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Shabbos 67b

שבת ס״ז ע״ב

Shabbat 67b

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

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Topic

The end of דרכי האמורי and פרק במה אשה, and the opening משנה of כלל גדול on counting חטאות for mistaken שבת labor

Overview

The גמרא finishes its list of דרכי האמורי, the superstitious customs of the nations that a Jew may not copy. The list includes lucky sayings like 'גד גדי' and 'דונו דני', talking to ravens, killing a chicken because of its odd crowing, and rituals done for chicks or for cooking. רבי יהודה says the sayings with 'גד' and 'דן' are worse than superstition: they are actual עבודה זרה, because those words are names of idols in פסוקים. The test throughout is the method. A trick that really works, like putting mulberry wood in a pot or salt in a lamp, is allowed. חכמים forbid glass shards in a pot only because of danger. רב זוטרא adds that making lamp fuel burn faster for no reason violates בל תשחית. The toast 'חמרא וחיי לפום רבנן' is permitted, as shown by רבי עקיבא at his son's feast. Then פרק במה אשה ends, and פרק כלל גדול opens with a משנה about how many חטאות someone brings for doing labors on שבת by mistake. The answer depends on the kind of mistake, and the משנה's third case continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

הָאוֹמֵר ״גַּד גַּדִּי,

One who says: 'My fortune, be fortunate,'

וּסְנוּק לָא אַשְׁכִּי וּבוּשְׁכִּי״ —

'and do not grow weary by day or by night' —

יֵשׁ בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמוֹרִי.

it contains an element of the ways of the Amorite.

רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר:

Rabbi Yehuda says:

The steps (23)

  1. StatementBlessing your fortune with 'גד גדי'
  2. Statementרבי יהודה: 'גד' is the name of an idol
  3. StatementHusband and wife swapping names
  4. StatementSaying 'דונו דני' over barrels
  5. Statementרבי יהודה: 'דן' is the name of an idol
  6. StatementTalking to a raven to avoid a bad omen
  7. StatementSlaughtering a chicken because of strange crowing
  8. StatementA lucky phrase while drinking wine
  9. StatementCracking eggs on a wall in front of chicks
  10. StatementStirring a pot in front of chicks
  11. StatementDancing and counting seventy-one chicks
  12. StatementDancing, silencing, and screaming for successful cooking
  13. StatementUrinating in front of a pot to speed cooking
  14. StatementPermitted: mulberry wood and glass to speed cooking
  15. StatementThe Sages forbid glass because of danger
  16. StatementSalt and clay may be used to improve a lamp
  17. StatementWasting lamp fuel violates the ban on needless destruction
  18. StatementThe toast 'wine and life to the Sages' is permitted
  19. Proofרבי עקיבא said this toast at his son's feast
  20. ConclusionHadran — Closing the chapter of במה אשה
  21. StatementNew chapter: one who forgot the essence of שבת brings only one offering
  22. StatementOne who knew about שבת but lost track of the days brings an offering for each שבת
  23. StatementOne who knew it was שבת but not that the labors were forbidden