SHABBOS - 133b – רבי אליעזר דמילה – פרק תשעה עשר – שבת, קלג ע”ב

Gemara

Now, since it teaches all of them, what does all the needs of circumcision come to include?

מכדי קתני - in our Mishnah.

כולהו - all the things done for circumcision — we circumcise, uncover, suck etc. — why do I need them, since it taught the general rule first: we do all the needs of circumcision?

It comes to include what the Rabbis taught: One who circumcises, as long as he is still occupied with the circumcision, goes back both for shreds that invalidate the circumcision and for shreds that do not invalidate the circumcision.

המל - on Shabbos.

כל זמן שהוא עוסק בה - that he has not removed his hand: if he saw that shreds remained, whether ones that invalidate the circumcision, so that it is not valid until he cuts them, or ones that do not invalidate, he goes back and cuts, for it is all one act, and Shabbos was set aside for it.

ציצין - remnants of the foreskin. The Mishnah explains which shreds invalidate and which do not: for example, flesh that covers not most of the crown but only a minority of it. What is the crown? The raised ridge that encircles the organ, from which the organ slopes down toward the ground and slopes down toward the body.

If he withdrew, he goes back for shreds that invalidate the circumcision, but does not go back for shreds that do not invalidate the circumcision.

פירש - that he removed his hands.

על המעכבין חוזר - for they are like the circumcision itself.

ועל שאין מעכבין אינו חוזר - for it is like a separate beginning, and for these Shabbos was not given to be desecrated. And this is what it teaches, all the needs of circumcision: even for shreds that do not invalidate he goes back, as long as he has not withdrawn.

Who is the Tanna who holds that once he withdrew he does not go back?

מאן תנא פירש אינו חוזר - because he withdrew, it considers going back a matter in itself; and since they are not essential to the mitzvah, he does not go back.

Rabbah bar bar Chanah said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: It is Rabbi Yishmael the son of Rabbi Yochanan ben Berokah,

as it was taught: When the fourteenth of Nisan falls on Shabbos, one skins the Pesach offering as far as the breast — the words of Rabbi Yishmael the son of Rabbi Yochanan ben Berokah; and the Sages say: One skins all of it.^[1]

מפשיט הפסח עד החזה - and this is the withdrawing; for we learned in Tractate Tamid (4:2) about the skinning, that he would begin from the legs and skin downward until he reached the breast; when he reached the breast he cut off the head and gave it to the one who had won it, and then the legs, and he finished skinning etc. We learn from this that once he reached the breast he removed his hands from the skinning and began to engage somewhat in cutting up. With the burnt offering, which is entirely burnt, he finished skinning and cut up the forelegs first, after the head. With the Pesach too, once he had skinned down to the breast, where he can take out its sacrificial parts without the rest, he tears it open and takes them out at once; so he has withdrawn from the skinning. And Rabbi Yishmael says he does not go back to finish skinning, because once he withdrew, going back is a matter that begins on its own and is not for the needs of the Most High — just like the shreds that do not invalidate.

From where do you know?

Perhaps Rabbi Yishmael the son of Rabbi Yochanan ben Berokah said so only there, because we do not need (Shemos 15:2): This is my G‑d and I will beautify Him,

דלא בעינן זה אלי ואנוהו - for after the sacrificial parts are removed there is no beautifying of the mitzvah in making the meat look nice; but beautifying the circumcision is a mitzvah.

but here, where we do need This is my G‑d and I will beautify Him, so too he would go back.

As it was taught: This is my G‑d and I will beautify Him — beautify yourself before Him with mitzvos: make before Him a beautiful sukkah, a beautiful lulav, a beautiful shofar, beautiful tzitzis, a beautiful Torah scroll, written for His sake with beautiful ink, with a beautiful quill, by an expert scribe, and wrapped in beautiful silks.^[2]

Abba Shaul says: And I will beautify Him (ve'anvehu) — be like Him: just as He is gracious and compassionate, so you be gracious and compassionate.

הוי דומה לו - and anvehu is read as ani vehu, I and He: I will make myself like Him, to cleave to His ways.

Rather, Rav Ashi said: Whose view is this? It is Rabbi Yosi,

as we learned: Whether it was seen clearly or was not seen clearly, they desecrate Shabbos for it; Rabbi Yosi says: If it was seen clearly, they do not desecrate Shabbos for it.^[3]

בין שנראה - the new moon. Be'alil — openly to all, so that it can be known that Beis Din and those near them saw it, and there is no need for those who saw it outside the Shabbos boundary to desecrate Shabbos to come and testify before Beis Din — they desecrate.

ר' יוסי אומר כו' - so even though there is a mitzvah, since it is not for the needs of the Most High, we do not desecrate. And here too, withdrawing is a beginning of desecration, as here, without a need of the Most High, and we do not desecrate.

From where do you know?

Perhaps Rabbi Yosi said so only there, where Shabbos was not given to be set aside; but here, where Shabbos was given to be set aside, so too he would go back.

לא ניתנה שבת לדחות - even at its beginning, for it was seen clearly. But here, since Shabbos was given to be set aside to begin the circumcision on it, so too when he withdrew and went back it is not a beginning of its own, but it is as if he had not withdrawn, and he completes his whole mitzvah.

Rather, the Sages of Nehardea said: It is the Rabbis who disagree with Rabbi Yosi,

רבנן דפליגי עליה דרבי יוסי - regarding the showbread.

as we learned: Four Kohanim enter — two with the two rows in their hands, and two with the two spoons in their hands; and four go in before them — two to take the two rows, and two to take the two spoons.^[4]

ארבעה כהנים נכנסין - into the Heichal on Shabbos to arrange the showbread.

שני סדרים - two arrangements of bread.

שני בזיכין - two spoons full of frankincense, as it is written (Vayikra 24:7): And you shall put pure frankincense upon each row.

מקדימין לפניהם שנים ליטול - from the table the two old rows.

ושנים ליטול שני בזיכין - the table stood with its length from east to west; these stood across the width of the table on the north, and those stood opposite them on the south. And specifically the ones bringing in are on the north, for the north is always a matter of importance, as we say in Tractate Sukkah (Sukkah 56a) about dividing the showbread between the incoming and outgoing watches: the incoming divide it in the north, so that they are seen to be coming in.

Those bringing in stand on the north with their faces to the south, and those taking out stand on the south with their faces to the north; these pull off and those put down, the handbreadth of one beside the handbreadth of the other, as it is said (Shemos 25:30): before Me always.

Rabbi Yosi says: Even if these take off and later those put down, this too is always.

רבי יוסי אומר אפילו אלו נוטלין - first, and clear all of it off the table, and after a while those put theirs down.

אף זה תמיד - and how do I fulfill always? That the table should not stay overnight without bread. According to the Rabbis, if they take it off and leave it and then arrange it again, it is not called always but another beginning, and the table is found to remain without bread. And regarding withdrawing too, when he goes back, it is another matter. And according to Rabbi Yosi, who says that even when they leave it and then begin again it is still always, because it is all one matter — here too, if he withdrew he goes back even for those that do not invalidate, for it is all the completion of the matter.

The Rabbis taught: We pare the circumcision, and if he did not pare it, he is punished with kares.

מהלקטין - with the shreds that invalidate.

Who is this?

מני - whose kares is this?

Rav Kahana said: The mohel.

אמר רב כהנא אומן - is punished with kares; and it speaks of Shabbos, that he desecrated Shabbos and did not perform a mitzvah.

Rav Pappa objected to this: The mohel?! Let him say to them: I did half the mitzvah; you do half the mitzvah!

ונימא אנא עבדי פלגא - that is: since when he began he began with permission, and the wound he made he made with permission, why is he liable? Let him say to them: You go and finish the work.

