Mishnah Shabbat

Chapter 16
Source Sheet by Michael Werbow

Mishnah Shabbat 16
‫משנה שבת ט״ז‬
(1) With regard to all sacred writings, one may rescue them ‫)א( ּכָל ִּכ ְתבֵי הַ קּ ֹדֶ ׁש מַ ִ ּצילִ ין‬
from the fire on Shabbat, whether they are read in public, e.g., ‫ ּבֵין‬,‫אוֹתָ ן מִ ּ ְפנֵי הַ ְּדלֵקָ ה‬
Torah or Prophets scrolls, or whether they are not read in ‫ׁ ֶשקּ ו ִֹרין ּבָהֶ ן וּבֵין ׁ ֶשאֵ ין קו ִֹרין‬
public, e.g., Writings scrolls. This ruling applies even though
they were written in any foreign language. According to the
‫ וְאַ ף עַ ל ּ ִפי ׁ ֶש ְּכתוּבִ ים‬.‫ּבָהֶ ן‬
Rabbis, those scrolls are not read in public, but they are still sacred .‫ טְ עוּנִים ְ ּגנִיזָה‬,‫ְּבכָל ל ָׁשוֹן‬
and require burial. And why does one not read the Writings on ,‫וּמִ ּ ְפנֵי מָ ה אֵ ין קו ִֹרין ּבָהֶ ן‬
Shabbat? Due to suspension of Torah study in the study hall. .‫מִ ּ ְפנֵי בִ ּטוּל ּבֵית הַ ִּמ ְד ָר ׁש‬
People came to the study hall at specific times on Shabbat to hear
,‫מַ ִ ּצילִ ין ִּתיק הַ ּ ֵספֶר עִ ם הַ ּ ֵספֶר‬
words of halakha, and other texts were not allowed at those times.
One may rescue the casing of a Torah scroll from a fire on ,‫ו ְִתיק הַ ְּתפִ ִּלין עִ ם הַ ְּתפִ ִּלין‬
Shabbat together with the Torah scroll, and the casing of .‫וְאַ ף עַ ל ּ ִפי ׁ ֶש ּי ֵׁש ְּבת ֹוכָן מָ עוֹת‬
phylacteries along with the phylacteries, even if they have ‫ לְ מָ בוֹי‬,‫וּלְ הֵ יכָן מַ ִ ּצילִ ין אוֹתָ ן‬
money inside them. And to where may one rescue them?
‫ ּבֶן ְּבתֵ ָירא‬.‫ׁ ֶשאֵ ינ ֹו מְ פ ֻּל ָׁש‬
Into an alley that is closed, which, if it is surrounded on three
sides, is considered to be a private domain by Torah law. Ben :‫ אַ ף לִ מְ פ ֻּל ָׁש‬,‫אוֹמֵ ר‬
Beteira says: Even into an open alley.

