Don’t apply excessive exertion (tirkha yetayra- טירחה יתרה) in this case! TB Shabbat 128

Today’s daf TB Shabbat 128 continues giving examples of what is considered excessive exertion (tirkha yetayra- טירחה יתרה). “MISHNA: One may not birth an animal on a Festival, and all the more one may not birth it on Shabbat. However, one may assist it to give birth. And one may birth a woman even on Shabbat, and call a midwife for her to travel from place to place, even when the midwife’s travel involves the desecration of Shabbat. And one may desecrate Shabbat for a woman giving birth. And one may tie the umbilical cord of a child born on Shabbat. Rabbi Yosei says: One may even cut the umbilical cord. And all the requirements of circumcision may be performed for a baby whose eighth day of life occurs on Shabbat.

“GEMARA: The Gemara asks: How may one assist in the birth of an animal? Rav Yehuda said: One holds the newborn so that it will not fall to the ground. Rav Naḥman says: One presses the flesh around the womb so that the newborn will emerge.” (Sefaria.org translation)

I have no knowledge of what birthing an animal requires, consequently, I don’t understand why holding the newborn that it won’t fall on the ground or pressing the flesh around the womb so the newborn will emerge is only considered assisting and not birthing. Perhaps somebody can help understand the difference.

Especially before modern times the mortality rate of women giving birth was quite high. Saving a person’s life takes precedence over all the commandments; consequently, the rabbinic prohibition of excessive exertion (tirkha yetayra- טירחה יתרה) doesn’t apply to a woman giving birth and her baby. The Gemara gives examples to what lengths we may go and violate the Shabbat for them.

“We learned in the mishna: And one may birth a woman even when that involves the desecration of Shabbat. The Gemara asks: After all, it was taught explicitly in the mishna: And one may birth a woman even on Shabbat, and call a midwife for her to travel from place to place. The phrase: And one may desecrate Shabbat for a woman giving birth, what does it come to include? All the possible acts of desecrating Shabbat for the birthing woman were already listed.

“The Gemara answers: It comes to include that which the Sages taught with regard to this issue: If a woman giving birth were to need a lamp, her friend lights the lamp for her on Shabbat. And if she were to need oil, her friend brings her oil via the public domain in an atypical manner, carrying it in the palm of her hand but not in a vessel. And if the oil that her friend brings in her hand is not enough, she brings oil in her hair. And if oil that she brings in her hair is not enough, she brings oil for her in the typical manner, in a vessel.

“The Master said in the baraita: If a woman giving birth were to need a lamp, her friend would light the lamp for her on Shabbat. The Gemara asks: This is obvious. The Gemara answers: It is necessary to teach this halakha only in the case of a blind woman giving birth. Lest you say: Since she cannot see even with the light it is prohibited to bring a lamp for her, it teaches us that lighting the lamp is permitted to settle her mind. The blind woman thinks: If there is something that needs to be done in the course of childbirth, the lamp will enable my friend to see and she will do it for me.

“Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: With regard to a woman in childbirth, as long as the womb is open, whether she said: I need Shabbat to be desecrated, or whether she did not say: I need Shabbat to be desecrated, one desecrates Shabbat for her. Generally, a woman in childbirth is in danger, and prohibited labors may be performed in life-threatening circumstances.” (Sefaria.org translation)

This is the last Mishna of chapter 18. Because it concludes that one may circumcise a baby boy on Shabbat, the next chapter picks up this mitzvah and elaborates upon it.