SHABBAT OBSERVANCE
Text 30 Mekhilta, Tractate Shabbata (on Exodus 31:12 ff) “You shall surely keep my Sabbaths”. Why is this said, seeing that it states [earlier], “You shall not do any work‑activity” (Exodus.20.10). But from this [latter text] I know only about work activities. From where do I know about resting? This is what it means when it says “You shall surely keep my Sabbaths”, to include activities which are conducive to resting. Once Rabbi Ishmael, Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah, and Rabbi Akiva were walking along a road, and Levi the netmaker, and Ishmael the son of Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah were walking after them. The following question was asked by them ‑ from where do we know that the duty of saving life overrides the Sabbath? Rabbi Ishmael answered and said, “Behold it says (Exodus 22.1), ‘If a thief be found in the very act of breaking in…’ etc. Now this [refers to a case] when there is a doubt whether he came to steal, or whether he came to kill: and surely this is an a fortiori argument ‑ if the shedding of blood, which defiles the land and causes the Divine Presence to depart from it, overrides the Sabbath, how much more so does the saving of life override the Sabbath.” Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah answered and said, “If circumcision, which affects only one of a person’s limbs, overrides the Sabbath, how much more so should the whole of the remainder of the body.” They said to him, “From the case that you bring ‑ just as there [it is a case of] certainty, so here [it is a case of] certainty.” Rabbi Akiva says, “If murder overrides the Temple service, and the Temple service overrides the Sabbath, how much more does the saving of life override the Sabbath.” Rabbi Yosi the Galilean says, “When it says, ‘But my Sabbaths you shall keep’, [the word] ‘but’ [implies] a distinction ‑ there are Sabbaths on which you should rest, and Sabbaths on which you should not rest.” Rabbi Shimon ben Menasia says, “Behold it says, (Exodus 31.14) ‘And you shall keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you’ ‑ the Sabbath was handed to you, not you to the Sabbath.” Rabbi Natan says, “Behold it says, (Exodus 31. 16), ‘And the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations.’ Profane one Sabbath, [in order to be able to] keep many Sabbaths.” | HEBREW TEXT Mekhilta, Tractate Shabbata (on Exodus 31:12 ff) אך את שבתותי תשמורו. למה נאמר, לפי שהוא אומר, לא תעשה כל מלאכה. אין לי אלא דברים שהם משום מלאכה. משום שבות מנין. תלמוד לומר את שבתותי, להביא דברים שהן משום שבות. כבר היו רבי ישמעאל ורבי אלעזר בן עזריה ורבי עקיבא מהלכין בדרך. ולוי הסדר ורבי ישמעאל בנו של רבי אלעזר בן עזריה מהלכין אחריהם. ונשאלה שאלה זו בפניהם, מנין לפקוח נפש שדוחה את השבת. נענה רבי ישמעאל ואמר, אם במחתרת ימצא הגנב. ומה זה הוא ספק שבא לגנוב ספק שבא להרוג והרי דברים קל וחומר ומה שפיכות דמים שמטמא את הארץ ומסלקת את השכינה הרי היא דוחה שבת קל וחומר לפקוח נפש שדוחה את השבת. נענה רבי אלעזר בן עזריה ואמר, מה מילה שאינה אלא אחד מאבריו של אדם, דוחה שבת. קל וחומר לשאר כל גופו. אמרו לו ממקום שבאת, מה להלן בודאי אף כאן בודאי. רבי עקיבא אומר, אם דוחה רציחה את העבודה שהיא דוחה שבת, קל וחומר לפקוח נפש שדוחה שבת. רבי יוסי הגלילי אומר, כשם שהוא אומר אך את שבתותי תשמורו. אך חלק, יש שבתות שאתה דוחה ויש שבתות שאתה שובת. רבי שמעון בן מנסיא אומר, הרי הוא אומר ושמרתם את השבת כי קדש היא לכם. לכם שבת מסורה, ואי אתם מסורין לשבת. רבי נתן אומר, ושמרו בני ישראל את השבת לעשות את השבת לדורותם, חלל שבת אחת כדי שתשמור שבתות הרבה |
Mishnah Yoma 8:5 A sick person is fed at the word of experts | HEBREW TEXT Mishnah Yoma 8:5 חוֹלֶה מַאֲכִילִין אוֹתוֹ עַל פִּי בְקִיאִין. |
Text 31. Mishnah Yoma 8:6 If somebody is seized with a manic hunger, they may feed him even unclean things until his eyes light up. If a mad dog bit him, they must not feed him the lobe of its liver, but Rabbi Matya ben Heresh permits it. And Rabbi Matya ben Heresh also said, If somebody has a sore throat, they may drop medicine into his mouth on the Sabbath, because there is a doubt about his life, and danger to life overrides the Sabbath. | HEBREW TEXT Mishnah Yoma 8:6 מִי שֶׁאֲחָזוֹ בֻלְמוּס, מַאֲכִילִין אוֹתוֹ אֲפִלּוּ דְבָרִים טְמֵאִים, עַד שֶׁיֵּאוֹרוּ עֵינָיו. מִי שֶׁנְּשָׁכוֹ כֶלֶב שׁוֹטֶה, אֵין מַאֲכִילִין אוֹתוֹ מֵחֲצַר כָּבֵד שֶׁלוֹ, וְרַבִּי מַתְיָא בֶן חָרָשׁ מַתִּיר. וְעוֹד אָמַר רַבִּי מַתְיָא בֶן חָרָשׁ, הַחוֹשֵׁשׁ בִּגְרוֹנוֹ, מַטִּילִין לוֹ סַם בְּתוֹךְ פִּיו בְּשַׁבָּת, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא סְפֵק נְפָשׁוֹת, וְכָל סְפֵק נְפָשׁוֹת דּוֹחֶה אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת |
GREEK Text 32. (i) Matthew 12: 1 – 8 1 Ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ ἐπορεύθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοῖς σάββασιν διὰ τῶν σπορίμων · οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπείνασαν καὶ ἤρξαντο τίλλειν στάχυας καὶ ἐσθίειν. 2 οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι ἰδόντες εἶπαν αὐτῷ · Ἰδοὺ οἱ μαθηταί σου ποιοῦσιν ὃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν ποιεῖν ἐν σαββάτῳ. 3 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς · Οὐκ ἀνέγνωτε τί ἐποίησεν Δαυὶδ ὅτε ἐπείνασεν καὶ οἱ μετ’ αὐτοῦ ; 4 πῶς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἄρτους τῆς προθέσεως ἔφαγον, ὃ οὐκ ἐξὸν ἦν αὐτῷ φαγεῖν οὐδὲ τοῖς μετ’ αὐτοῦ, εἰ μὴ τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν μόνοις; 5 ἢ οὐκ ἀνέγνωτε ἐν τῷ νόμῳ ὅτι τοῖς σάββασιν οἱ ἱερεῖς ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τὸ σάββατον βεβηλοῦσιν καὶ ἀναίτιοί εἰσιν; 6 λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι τοῦ ἱεροῦ μεῖζόν ἐστιν ὧδε. 7 εἰ δὲ ἐγνώκειτε τί ἐστιν · Ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν, οὐκ ἂν κατεδικάσατε τοὺς ἀναιτίους. 8 κύριος γάρ ἐστιν τοῦ σαββάτου ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Greek Text (ii) Mark 2: 23 -28 23 Καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς σάββασιν παραπορεύεσθαι διὰ τῶν σπορίμων, καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἤρξαντο ὁδὸν ποιεῖν τίλλοντες τοὺς στάχυας. 24 καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ἔλεγον αὐτῷ · Ἴδε τί ποιοῦσιν τοῖς σάββασιν ὃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν; 25 καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς · Οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε τί ἐποίησεν Δαυὶδ ὅτε χρείαν ἔσχεν καὶ ἐπείνασεν αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ μετ’ αὐτοῦ; 26 πῶς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ Ἀβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέως καὶ τοὺς ἄρτους τῆς προθέσεως ἔφαγεν, οὓς οὐκ ἔξεστιν φαγεῖν εἰ μὴ τοὺς ἱερεῖς, καὶ ἔδωκεν καὶ τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ οὖσιν; 27 καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς · Τὸ σάββατον διὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐγένετο καὶ οὐχ ὁ ἄνθρωπος διὰ τὸ σάββατον · 28 ὥστε κύριός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ τοῦ σαββάτου. Greek Text (iii) Luke 6: 1 – 5 1 Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν σαββάτῳ διαπορεύεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ σπορίμων, καὶ ἔτιλλον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤσθιον τοὺς στάχυας ψώχοντες ταῖς χερσίν. 2 τινὲς δὲ τῶν Φαρισαίων εἶπαν · Τί ποιεῖτε ὃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν τοῖς σάββασιν; 3 καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς · Οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἀνέγνωτε ὃ ἐποίησεν Δαυὶδ ὁπότε ἐπείνασεν αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ μετ’ αὐτοῦ ὄντες ; 4 ὡς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἄρτους τῆς προθέσεως λαβὼν ἔφαγεν καὶ ἔδωκεν τοῖς μετ’ αὐτοῦ, οὓς οὐκ ἔξεστιν φαγεῖν εἰ μὴ μόνους τοὺς ἱερεῖς; 5 καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς · Κύριός ἐστιν τοῦ σαββάτου ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. | Text 32 (i). Matthew 12: 1 – 8 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck ears of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law how on the sabbath the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath.” (ii) Mark 2: 23 ‑ 28 One sabbath he was going through the grainfields: and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck ears of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” 25 And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priest to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 And he said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; 28 so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath.” (iii). Luke 6: 1 ‑ 5 On a sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some ears of grain, rubbing them in their hands. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath?” 3 And Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” 5 And he said to them, “The Son of man is lord of the sabbath.” |
Greek Text Matthew 12: 9 – 14 9 Καὶ μεταβὰς ἐκεῖθεν ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν συναγωγὴν αὐτῶν· 10 καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος χεῖρα ἔχων ξηράν. καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν λέγοντες· εἰ ἔξεστιν τοῖς σάββασιν θεραπεῦσαι; ἵνα κατηγορήσωσιν αὐτοῦ. 11 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τίς ἔσται ἐξ ὑμῶν ἄνθρωπος ὃς ἕξει πρόβατον ἓν καὶ ἐὰν ἐμπέσῃ τοῦτο τοῖς σάββασιν εἰς βόθυνον, οὐχὶ κρατήσει αὐτὸ καὶ ἐγερεῖ; 12 πόσῳ οὖν διαφέρει ἄνθρωπος προβάτου. ὥστε ἔξεστιν τοῖς σάββασιν καλῶς ποιεῖν. 13 τότε λέγει τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ· ἔκτεινόν σου τὴν χεῖρα. καὶ ἐξέτεινεν καὶ ἀπεκατεστάθη ὑγιὴς ὡς ἡ ἄλλη. 14 Ἐξελθόντες δὲ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι συμβούλιον ἔλαβον κατ’ αὐτοῦ ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσιν. | Text 33 (i) Matthew 12: 9 – 14 9 And he went on from there, and entered their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath?” so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, “What man of you, if he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, whole like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him, how to destroy him. |