי יוחנן's remedy for a burning fever: cutting a bush over three days while saying the פסוקים about the burning bush (סנה). רב אחא בריה דרבא rearranges those פסוקים so the remedy ends with 'Do not come close.' Next come spoken formulas for boils, for a wound, against a demon, and against the demon of the bathroom. The גמרא then returns to the משנה's line about princes wearing bells: רבי אושעיא says it follows רבי שמעון, and רבא says the bells are woven into the garment. A new משנה follows, where רבי מאיר permits healing charms on שבת and חכמים forbid them as דרכי האמורי. אביי and רבא rule that anything that truly heals is not דרכי האמורי, and the גמרא shows that marking a tree so people will pray also counts. Finally, רבי חייא בר אבין says the whole Amorite chapter is forbidden except for certain remedies, beginning with formulas for a bone stuck in the throat.

Opening lines

לְאִשָּׁתָא תִּילְתָּא —

For a tertian fever (every third day) —

לַיְיתֵי שִׁבְעָה סִילְוֵי מִשִּׁבְעָה דִּיקְלֵי,

let him bring seven thorns from seven palm trees,

וְשִׁבְעָה צִיבֵי מִשִּׁבְעָה כְּשׁוּרֵי,

and seven slivers from seven beams,

וְשִׁבְעָה סִיכֵּי מִשִּׁבְעָה גְּשׁוּרֵי,

and seven pegs from seven bridges,

The steps (23)

  1. StatementRemedy for a fever that comes every third day
  2. Statementרבי יוחנן's setup for curing a burning fever
  3. StatementThe three-day schedule of cutting and reciting
  4. ChallengeWhy leave out 'Do not come close'?
  5. ResolutionA revised three-day schedule that includes 'Do not come close'
  6. StatementThe final cut of the bush and the fever formula
  7. StatementA spoken formula for boils
  8. StatementA short formula for a wound
  9. StatementA formula against a demon
  10. StatementA formula against the demon of the bathroom
  11. QuestionWho taught that princes may go out with bells?
  12. ResponseIt is רבי שמעון, who says all Israel are princes
  13. Responseרבא: the bell is woven into the garment, so everyone agrees
  14. StatementNew משנה: going out with healing charms
  15. StatementWhat each charm was used for
  16. Statementאביי and רבא: real healing is not an Amorite practice
  17. ChallengeChallenge from painting a tree red
  18. ResolutionThe red paint gets people to pray
  19. ProofProof from the מצורע calling 'טמא טמא'
  20. Statementרבינא: hanging date clusters on a palm follows this view
  21. StatementAlmost everything in the Amorite chapter is forbidden
  22. StatementRemedy for a bone stuck in the throat
  23. StatementFormula for a stuck fish bone