מַתְנִי׳ פְּתִילַת הַבֶּגֶד שֶׁקִּיפְּלָהּ וְלֹא הִבְהֲבָהּ, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: טְמֵאָה הִיא, וְאֵין מַדְלִיקִין בָּהּ. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר טְהוֹרָה הִיא, וּמַדְלִיקִין בָּהּ.
MISHNA: The wick of a garment, i.e., cloth made into a wick for a lamp, that one folded it into a size and shape suitable for a wick, but did not yet singe it slightly in order to facilitate its lighting, Rabbi Eliezer says: This wick is ritually impure. With regard to the laws of ritual impurity, it can, like other garments, still become ritually impure and one may not light with it on Shabbat. Rabbi Akiva says: It is ritually pure and one may even light with it on Shabbat.
Rabbi Eliezer b. Hyrcanusרבי אליעזר
Tannaim - Third Generationתנאים - דור שלישי
c.80 – c.110 CE 80 – 110 לספירה בקירוב
Considered to be R. Yochanan b. Zakkai's greatest student, R. Eliezer b. Hyrcanus was nevertheless a controversial figure. Coming from a wealthy but uneducated family, he left them to study Torah in poverty and eventually directed an academy in Lod. Highly conservative in his approach to Torah, he was isolated and eventually excommunicated by his colleagues.
Tannaim - Third Generationתנאים - דור שלישי
c.80 – c.110 CE 80 – 110 לספירה בקירוב
Considered to be R. Yochanan b. Zakkai's greatest student, R. Eliezer b. Hyrcanus was nevertheless a controversial figure. Coming from a wealthy but uneducated family, he left them to study Torah in poverty and eventually directed an academy in Lod. Highly conservative in his approach to Torah, he was isolated and eventually excommunicated by his colleagues.
Rabbi Akivaרבי עקיבא
Tannaim - Fourth Generationתנאים - דור רביעי
c.110 – c.135 CE 110 – 135 לספירה בקירוב
R. Akiva was a student of R. Tarfon, R. Eliezer and R. Yehoshua, but quickly became their colleague. Coming from a simple family of converts, he began his study of Torah at age forty at the behest of his wife, Rachel. At the height of his glory, he is reputed to have had twenty-four thousand students. Yet these students died prematurely, and his prolific teachings were passed on by a small elite following. In the face of Roman persecution, he supported Bar Kochba's revolt and ultimately died as a martyr.
Tannaim - Fourth Generationתנאים - דור רביעי
c.110 – c.135 CE 110 – 135 לספירה בקירוב
R. Akiva was a student of R. Tarfon, R. Eliezer and R. Yehoshua, but quickly became their colleague. Coming from a simple family of converts, he began his study of Torah at age forty at the behest of his wife, Rachel. At the height of his glory, he is reputed to have had twenty-four thousand students. Yet these students died prematurely, and his prolific teachings were passed on by a small elite following. In the face of Roman persecution, he supported Bar Kochba's revolt and ultimately died as a martyr.
הבהבה - על השלהבת כדי שתהא מחורכת ותדליק יפה:
on the flame so that it will be charred and light well.
אין צריך להבהב הפתילה (פי' ענין הבהוב יפול על דבר שאינו נשרף לגמרי וגם לא קיים לגמרי. אל תאכלו ממנו נא תרגום יונתן מהבהב: הגה ומ"מ נהגו להדליק הפתילה ולכבותה כדי שתהיה מחורכת ותאחוז בה האור יפה (טור):
9. It is not necessary to singe the wick. (Explanation: A singed piece which falls on something which is not totally burnt and is also is not fully whole. "Do not eat of it now" -- Targum Yonasan "singed." RAMA: And in all cases our custom is to light the wick and to then extinguish it so that it may be charred (before [re]kindling them for the sake of the mitzvah) [so that] the flame should catch on well. (Tur)
נר של חרס שהדליק בו לילה אחת – נעשה ישן ומאוס, ואין מדליקין בו לילה אחרת, אלא לוקח חדשים בכל לילה. ואם אין לו אלא ישן – מסיקו בכל לילה באור, דנעשה כחדש. ונר של מתכת – אינו צריך חדש, ושל זכוכית או של חרס מכוסה – דינו כמתכת. אמנם הפתילות – בוודאי אין חוששין להחליפן עד שתכלה. שאין הפתילה נמאסת, ואדרבא פתילה ישנה טובה יותר להדלקה מחדשה, כדתנן: פתילה שהבהבה (שבת כח ב: פתילה שקיפלה ולא הבהבה, ופירש רש"י דיבור המתחיל "הבהבה" – כדי שתהא מחורכת ותדלק יפה, עיין שם).
