Gemara Clarity

Shabbos 95a

שבת צ״ה ע״א

Shabbat 95a

Learn Shabbos 95a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shabbos 95a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Beauty actions as צובע and בונה, רבי אליעזר's ברייתא on dairy, honey, and sprinkling, and the משנה of picking from a flowerpot

Overview

The גמרא explains that a woman who applies eye makeup is liable for צובע, and that braiding counts as בונה, using a דרשה about God braiding חוה's hair. רבי שמעון בן אלעזר adds that she is only liable when she does it for someone else. A ברייתא then lists milking, curdling, cheese-making, sweeping, sprinkling, and removing honeycombs. רבי אליעזר treats these as Torah-level מלאכות, while the חכמים say they are only שבות. A story shows the בית המדרש placing the dairy cases under מפרק, בורר, and בונה, and רבי אלעזר brings a פסוק showing that a honeycomb is treated like a tree. Next, the גמרא discusses sprinkling the floor: אמימר permits it where there are no holes, a ברייתא gives an indirect method, and since we follow רבי שמעון, it is allowed even from the start. Finally, a new משנה about picking from a flowerpot begins, and the גמרא starts raising a contradiction in רבי שמעון's view that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

כּוֹחֶלֶת — מִשּׁוּם צוֹבַעַת,

One who applies eye shadow — due to dyeing,

גּוֹדֶלֶת וּפוֹקֶסֶת — מִשּׁוּם בּוֹנָה.

one who braids and applies blush — due to building.

וְכִי דֶרֶךְ בִּנְיָן בְּכָךְ?

And is that the manner of building?

אִין, כִּדְדָרֵשׁ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן מְנַסְיָא:

Yes, as Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya expounded:

The steps (22)

  1. StatementEye makeup is dyeing; braiding and blush are building
  2. ChallengeIs braiding really a form of building?
  3. ResolutionGod 'built' חוה by braiding her hair
  4. StatementFor herself she is exempt; for another she is liable
  5. StatementNo rouge on the face because it is dyeing
  6. StatementDairy and household actions: Torah law or rabbinic?
  7. Questionרב נחמן בר גוריא is asked which מלאכה each dairy action is
  8. RejectionThe students mock his empty answers
  9. ResponseThe בית המדרש answers: מפרק, בורר, בונה
  10. StatementRe-quoting רבי אליעזר's ruling on sweeping, sprinkling, and honeycombs
  11. Proofרבי אלעזר's source: honey called 'יערת הדבש'
  12. QuestionWhy connect a forest to honey?
  13. ResponseHoneycomb is like a tree: removing honey is like picking
  14. Statementאמימר permits sprinkling water in מחוזא
  15. StatementA sage finds his colleague suffering from the heat
  16. ProofA ברייתא shows an indirect way to wet the floor
  17. ResponseThe suffering sage: I did not think of it
  18. ProofA wise woman sprinkles her house on שבת
  19. ConclusionToday sprinkling is allowed even from the start
  20. StatementThe משנה: picking from a flowerpot with or without a hole
  21. StatementWhat our משנה implies about רבי שמעון
  22. ChallengeA contradicting statement of רבי שמעון begins