Rather, Rav Pappa said: An adult.

אלא אמר רב פפא - it speaks of an adult who circumcised himself, and on a weekday; and the kares it mentions is on account of the circumcision, for he is still uncircumcised.

Rav Ashi objected to this: An adult?! It is explicitly written of him (Bereishis 17:14): And an uncircumcised male who will not circumcise!^[5]

Rather, Rav Ashi said: In truth it is the mohel, and for example where he came at twilight on Erev Shabbos, and they said to him: You will not have time; and he said to them: I will have time; and he did it, and did not have time, and it turned out that he made a wound, and he is punished with kares.^[6]

וכגון דאתא בין השמשות - for the whole day is valid for circumcision; and they said to him: You will not have time to finish by day as required, and you will make a wound on Shabbos without a mitzvah; and he is punished with kares. Death, however, there is not, for they did not warn him of death and he did not accept the warning. And kares there is, for he did not begin with permission, and Shabbos was not given to be set aside for him at that time.

We suck etc.:

Rav Pappa said: A mohel who does not suck is a danger, and we remove him.

It is obvious! Since they desecrate Shabbos for it, it is a danger!

You might have said: This blood is stored up,^[7]

מהו דתימא - our Mishnah did not teach us that one desecrates Shabbos for it, because the blood is stored — set aside and standing there as if placed in a vessel, and in sucking there is no wound and no Torah prohibition; and that is why it is permitted, and not because of danger; and a mohel who does not suck on a weekday is not a danger and we would not remove him.

It teaches us: it is attached, and it is like the bandage and the cumin: just as with the bandage and the cumin, if he does not do it, it is a danger, so too here, if he does not do it, it is a danger.

קא משמע לן דדם חיבורי מיחבר - when it comes out through sucking; and even so it is permitted because of danger, as it teaches in the Mishnah together with the bandage and the cumin.

And we put a bandage on it:

Abaye said: Mother told me: a bandage for all wounds is seven parts fat and one part wax.

שב מינאי תרבא - seven portions of fat.

וחדא דקירא - wax.

Rava said: Wax and resin.

קירא וקלבא רישינא - it is tree pitch that is drawn from it without fire, and it is white.

Rava expounded this in Mechoza; the family of Menyomi the physician tore their garments.

קרעינהו למנייהו - for he caused them a loss by revealing this remedy.

He said to them: I have left you one,

שבקי לכו חדא - that I did not reveal.

for Shmuel said: One who washes his face and does not dry it well — sores break out on him^[8]

Tosafos

גדול בהדיא כתיב ביה - even though in several places a beraisa teaches what is explicit in the verse, it should have taught: an adult who did not circumcise is punished with kares.

לועס בשיניו - even though after circumcision the child is a dangerously ill person, nevertheless as far as one can do it differently, we do it differently.

Notes

1. 1. When Erev Pesach falls on Shabbos, Rabbi Yishmael holds that the Pesach is skinned only as far as the breast, enough to remove the parts for the altar, and no more.
2. 2. Hiddur mitzvah — doing a mitzvah in a beautiful way.
3. 3. Witnesses who saw the new moon may desecrate Shabbos to come and testify; Rabbi Yosi holds that if it was seen clearly by all, they do not (Rosh Hashanah 21b).
4. 4. The showbread was changed every Shabbos; according to the Rabbis the table may not stand without bread even for a moment (Menachos 99b).
5. 5. Kares for an adult who did not circumcise himself is written explicitly in the Torah, so there was no need to teach it.
6. 6. He began to circumcise at twilight on Erev Shabbos, thinking he would finish, and did not; so he made a wound on Shabbos without a mitzvah.
7. 7. The blood is as if set aside in a vessel, so sucking it makes no wound; the Gemara teaches that it is attached, and even so it is permitted because of danger.
8. 8. The text continues on 134a.