A clay lamp that has been lit for one night becomes old and repulsive, and one should not light it for another night. Instead, one should use new ones every night. If one has only an old lamp, he should heat it in a fire every night so that it becomes like new. A metal lamp does not need to be new, and a glass or covered clay lamp is treated like a metal one. However, the wicks do not need to be replaced until they are completely used up, as a wick does not become repulsive. On the contrary, an old wick is better for lighting than a new one, as it says in the Mishnah: A wick that has been singed (Shabbat 28b: A wick that has been folded but not singed, and Rashi explains, "singed" means so that it is charred and lights well, see there).
גְּמָ׳ בִּשְׁלָמָא לְעִנְיַן טוּמְאָה, בְּהָא פְּלִיגִי: דְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר סָבַר קִיפּוּל אֵינוֹ מוֹעִיל, וּבְמִילְּתַיהּ קַמָּיְיתָא קָיְימָא. וְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא סָבַר קִיפּוּל מוֹעִיל, וּבַטּוֹלֵי בַּטְּלַהּ.
GEMARA: The Gemara asks: Granted, with regard to ritual impurity, the reasons for their disagreement are clear and this is their dispute: Rabbi Eliezer holds that folding alone is ineffective in altering the identity of the garment and it retains its original status. It can become ritually impure like any other garment. Rabbi Akiva holds that folding is effective, and it negates its garment status, and therefore, it can no longer become ritually impure.
אֶלָּא לְעִנְיַן הַדְלָקָה בְּמַאי פְּלִיגִי? אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר רַב אוֹשַׁעְיָא, וְכֵן אָמַר רַב אַדָּא בַּר אַהֲבָה: הָכָא בְּשָׁלֹשׁ עַל שָׁלֹשׁ מְצוּמְצָמוֹת עָסְקִינַן, וּבְיוֹם טוֹב שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת עֶרֶב שַׁבָּת עָסְקִינַן. דְּכוּלֵּי עָלְמָא אִית לְהוּ דְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה דְּאָמַר: מַסִּיקִין בְּכֵלִים וְאֵין מַסִּיקִין בְּשִׁבְרֵי כֵלִים. וּדְכוּלֵּי עָלְמָא אִית לְהוּ דְּעוּלָּא, דְּאָמַר עוּלָּא: הַמַּדְלִיק צָרִיךְ שֶׁיַּדְלִיק בָּרוֹב הַיּוֹצֵא. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר סָבַר קִיפּוּל אֵינוֹ מוֹעִיל, וְכֵיוָן דְּאַדְלֵיק בֵּיהּ פּוּרְתָּא הָוְיָא לֵיהּ שֶׁבֶר כְּלִי, וְכִי קָא מַדְלֵיק — בְּשֶׁבֶר כְּלִי קָמַדְלֵיק. וְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא סָבַר קִיפּוּל מוֹעִיל, וְאֵין תּוֹרַת כְּלִי עָלָיו, וְכִי קָמַדְלֵיק — בְּעֵץ בְּעָלְמָא קָמַדְלֵיק.
However, with regard to lighting on Shabbat what is at the crux of their dispute? Rabbi Elazar said that Rav Oshaya said, and Rav Adda bar Ahava said likewise: Here we are dealing with a cloth that is precisely three by three fingerbreadths and we are dealing with a Festival that occurred on Shabbat eve. And everyone is of the opinion that the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, who said that on a Festival one may only kindle a fire with whole vessels, as it is permitted to carry them and they do not have set-aside [muktze] status; however, one may not kindle a fire using broken vessels, i.e., vessels that broke on the Festival. Since they broke on the Festival itself, they are classified as an entity that came into being [nolad] on the Festival, and the halakha prohibits moving them. And, similarly, everyone is of the opinion that the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Ulla, as Ulla said: One who lights a lamp must light most of the wick that protrudes from the lamp. Based on these assumptions, the dispute in the mishna can be understood as follows: Rabbi Eliezer holds that folding alone is ineffective in negating the wick’s vessel status, and once one lights only a small part of it, it thereby becomes a broken vessel, as part of it burns and the remainder is less than three by three fingerbreadths. A smaller cloth is no longer considered significant. Since he is required to light most of the protruding wick and, as mentioned above, it is prohibited to light broken vessels, he may not light the folded garment. And Rabbi Akiva held that folding is effective and, immediately when he folded it, the garment no longer has the status of a vessel. It was not considered a vessel even before he lit it, and when he lights it, it is as if he were lighting plain wood, not a vessel that broke on the Festival.
Rabbi Oshayaרבי אושעיא
Tannaim/Amoraim - Transitionתנאים / אמוראים - דור מעבר
c.200 – c.220 CE 200 – 220 לספירה בקירוב
R. Oshaya was a prominent student of R. Chiyya, and was known for the clarity of his transmission of his teacher's Bereita. He played an important role in the Sanhedrin under R. Yehudah Nesi'a. After the latter died, he went to Caesarea to lead his own academy. His students included R. Yochanan.
Tannaim/Amoraim - Transitionתנאים / אמוראים - דור מעבר
c.200 – c.220 CE 200 – 220 לספירה בקירוב
R. Oshaya was a prominent student of R. Chiyya, and was known for the clarity of his transmission of his teacher's Bereita. He played an important role in the Sanhedrin under R. Yehudah Nesi'a. After the latter died, he went to Caesarea to lead his own academy. His students included R. Yochanan.
"רַב אַדָּא בַּר אַהֲבָה" could refer to one of the following:ייתכן ש-"רַב אַדָּא בַּר אַהֲבָה" מתייחס לאחד מהבאים:
Rav Adda b. Ahavah (II)רב אדא בר אהבה (2)
Amoraim - Fourth Generationאמוראים - דור רביעי
c.320 – c.350 CE 320 – 350 לספירה בקירוב
R. Adda b. Ahava (II) was a very intimate and loyal student of Rava. Nevertheless, even he was occasionally upset by his student's antics, as were several other of his colleagues and teachers.
Rav Adda b. Ahavah (I)רב אדא בר אהבה (1)
Amoraim - Second Generationאמוראים - דור שני
c.250 – c.290 CE 250 – 290 לספירה בקירוב
Rav Ada bar Ahava was a noted student of Rav. After the latter's death, he taught students in Pumbedita. He was known for his great piety, to the extent that he could easily request rain from God, and God would immediately grant it. In addition, the Talmud tells two stories about buildings waiting for him to leave before falling down.
Rav Adda b. Ahavah (II)רב אדא בר אהבה (2)
Amoraim - Fourth Generationאמוראים - דור רביעי
c.320 – c.350 CE 320 – 350 לספירה בקירוב
R. Adda b. Ahava (II) was a very intimate and loyal student of Rava. Nevertheless, even he was occasionally upset by his student's antics, as were several other of his colleagues and teachers.
Rav Adda b. Ahavah (I)רב אדא בר אהבה (1)
Amoraim - Second Generationאמוראים - דור שני
c.250 – c.290 CE 250 – 290 לספירה בקירוב
Rav Ada bar Ahava was a noted student of Rav. After the latter's death, he taught students in Pumbedita. He was known for his great piety, to the extent that he could easily request rain from God, and God would immediately grant it. In addition, the Talmud tells two stories about buildings waiting for him to leave before falling down.
Rabbi Yehudah [b. Il'ai]רבי יהודה
Tannaim - Fifth Generationתנאים - דור חמישי
c.135 – c.170 CE 135 – 170 לספירה בקירוב
R. Yehudah was one of the most prolific scholars of the Mishnaic period, cited almost 3,000 times in Tannaitic literature. He had several teachers but was likely closest to R. Tarfon. Due to his conciliatory attitude towards the Romans, they decreed that he speak first at rabbinic convocations.
Tannaim - Fifth Generationתנאים - דור חמישי
c.135 – c.170 CE 135 – 170 לספירה בקירוב
R. Yehudah was one of the most prolific scholars of the Mishnaic period, cited almost 3,000 times in Tannaitic literature. He had several teachers but was likely closest to R. Tarfon. Due to his conciliatory attitude towards the Romans, they decreed that he speak first at rabbinic convocations.
אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף, הַיְינוּ דְּתָנֵינָא: ״שָׁלֹשׁ עַל שָׁלֹשׁ מְצוּמְצָמוֹת״ וְלָא יָדַעְנָא לְמַאי הִלְכְתָא.
Rav Yosef said, that is what I learned: Three by three exactly. And I did not know to what halakha this was relevant. Rav Yosef received from his teachers that the baraita is referring to a case of three by three exactly, and he did not know why it was significant to establish the baraita in a case of exactly three by three and no more.
Rav Yosef [b. Chiyya]רב יוסף
Amoraim - Third Generationאמוראים - דור שלישי
c.290 – c.320 CE 290 – 320 לספירה בקירוב
A contemporary of Rabbah, Rav Yosef became the head of the academy in Pumpedita after Rabbah's death. He was known for his humility and for his mastery of the corpus of Jewish law. While wealthy, Rav Yosef had health issues which brought him blindness and the loss of memory.
Amoraim - Third Generationאמוראים - דור שלישי
c.290 – c.320 CE 290 – 320 לספירה בקירוב
A contemporary of Rabbah, Rav Yosef became the head of the academy in Pumpedita after Rabbah's death. He was known for his humility and for his mastery of the corpus of Jewish law. While wealthy, Rav Yosef had health issues which brought him blindness and the loss of memory.