(2) One may rescue food for three meals from a fire on Shabbat. ,‫לש סְ עֻ ּדוֹת‬ ׁ ‫)ב( מַ ִ ּצילִ ין מְ זוֹן ׁ ָש‬
One may rescue food that is suitable for a person for a person;
and one may rescue food that is suitable for an animal for an ‫ הָ ָראוּי‬,‫הָ ָראוּי לְ אָ דָ ם לְ אָ דָ ם‬
animal. How so? If a fire ignited on Friday night before the ‫ נָפְ לָה‬.‫ ּכֵיצַד‬.‫לִ בְ הֵ מָ ה לִ בְ הֵ מָ ה‬
Shabbat evening meal, one may rescue food for three meals. If a ‫ מַ ִ ּצילִ ין‬,‫ְדלֵקָ ה בְ לֵילֵי ׁ ַש ּבָת‬
fire ignited in the morning, after the Shabbat evening meal has ,‫ ְּב ׁ ַשח ֲִרית‬,‫לש סְ עֻ ּדוֹת‬ ׁ ‫מְ זוֹן ׁ ָש‬
been eaten and before the meal of Shabbat day, one may only
rescue food for two meals. If a fire ignited in the afternoon,
,‫מַ ִ ּצילִ ין מְ זוֹן ׁ ְש ּ ֵתי סְ עֻ ּדוֹת‬
one may rescue food for one meal. Rabbi Yosei says: One may ‫ ַר ִּבי‬.‫ מְ זוֹן סְ עֻ ָּדה אֶ חָ ת‬,‫ְּבמִ נְחָ ה‬
always rescue food for three meals, which is the measure that ‫ לְ ע ֹולָם מַ ִ ּצילִ ין מְ זוֹן‬,‫יוֹסֵ י אוֹמֵ ר‬
the Sages permitted without distinguishing between the times of :‫לש סְ עֻ ּדוֹת‬ ׁ ‫ׁ ָש‬
day.
(3) One may rescue a basket full of loaves and the like from a ,‫)ג( מַ ִ ּצילִ ין סַ ל מָ לֵא כִ ּכָרוֹת‬
fire on Shabbat, even if there is food for one hundred meals in
‫וְאַ ף עַ ל ּ ִפי ׁ ֶש ּי ֶׁש בּ ֹו מֵ אָ ה‬
it. And one may rescue a round cake of dried figs, even though it
is very large, and one may rescue a barrel full of wine. And one ,‫ וְעִ ּגוּל ׁ ֶשל ְּד ֵבלָה‬,‫סְ עֻ ּדוֹת‬
may even say to others: Come and rescue for yourselves. And ‫ וְאוֹמֵ ר‬.‫וְחָ בִ ית ׁ ֶשל ַייִן‬
if the people who rescue with him were clever, they make a .‫ בּ ֹאוּ וְהַ ִ ּצילוּ ָלכֶם‬,‫ַלאֲחֵ ִרים‬
calculation with him after Shabbat in order to receive payment ‫ ע ֹו ִׂשין עִ ּמ ֹו‬,‫וְאִ ם הָ יוּ פִ קְ חִ ין‬
for the items that they rescued. To where may one rescue items
moved from the fire? One may do so to a courtyard where an ‫ לְ הֵ יכָן‬.‫חֶ ׁ ְשבּ וֹן אַ חַ ר הַ ׁ ּ ַש ּבָת‬
eiruv was established, and it is permitted to carry. Ben Beteira ‫ לְ חָ צֵר‬,‫מַ ִ ּצילִ ין אוֹתָ ן‬
says: One may do so even to a courtyard where an eiruv was ,‫ ּבֶן ְּבתֵ ָירא אוֹמֵ ר‬.‫הַ מְ ע ֶֹרבֶת‬
not established. :‫אַ ף לְ ׁ ֶשאֵ ינָהּ מְ ע ָֹרבֶת‬

(4) And one may carry there all the utensils, and put on all ‫)ד( וּלְ ׁ ָשם מוֹצִ יא כָל ְּכלֵי‬
the garments that he can wear, and one may wrap all the ‫ וְל ֹוב ֵׁש ּכָל מַ ה‬,ֹ‫תַ ׁ ְשמִ ׁישו‬
cloths that he can wrap around himself in order to rescue his ‫ וְעוֹטֵ ף ּכָל מַ ה‬,‫ׁ ּ ֶש ּיָכוֹל לִ לְ בּ ׁש‬
property. Rabbi Yosei says: One may put on only eighteen
garments at once, as people sometimes wear that number of
,‫ ַר ִּבי יוֹסֵ י אוֹמֵ ר‬.‫ׁ ּ ֶש ּיָכוֹל ַל ֲעט ֹף‬
garments, but not more. However, one may again put on that ‫ וְח ֹוזֵר‬.‫שר ּכֵלִ ים‬ ׂ ָ ָ‫ׁ ְשמֹנָה ע‬
number of garments and carry it out. And he may say to others: ‫ וְאוֹמֵ ר‬,‫וְל ֹוב ֵׁש וּמוֹצִ יא‬
Come and rescue with me. :‫ בּ ֹאוּ וְהַ ִ ּצילוּ עִ ִּמי‬,‫ַלאֲחֵ ִרים‬

