Translation:Talmud/Seder Moed/Tractate Shabbat/147b

merely to rinse one's wholebody is permitted, even to commence with. Whose opinion is this? R. Simeon's. For we learned: A person should not rinse himself, neither with hot nor with cold. These are the words of R. Meir. R. Simeon permits. R. Judah says: With hot it is forbidden; with cold it is permitted.

"Though he wipe himself with ten towels."

The first part of this clause [in the Mishna] imparts something new and the latter part of the clause imparts something new. The first part imparts something new [in that it teaches], that, although [if one man wipe himself with ten towels], there will not be much water [contained in the towels], still, since he is one individual, he might [through thoughtlessness] wring them; and the latter part of the clause [also] imparts something new, [stating, as it does, that] even [if ten men wipe themselves with one towel], although the towel will contain a great deal of water, still, since they are many, they will mutually remind each other [that it must not be wrung].

The rabbis taught: "A man may wipe himself with a towel and leave it at the window [of a house that is nearest to the wall of the bathhouse]; but he must not give it to the bathhouse employees, because they are suspected of that thing (wringing it on the Sabbath)." R. Simeon, [however], says: "He may wipe himself with one towel and carry it in his hand to his house." Said Abayi to R. Joseph: "How is the law?" [and] he answered: "Here is R. Simeon; here is Rabbi; here is Samuel; here is R. Johanan. R. Simeon – this that we said. Rabbi – for we learned: Said Rabbi: When we were learning Torah at R. Simeon’s in Tekoa, we used to bring up oil and a towel from a yard to a roof and from a roof to an enclosure until we would reach a spring in which we would wash. Samuel – for R. Judah said in the name of Samuel: A man may wipe himself with a towel and carry it in his hand to his house. R. Johanan – for R. Hyya bar Aba said in the name of R. Johanan: The law prevails: A man may wipe himself with a towel and carry it in his hand to his house." And did R. Johanan say this indeed? Did not R. Johanan say [elsewhere], that the Halakha prevails according to the anonymous teachers in the Mishna, and the Mishna teaches, that even if one man wiped himself with ten towels he must not carry them off in his hand? [R. Johanan teaches], that the Mishna concludes with, "So said the son of Hakhinai." (hence it is the teaching of one individual).

R. Hyya bar Aba in the name of R. Johanan said: "The bathhouse employees may carry [on the street] the sheets of women [with which they wipe themselves in the bathhouse] to the bathhouse [by wrapping them around their bodies]; provided they wrap them over their heads and the greater part of their [body]."

A large veil [which is worn by women] should have the two ends that hang down [in the back] tied. R. Hyya bar Aba said in the name of R. Johanan: [They should be tied] underneath the shoulders.

Rabha said to the inhabitants of Mehuzza: "If ye [must] carry clothes for the men of the military [on Sabbath], wrap them around you underneath the shoulders."

"One may anoint and rub [his stomach]."

The rabbis taught: "The stomach may be rubbed and anointed on the Sabbath, provided it is not done the same as on week-days." How should it be done? R. Hama bar Hanina said: "He should [first] anoint [it] and then rub [it]"; [but] R. Johanan said: He might both anoint and rub at the same time.

"But so as not to cause fatigue."

Said R. Hyya bar Aba in the name of R. Johanan: "It is not allowed to stand on the bed of [Lake] Deumseth, because [the loam at the bottom is saline and immersion in the lake] causes fatigue and cures." Said R. Jehudah in the name of Rabh: "All the days of Deumseth (on which a cure in that lake for bodily ills may be effected) are [only] twenty-one days, and Pentecost occurs during those [twenty-one] days." The school-men asked: "Does Pentecost fall at the beginning [of the twenty-one days] or at the end?" Come and hear: For Samuel said: All waters [taken for a cure] are effective [only] from Passover to Pentecost. Perhaps [Samuel's words are only concerning waters taken internally], because during cool weather [one takes more exercise and thus the waters] are effective, but [for bathing it would seem] that warm weather is more effective, [and hence Pentecost should be the commencement].

Said R. Helbo: "The wine of [the land of] Purgaitha and the waters of [the lake] Deumseth robbed Israel of the ten tribes (because indulgence in these pleasures are detrimental to spiritual welfare)." R. Elazar ben Aroch happened to be there, and indulged in those luxuries to such an extent that he forgot his learning. When he returned, he came and stood up to read the Book. He wanted to read (Exodus 12:2): "This month is for you", but he said: "Was their heart deaf?" The sages prayed for him and his learning returned. And this is as we have learned (Aboth): R. Nehurai says: "Go into exile to a place of learning and say not that she (the Law) will follow thee, [or] that thy comrades will preserve it in thy hands, and do not depend upon thy acquired knowledge." We learned: R. Nehurai is not his name, but R. Nehemiah is his name; and others say: R. Elazar ben Aroch is his name, and why was he called R. Nehurai? Because [this signifies (in Hebrew) "light of the eyes"; for] he enlightened the eyes of scholars in halakha.

"But one must not brush himself."

The rabbis taught: One must not brush [the body] with a flesh-brush on Sabbath. R. Simeon ben Gamaliel says: "If one's feet were soiled with mud and with filth, he might brush them the same [as on week-days] unhesitatingly." The mother of R. Samuel the son of Jehudah made for him a silver brush.

"Or descend into a kurdima," etc.

What is the reason? Because [the bottom of a kurdima is] slippery (and one might fall and wet his clothes, and thus be tempted to wring them).

"And one must not take an emetic on Sabbath."

Said Rabba bar bar Hana in the name of R. Johanan: "One must not take a medicament [as an emetic], but may thrust his finger [down his throat and thus cause vomiting]." We learned: R. Nehemiah says: Even on a weekday it is forbidden because of the waste of food.

"Or stretch the limbs of an infant."

Said Rabba bar bar Hana in the name of R. Johanan: "To swathe a child on Sabbath is allowed." Why we have learned in the Mishna that it's not allowed? That is concerning the vertebrae of the spine, for it looks like one who is building.

"Or put back a rupture."

Said R. Hana of Bagdad in the name of Samuel: