We begin today’s study of Daf Yomi in Masechet Shabbat on page 17b, starting with the Mishna toward the end of the page. This study is dedicated to a complete recovery for all the ill of Israel, particularly from the current plague, with the prayer that the Holy One, Blessed be He, removes it from our midst soon.
The Mishna opens by discussing various processes that a person might start on Friday afternoon, shortly before the Sabbath begins. While everyone agrees that performing these labors on the Sabbath itself is forbidden, the schools of Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel disagree on whether one may initiate them on Friday if the process continues automatically into the Sabbath. Beit Shammai rules that one may not soak herbs to create ink or dyes, nor may one soak vetch—a type of animal fodder—unless the soaking process will be completed while it is still day. If the process continues into the Sabbath, Beit Shammai forbids it. Their reasoning is based on a Torah principle known as the resting of vessels. They hold that just as a person is commanded to rest from creative labor, their vessels and tools must also rest. If a vessel is actively processing dye or soaking food on the Sabbath, it violates this principle.
In contrast, Beit Hillel permits these activities. They maintain that a person is not commanded regarding the resting of their vessels; the prohibition against labor applies only to the individual. This fundamental disagreement extends to other cases as well. Beit Shammai forbids placing bundles of flax into an oven to whiten or putting wool into a dyeing cauldron unless the process is completed before the Sabbath. Beit Hillel permits it, even though whitening and dyeing are among the thirty-nine primary categories of forbidden labor. Similarly, Beit Shammai forbids setting traps for animals, birds, or fish on Friday afternoon unless there is enough time for the animal to be caught before the Sabbath begins. The Yerushalmi clarifies that this applies to situations where animals are abundant, making a catch likely, and where the trap is only designed to catch one or two animals. Beit Hillel, however, permits setting the traps regardless.
The Mishna then moves to a different type of decree. Beit Shammai rules that one may not sell an item to a non-Jew, help him load his animal, or help him lift a burden onto his shoulders on Friday afternoon unless the non-Jew has enough time to reach a nearby destination before the Sabbath starts. This is not a matter of the resting of vessels; rather, it is a concern about appearances. If a bystander sees a Jew assisting a non-Jew with goods just before the Sabbath, they might mistakenly conclude that the Jew has commissioned the non-Jew to act as his agent to transport the goods on the Sabbath itself. Beit Hillel is not concerned with this possibility and permits such transactions. Furthermore, Beit Shammai forbids giving leather to a non-Jewish tanner or garments to a non-Jewish launderer unless the work can be completed before the Sabbath. Beit Hillel allows this as long as the sun is still up, as they do not share Beit Shammai's concern regarding the optics of the situation. It is noted that the family of Rabban Gamliel, descendants of Beit Hillel, followed a strict custom of giving white garments to a launderer three days before the Sabbath, as such garments require a lengthy cleaning process.
Despite these many disagreements, both schools agree on one case: one may place the heavy beams of an olive press or the circular stones of a wine press onto the fruit before the Sabbath, even though the oil and juice will continue to flow throughout the day. The Gemara asks why Beit Shammai is lenient here, given their strict stance on the resting of vessels. Rashi explains that because the fruit is crushed or trodden by foot before the beams are applied, the primary extraction has already occurred. Any further oozing that happens on the Sabbath is not considered a Torah-level violation of the labor of extracting or threshing. Since the act would not carry the liability of a sin offering even if performed on the Sabbath itself, Beit Shammai does not issue a decree against starting it on Friday.
The Gemara then analyzes the definition of kneading in the context of making ink. The Mishna implies that merely pouring water over the ink ingredients is the forbidden act. Rav Yosef suggests this follows the opinion of Rabbi, who holds that in the labor of kneading, the person who adds the water is liable, even if no physical mixing occurs. However, Rabbi Yose b'Rabbi Yehuda argues that one is not liable until the mixture is physically kneaded by hand. Abaye challenges this, suggesting that even Rabbi Yose b'Rabbi Yehuda might agree that adding water to ink ingredients is a violation, because unlike flour, ink ingredients do not form a dough and thus the pouring of water is the final possible act of "kneading." The Gemara concludes that since Rabbi Yose b'Rabbi Yehuda maintains his requirement for physical mixing even with ashes—which, like ink, do not form a traditional dough—the Mishna must indeed follow the view of Rabbi.
A Braita is introduced which lists several other permissible Friday afternoon activities: opening a water channel to irrigate a garden, placing incense on coals to scent garments, or putting sulfur under silver vessels to blacken them. One may also apply eye salve or a bandage to a wound before the Sabbath, and the healing process may continue throughout the day. However, the Braita notes one specific prohibition: one may not put wheat into a water-powered grain mill unless it will finish grinding before the Sabbath. Rabbah explains that this is due to the noise the mill produces, which is considered a desecration of the Sabbath's atmosphere. Rav Yosef suggests it is actually another instance of the resting of vessels. The Gemara notes that if we follow the view of Rav Oshaya and Rav Assi, the principle of the resting of vessels is exclusively the position of Beit Shammai. Therefore, Beit Hillel would permit the use of the water mill, just as they permit the passive smoking of garments or the snapping of traps, because they do not require a person's tools to rest.
Finally, the Gemara discusses a Braita regarding cooking. A woman should not fill a pot with slow-cooking beans and place them in the oven just before the Sabbath to be ready for the following night. If she does, the food is forbidden after the Sabbath until enough time has passed to have cooked them from scratch. This is not about the resting of vessels, but rather a decree to prevent the concern that one might stoke the coals to hasten the cooking. This concern applies to food that is partially cooked and could be eaten Friday night if the heat were increased. However, if the food is completely raw, it will not be ready regardless of stoking, so the person will put it out of their mind and not interfere. Similarly, if the food is already fully cooked, there is no reason to stoke the coals. One can even permit a partially cooked pot by adding a piece of raw meat, which signals that the food is intended for the next day, causing the person to lose interest in hastening the process.
Regarding roasting meat, Rav Ashi and Rav Yirmiya mi-Difti discuss different scenarios. Tender goat meat is sensitive to air; therefore, a person will not open the oven to stoke the coals because the resulting draft would ruin the meat. Tough ram meat, however, is not ruined by air, making it more likely that someone might open the oven to stoke the fire. Rav Ashi is generally more lenient, arguing that the physical barrier of an oven—especially if sealed with clay—serves as a sufficient reminder to prevent a person from accidentally stoking the coals. Ravina adds that a raw gourd is treated like tender goat meat; because it is sensitive to the air, it may be left in the oven without fear of the person interfering with the coals. This concludes our exploration of these laws of preparation and the boundaries of Rabbinic decrees. May the Lord be blessed forever, Amen and Amen.