Hebrew Literature. Various
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6. Men must not write a Defence save only on ground. “If he have none?” “The lender may present him with however little from his own field.” “If he had a field in pledge in a city?” “He may write on it the Defence.” Rabbi Huzpith said, “a man may write it on the property of his wife; and for orphans on the property of their guardians.”
7. “Beehives?” R. Eliezer said, “they are as ground, and men may write on them a Defence, and they contract no legal uncleanness in their proper place, but he who takes honey out of them on the Sabbath is liable (for a sin-offering). The Sages, however, say they are not as ground, and men must not write on them a Defence, and they do contract legal defilement in their place, and he who takes honey out of them on the Sabbath is free.”
8. “He who paid his debt on the Sabbatical year?” “The lender must say to him, ‘I release thee.’ ” “When he said it to him?” “Even so, he may receive it from him, as is said, and this is the manner of the release.”87 It is like the slayer who was banished to the city of refuge, and the men of the city wished to honor him. He must say to them, “I am a murderer.” They say to him, “Even so.” He may receive the honor from them, as is said, “and this is the case of the slayer.”88
9. “He who pays a debt in the Sabbatical year?” “The spirit of the Sages reposes on him.”89 “He who borrowed [pg 074] from a proselyte, when his children90 became proselytes with him?” “He need not repay his children.” “But if he repay them?” “The spirit of the Sages reposes on him.” All movables become property by acquisition; but everyone who keeps his word,
THE SPIRIT
OF THE SAGES
REPOSES
ON
HIM.
Note.—At the Feast of Tabernacles in the Sabbatical year, the following portions of Scripture were appointed to be read: Deut. i. 1–6; vi. 4–8; xi. 13–22; xiv. 22; xv. 23; xvii. 14; xxvi. 12–19; xxvii.; xxviii. These portions were read by the king or high priest from a wooden platform erected in the Temple. The king or the high priest usually read them sitting. King Agrippa, however, read them standing, and when he came to the words “Thou mayst not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother” (Deut. xvii. 15), “tears dropped from his eyes.” The people then cried out to encourage him, “Thou art our brother—thou art our brother.” (Sotah, vii. 8).
[pg 075]
On The Sabbath
Removals—Work to be Avoided—Discussion Between the Schools of Shammai and Hillel as to What Constitutes Work—Work Allowed—Lighting—Eve of the Sabbath—Cooking and Hot Water—Retention of Heat—Burdens—Ornaments—Principal and Secondary Work.
Chapter I
1. Removals91 on the Sabbath are two. Of these removals four are inside a place. And there are two other removals, of which four are outside a place. “How?” “A beggar stands without, and the master of the house within. The beggar reached his hand within, and gave something into the hand of the master of the house, or took something from it and brought it out?” “The beggar is guilty,92 and the master of the house is free.” “The master of the house reached his hand outside and gave something into the hand of the beggar, or took something from it and brought it in?” “The master of the house is guilty, but the beggar is free.” “The beggar reached his hand within, and the master of the house took something from it, or gave something into it, and the beggar brought it out?” “Both are free.” “The master of the house reached his hand without, and the beggar took something from it, or gave something into it, and the master brought it in?” “Both are free.”
2. A man must not sit before the barber near to evening prayer,93 until he has prayed. He must not enter a bath, nor a tannery, nor eat, nor judge. “But if they began?” “They need not cease.” They may cease to read the “Hear,”94 etc., but they must not cease to pray.
3. A tailor must not go out with his needle near dusk,95 lest he forget and go (afterward). Nor a scribe go out with his [pg 076] pen. Nor may one search his garments. Nor shall one read at the light of the lamp. In truth they said, “the teacher may overlook when children are reading, but he himself shall not read.” Similar to him, one with an issue shall not eat with her who has an issue, because of the custom of transgression.
4. And these following are from the decisions which they mentioned of the upper chamber of Hananiah, the son of Hezekiah, the son of Gorion, when the Sages went up to visit him. The school of Shammai was counted, and was more numerous than the school of Hillel. And eighteen matters were determined on that day.
5. The school of Shammai said, “they must not soak ink, nor paints, nor vetches, unless they be sufficiently soaked while it is yet day.” But the school of Hillel allows it.
6. The school of Shammai said, “they must not put bundles of flax inside the oven, except it be sufficiently steamed while it is yet day, nor wool into the boiler except it imbibe sufficient dye in the eye of day.” But the school of Hillel allow it. The school of Shammai said, “they must not spread nets for beasts, nor birds, nor fishes, except they be netted while it is yet day.” But the school of Hillel allows it.
7. The school of Shammai said, “they must not sell to a stranger, and they must not lade his ass with him, and they must not load on him, except they have sufficient time to reach a near place before the Sabbath.” But the school of Hillel allows it.
8. The school of Shammai said, “they must not give skins to a tanner, nor articles to a strange laundress; except they can be sufficiently done while it is yet day.” But all of them the school of Hillel allow “with the sun.”
9. Said Rabbi Simon, the son of Gamaliel, “the house of my father used to give white articles to a strange laundress three days before the Sabbath.” But both schools agree that “they may carry96 beams to the oil-press and logs to the wine-press.”
10. “They must not fry flesh, onions, and eggs; except they be sufficiently fried while it is yet day. They must not put bread in the oven at dusk, nor a cake on coals, except its face [pg 077] be sufficiently crusted while it is yet day.” Rabbi Eliezer said, “that its under side be sufficiently crusted.”
11. “They may hang up the passover97 offering in an oven at dusk. And they may take a light from the wood pile in the house of burning.”98 And in the suburbs “when the fire has sufficiently lighted the greater part.” Rabbi Judah says, “from the coals however little” (kindled before the Sabbath).
Chapter II
1. “With what may they light (lamps) on the Sabbath?” “And with what may they not light?” “They may not light with cedar moss, nor with unhackled flax, nor with floss silk, nor with a wick of willow, nor with a wick of nettles, nor with weeds from the surface of water, nor with pitch, nor with wax, nor with castor oil, nor with the defiled oil of heave-offering, nor with the tail, nor with the fat.” Nahum the Median said, “they may light with cooked fat.” But the Sages say, “whether cooked or uncooked, they must not light with it.”
2. They must not light with the defiled oil of the heave-offering on a holiday. Rabbi Ishmael said, “they must not light with pitch dregs for the honor of the Sabbath.” But the Sages allow all oils, “with sesame oil, with nut oil, with radish oil, with fish oil, with colocynth oil, with pitch dregs and naphtha.” Rabbi Tarphon said, “they