Definitions to help us in our study TB Shabbat 96

Today we finish the ninth chapter of massechet Shabbat and begin the tenth chapter with TB Shabbat 96. The tenth chapter continues the discussion on the laws of hotza-ah, הוצאה, carrying from one domain to another. This chapter will be the last chapter dealing with this prohibited labor. Tosefot explains once again why the Gemara spends so much time on this one particular prohibited labor. They describe hotza-ah as an “inferior” prohibited act because all the other 38 prohibited labors are creative like baking, building, and weaving. With hotza-ah all one is doing is transporting an object. The sages were afraid people would not take this prohibition seriously and transgress it. Consequently, they spend an inordinate amount of time discussing all the ins and outs of hotza-ah. Because this is the last chapter on the topic of hotza-ah, now would be an excellent time to review important definitions there are essential to understand this chapter.

There are 4 categories of domains on Shabbat: the Reshut HaRabim (public domain), Reshut HaYachid (private domain), intermediate area (Karmelit), and exempt area (Makom Patur). A Reshut HaYachid is defined as an area of at least 4 Tefachim by 4 Tefachim surrounded by walls of at least 10 Tefachim. This includes a pit which is 4x4 Tefachim with walls of 10 Tefachim.  A Reshut HaRabim is defined as a street which is 16 amot wide. Some say that if there's not 600,000 people passing through it daily it's not a Reshut HaRabim. A Karmelit is defined as an area of 4 Tefachim by 4 Tefachim with walls which are less than 10 Tefachim in height. It also includes areas where the public doesn't walk and doesn't have proper fencing such as fields, or rivers which are 10 Tefachim deep. A Makom Patur is a place which is less than 4 Tefachim by 4 Tefachim but is of at least 3 Tefachim in height. They are only a Makom Patur when placed in a Reshut HaRabim, but in a Karmelit they are considered like a Karmelit. 

In order to violate the prohibition of hotza-ah one must complete two actions. The person must lift up the object from its resting place, ‘akira (עקירה) in one domain and place it down, hanakha (הנחה) in the other domain. Technically speaking hotza-ah is moving an object from the private domain to the public domain and hakhnasah (הכנסה) is moving an object from the public domain to the private domain. Ultimately today’s Gemara teaches that hotza-ah is the primary category, av melakhah (אב מלאכה), and hakhnasah is one of its subcategories (toladah תולדה) Today’s daf introduces two new subcategories of hotza-ah, throwing, zerikah (זריקה), and passing, hoshatah (הושטה).

The Gemara teaches the source in the Torah where we learn of the prohibition of hotza-ah and hakhnasah as well as the significance of calling one an av melakhah and the other a toladah. Yesterday I would like to change into long pants do you think sure just call me and I’ll come right out thank you As with all the other prohibited categories of labor, we shall learn hotza-ah is connected to the building of the tabernacle, specifically concerning the donations the Israelites donated for its construction. With this long introduction here is the actual text of today’s daf.

“GEMARA: Where is the primary category of prohibited labor of carrying out itself written in the Torah? Isn’t it necessary to clarify the primary category before discussing the subcategory? “Rabbi Yoḥanan said: As the verse said: “And Moses commanded, and they passed a proclamation throughout the camp saying: Neither man nor woman should perform any more work to contribute to the Sanctuary; and the people stopped bringing” (Exodus 36:6). According to Rabbi Yoḥanan, Moses commanded the people to cease bringing contributions in order to prevent them from bringing their contributions on Shabbat. He then explains: Where was Moses sitting? He was in the camp of the Levites, and the Levites’ camp was the public domain. And he said to Israel: Do not carry out and bring objects from the private domain, your camp, to the public domain, the camp of the Levites.

“The Gemara asks: And how do you know that he was standing and commanding the people on Shabbat? Perhaps he was standing during the week, and Moses commanded the cessation of contributions because the labor of the Tabernacle was completed, since all the necessary material was already donated, as it is written: “And the work was sufficient for them for all of the work to perform it, and there was extra” (Exodus 36:7). Rather, derive this by means of a verbal analogy between passing mentioned in this context and passing mentioned with regard to Yom Kippur. It is written here, with regard to the Tabernacle: “And they passed a proclamation throughout the camp,” and it is written there, with regard to Yom Kippur: “And you shall pass a blast of a shofar on the tenth day of the seventh month, on Yom Kippur you shall sound a shofar throughout your land” (Leviticus 25:9). Just as there, with regard to the shofar of the Jubilee Year, passing is on a day on which it is prohibited to perform labor, so too, here passing is on a day on which it is prohibited to perform labor.

“The Gemara asks: We found a source prohibiting carrying out from a private domain into the camp of the Levites. From where do we derive that carrying in is also considered a prohibited labor? The Gemara answers: It is a logical inference. After all, carrying is from one domain to another, so what difference is there to me whether it is carrying out or carrying in?

“The Gemara answers: The practical ramification is that if one performs two different primary categories together, or alternatively, if one performs two subcategories of two different primary categories together, he is liable to bring two sin-offerings. And if one performs a primary category of labor together with its own subcategory, he is liable to bring only one sin-offering.” (Sefaria.org translation)