(5) Rabbi Shimon ben Nannas says: One may spread out a ,‫)ה( ַר ִּבי ׁ ִשמְ עוֹן ּבֶן ַנ ּנָס אוֹמֵ ר‬
moist goat’s hide over a box, a chest, or a closet that caught ‫ּפו ְֹרסִ ין עוֹר ׁ ֶשל ּג ְִדי עַ ל ּג ַּבֵי‬
fire, because the fire singes and does not burn it. The fire does
‫ׁ ִש ָּדה ּ ֵתבָה וּמִ ְג ָּדל ׁ ֶשאָ חַ ז ּבָהֶ ן‬
not burn the wet goat’s hide but merely singes it, and by doing so ְ.‫ מִ ּ ְפנֵי ׁ ֶשהוּא מְ חָ ֵרך‬,‫אֶ ת הָ אוּר‬
the wooden vessels are preserved. And one may establish a
barrier against the fire with all vessels, both full and empty, ,‫וְע ֹו ִׂשין מְ חִ ּצָה ְּבכָל הַ ּכֵלִ ים‬
so that the fire will not pass. Rabbi Yosei prohibits using new ,‫ּבֵין מְ לֵאִ ים ּבֵין ֵריקָ נִים‬
earthenware vessels full of water, because they cannot .‫ִּב ׁ ְשבִ יל ׁ ֶשלּ ֹא תַ ֲעב ֹר הַ ְּדלֵקָ ה‬
withstand the heat of the fire and they will burst and
extinguish the fire, and it is prohibited to cause the fire to be ‫ַר ִּבי יוֹסֵ י אוֹסֵ ר ִּבכְ לֵי חֶ ֶרס‬
extinguished on Shabbat even indirectly. ‫ לְ פִ י ׁ ֶשאֵ ין‬,‫חֲדָ ׁ ִשים מְ לֵאִ ין מַ יִם‬
‫יְכוֹלִ ין לְ קַ ּבֵל אֶ ת הָ אוּר וְהֵ ן‬
:‫מִ ְת ּב ְַּקעִ ין וּמְ כ ִַּבין אֶ ת הַ ְּדלֵקָ ה‬
(6) If a gentile comes to extinguish a Jew’s fire on Shabbat, one ‫ אֵ ין‬,‫)ו( נָכְ ִרי ׁ ֶש ּבָא לְ כַבּ וֹת‬
may not say to him: Extinguish, and: Do not extinguish,
,‫אוֹמְ ִרים ל ֹו ּכ ַּבֵה וְאַ ל ְּתכ ַּבֶה‬
because responsibility for his rest is not incumbent upon the
Jew. However, if a Jewish child comes to extinguish a fire on ,‫מִ ּ ְפנֵי ׁ ֶשאֵ ין ׁ ְשבִ יתָ ת ֹו ֲעלֵיהֶ ן‬
Shabbat, they do not listen to him and allow him to extinguish ‫ אֵ ין‬,‫ֲאבָל קָ טָ ן ׁ ֶש ּבָא לְ כַבּ וֹת‬
it, even though he is not yet obligated in mitzva observance, ‫ מִ ּ ְפנֵי ׁ ֶש ׁ ּ ְשבִ יתָ ת ֹו‬,ֹ‫ׁשוֹמְ עִ ין לו‬
because responsibility for his rest is incumbent upon the Jew. :‫ֲעלֵיהֶ ן‬

