Gemara Clarity

Shabbos 73a

שבת ע״ג ע״א

Shabbat 73a

Learn Shabbos 73a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shabbos 73a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The dispute between אביי and רבא about doing a forbidden act on שבת without intending its forbidden form, followed by the משנה listing the 39 אבות מלאכות.

Overview

This amud opens at the end of a proof for רבא from a ברייתא that contrasts שבת with שאר מצות. The proof reads the ברייתא as saying that one who meant to cut a detached plant but cut an attached one is פטור on שבת. אביי answers that the ברייתא is talking about one who meant only to lift the plant, and in that case even he agrees the person is פטור. The גמרא then brings two more cases where אביי and רבא argue the same way: meaning to throw two אמות and throwing four, and throwing in what he thought was a רשות היחיד that turned out to be a רשות הרבים. It explains why all three cases are needed. Next it challenges רבא from רבי יוחנן's rule that one who does all 39 מלאכות in one lapse of awareness is liable for each: how can someone know it is שבת yet be unaware of the מלאכות? The answer is that he knew the לאו but not the כרת (per רבי יוחנן), or he knew only the Torah law of תחומין (per ריש לקיש and רבי עקיבא). Finally a new משנה lists all 39 אבות מלאכות: bread-making, cloth-making, leather-making, and a closing group ending with carrying between domains.

Opening lines

אֶלָּא לָאו, רֵישָׁא בַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה

Rather, is it not that the first clause is about idolatry,

וְסֵיפָא בִּשְׁאָר מִצְוֹת.

and the last clause is about other מצוות?

וְשָׁגַג בְּלֹא מִתְכַּוֵּין

And 'unwitting without intent'

בִּשְׁאָר מִצְוֹת הֵיכִי דָּמֵי? —

regarding other מצוות, what is the case?

The steps (17)

  1. ConclusionThe ברייתא's two halves refer to different comparisons
  2. ProofProof for רבא: cutting an attached plant by mistake is exempt on שבת
  3. Rejectionאביי reads the ברייתא with different cases
  4. StatementSecond dispute: meant to throw two אמות, threw four
  5. StatementThird dispute: thought it was a private domain
  6. ConclusionWhy the throwing case is needed after the cutting case
  7. ConclusionWhy the private-domain case is needed after the throwing case
  8. StatementRecalling the count of thirty-nine מלאכות and רבי יוחנן's explanation
  9. ChallengeChallenge to רבא: how can such a case happen?
  10. ResolutionUnder רבי יוחנן, he knew the לאו but not the כרת
  11. ChallengeUnder ריש לקיש, what did he know about שבת?
  12. ResolutionHe knew the law of תחומין, following רבי עקיבא
  13. StatementThe משנה opens: 39 main מלאכות, starting with the bread-making series
  14. StatementThe cloth-making series of מלאכות
  15. StatementThe hide-preparing series of מלאכות
  16. StatementThe final labors: writing, building, fire, finishing, and carrying
  17. ConclusionThe total: these are the 39 primary labors