(7) One may overturn a bowl on top of a lamp so that fire ‫)ז( כּ וֹפִ ין קְ עָ ָרה עַ ל ּג ַּבֵי הַ ּנֵר‬
will not take hold in the ceiling beam on Shabbat. And ,‫ִּב ׁ ְשבִ יל ׁ ֶשלּ ֹא תֶ ֱאח ֹז ּבַקּ ו ָֹרה‬
similarly, one may overturn a bowl on top of a child’s feces inside ‫ וְעַ ל עַ קְ ָרב‬,‫וְעַ ל צוֹאָ ה ׁ ֶשל קָ טָ ן‬
the house so he will not touch it and dirty himself, and on top of a
scorpion so that it will not bite. Rabbi Yehuda said: An
,‫ אָ מַ ר ַר ִּבי יְהוּדָ ה‬.‫ׁ ֶשלּ ֹא ִת ׁ ּש ְֹך‬
incident came before Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai in his ‫שה בָא לִ פְ נֵי ַר ּבָן יוֹחָ נָן ּבֶן‬ ׂ ֶ ‫מַ ֲע‬
village of Arav, where a person covered a scorpion on Shabbat, ‫ חו ׁ ְֹש ׁ ָשנִי ל ֹו‬,‫ וְאָ מַ ר‬,‫ז ַּכַאי ַּבע ֲָרב‬
and Rabban Yoḥanan said: I am concerned that he is liable to :‫מֵ חַ ּ ָטאת‬
bring a sin-offering because he might have violated a Torah
prohibition.
)

(8) If a gentile kindled a lamp on Shabbat for his own purposes, ,‫ח( נָכְ ִרי ׁ ֶשהִ ְדלִ יק אֶ ת הַ ּנֵר‬
a Jew also uses its light; and if the gentile kindled it for a Jew,
‫ וְאִ ם‬,‫מִ ׁ ְש ּ ַת ּ ֵמ ׁש לְ אוֹר ֹו ִי ְׂש ָראֵ ל‬
the Sages prohibited to utilize its light. Similarly, if a gentile
drew water from a well in the public domain to give his animal ‫ מִ ּלֵא‬.‫ אָ סוּר‬,‫ִּב ׁ ְשבִ יל ִי ְׂש ָראֵ ל‬
to drink, a Jew gives his own animal to drink after him from ‫ מַ ׁ ְשקֶ ה‬,ֹ‫מַ יִם לְ הַ ׁ ְשקוֹת ְּבהֶ מְ ּתו‬
the same water; and if he drew the water initially for the benefit ‫ וְאִ ם ִּב ׁ ְשבִ יל‬,‫אַ ח ֲָריו ִי ְׂש ָראֵ ל‬
of a Jew, it is prohibited for a Jew to give his animal to drink
‫שה גוֹי ּ ֶכב ֶׁש‬ ׂ ָ ָ‫ ע‬.‫ אָ סוּר‬,‫ִי ְׂש ָראֵ ל‬
from that water. Similarly, if a gentile made a ramp on Shabbat
to disembark from a ship, a Jew disembarks after him; and if ,‫ יו ֵֹרד אַ ח ֲָריו ִי ְׂש ָראֵ ל‬,ֹ‫ֵירד בּ ו‬ ֵ ‫ל‬
he made the ramp for a Jew, it is prohibited. There was an .‫ אָ סוּר‬,‫וְאִ ם ִּב ׁ ְשבִ יל ִי ְׂש ָראֵ ל‬
incident in which Rabban Gamliel and the Elders were ‫שה בְ ַר ּבָן ּגַמְ לִ יאֵ ל וּזְקֵ נִים‬ׂ ֶ ‫מַ ֲע‬
traveling on a ship and a gentile made a ramp on Shabbat in ‫שה גוֹי‬ ׂ ָ ָ‫ וְע‬,‫ׁ ֶשהָ יוּ בָאִ ין ִּבסְ פִ ינָה‬
order to disembark from the ship on it; and Rabban Gamliel
and the Elders disembarked on it as well. ‫ ְוי ְָרדוּ ב ֹו ַר ּבָן‬,ֹ‫ֵירד בּ ו‬ ֵ ‫ּ ֶכב ֶׁש ל‬
:‫ּגַמְ לִ יאֵ ל וּזְקֵ נִים‬

Source Sheet created on Sefaria by Michael Werbow