MISHNAH: The following are the knots for which one is liable: a camel driver’s knot [The camel driver walks in front of the camels and leads them by a rope. The rope is tied through the camel’s nose. Since this is a major operation it is done once only; the knot is permanent.] and a mariner’s knot [The knots which belong to the permanent rigging of the ship.] . Just as one is liable for knotting them so he is liable for untying them. Rebbi Meїr says, one is never liable for a knot which one can untie with one hand.
HALAKHAH: “The following are the knots,” etc. [All this is in Chapter 7, Notes 394–408.] What tying was in the Tabernacle? They were tying down the ropes. But was this not temporary? Rebbi Yose says, because they were travelling and camping by the Word, was it not permanent? Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, since the Holy One, praise to Him, has promised them that he will bring them into the Land, it is as if it were temporary. Rebbi Phineas said, they learned it from the gobelin needle-workers. If a thread broke, he was tying it. If it broke again, it was impossible to make many knots but he would untie the first one. Rebbi Ḥizqiah said, an expert tailor merges the two heads. And where was this said? As Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina said, they learned it from the weavers of the gobelins. What is the reason? The length of one gobelin, that it should be an entity. If [a thread] broke, he was tying it. When he came to the weave, he untied it and brought it in. Rebbi Tanḥuma in the name of Rav Ḥuna: Even on its warp there was neither knot nor connection.
Rebbi Hoshaia stated, a basket of palm leaves for dates or a plate of palm leaves one may tear and open, only one may not tie.
MISHNAH: But there are knots for which one is not liable as one is for a camel driver’s knot and a mariner’s knot. A woman may knot the openings of her garment [The garment was tied, not buttoned. Even if if was not necessary to untie all knots to undress, none of these is considered permanent and all of them may be tied or untied.] , and the threads of the hair net, of the belt [Latin fascia, -ae, f.] , and laces of shoe and sandal, wine and oil skins, and of a meat pot [If the lid was fastened with a string before the pot was put into insulating material to keep it warm for the meal on Sabbath day.] . Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob said, one may tie in front of an animal that it should not leave [One may leave the door of the barn or corral open but tie a rope across the opening which will force the cattle to remain inside. This obviously is a temporary device.] ; one may tie a pail to a belt but not to a rope [Since normally a rope is used, using a belt clearly makes it a temporary affair.] , but Rebbi Jehudah permits it. Rebbi Jehudah stated a principle: One is never liable for a knot which is not permanent [This is the guiding principle in this Chapter.] .
HALAKHAH: 2. [From here to the middle of the discussion of Mishnah 16:1 there exists a Genizah fragment (E) edited by J. N. Epstein (Tarbiz 3, 1931, pp. 240–243).] Rebbi Ḥizqiah said, if one opens the hem which is connected to the garment [Since it is obvious that one is permitted to dress and undress, the permission given in the Mishnah to untie knots must refer to situations where untying is not strictly necessary. R. Ḥizqiah constructs a rather artificial example where the garment is buttoned but the hem on which the buttonholes are is not sewn but tied to the garment. Instead of unbuttoning , one may untie.] . Rebbi Yose said, if one opens a [split] [Added from E, cf. Note 13. This describes a garment held together by a knot on each shoulder. Even though the woman could undress by untying one knot, she is permitted to untie both. Babli 112a.] garment which is made like two sheets. If shoe or sandal laces were dislocated, one removes and returns them, only one may not knot them [One may put in new shoe laces; one is not permitted to repair the torn ones by tying the pieces together.] . If its nose was dislocated [The strip in the middle of the sandal through which the laces are passing.] , there are Tannaim who state, it is permitted to put it back, and there are Tannaim who state, it is forbidden to put it back. They wanted to say [E: Rav Ḥisda said.] , he who says that it is permitted, if there is one hole; he who says that it is forbidden, if there are two holes. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, in both cases it is following him who says that there are two holes. What about it? He who says that it is permitted, if they are loose; he who says that it is forbidden, if they are squeezed [The first explanation is rejected since the standard is to have two holes. The lace may be replaced if and only if this can be done without using tools. Babli 112a.] .
Do they disagree with Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob [Since he is mentioned by name, the implication would be that his is a minority opinion. On the other hand it is difficult to see why anybody should disagree with his opinion. Babli 113a.] ? Since it was stated [A related text is in Tosephta Yom Ṭov 3:12.] : “The Sages agree with Rebbi Meїr about seals in the ground that one pushes aside, and removes, and unties, and cuts. On the Sabbath one pushes aside but one does not remove nor untie nor cut [If produce is stored in the ground and the door tied by a rope, the knot (“seal”) is not permanent since produce is stored to be used eventually. If on a holiday one needs food, one may open the storage facility in any way one sees fit. In a similar case on the Sabbath one may push the rope to open a cleft through which one can take out some produce but rabbinically one may not otherwise remove the knot even though it is not permanent and removing it from an installation in the ground is not building or tearing down by biblical standards.] . For implements on the Sabbath it is permitted [Since the notions of building and tearing down buildings does not apply to implements by biblical standards, there is no place for rabbinic restrictions.] ; it is not necessary to mention on a holiday.” This implies that they do not disagree with Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob. Rebbi Abba said, the Mishnah is about a rope hanging down, a rope tied hanging down [R. Eliezer ben Jacob permits to tie a rope over the barn door opening if it already was tied to the door at one side and hanging down; then the knot to be made at the other side certainly is temporary. But if one would bring a new rope and tie it to both door posts there would be the possibility that after the Sabbath one would untie only one knot and the other would become permanent by default. If this was not intended originally no biblical liability is caused but there is reason to prohibit rabbinically. Babli 112b, bottom.] .
“To a belt but not to a rope, but Rebbi Jehudah permits it.” Therefore the rabbis do not [This question is incomprehensible; since R. Jehudah disagrees with R. Eliezer ben Jacob and we have stated that the rabbis agree with the latter, it is obvious that the rabbis disagree with R. Jehudah. Also the reference to a prior statement is impossible since the passage quoted is the first mention of R. Jehudah in the Chapter. Therefore it seems that the quote is incorrect both in the Leiden ms. and in E; with Naḥmanides (Novellae ad 113a, ed Herschler col. 383) one has to read here also “Rebbi Jehudah stated a principle …”. As explained earlier, already Mishnah 1 is based on the principle formulated by R. Jehudah which, therefore, is the majority opinion and should have been formulated as anonymous statement.] ? But because the earlier statement was in the name of Rebbi Jehudah, so also this is in the name of Rebbi Jehudah: “Rebbi Jehudah stated a principle: One is never liable for a knot which is not permanent.” Rebbi Samuel in the name of Rebbi Zeˋira: So is the Mishnah: One is never liable for a knot which is not permanent and which is temporary [Folding garments or bedsheets, as mentioned in Mishnah 3. Two people folding a sheet is professional work. Babli 113a (which has a list of further restrictons unknown to the Yerushalmi.)] .
MISHNAH: One may fold garments even four or five times [If he is not satisfied by the way his garments were folded, he may repeat the operation as many times as necessary.] and make the beds from Friday Night to the Sabbath Day, but not from Sabbath for after the Sabbath. Rebbi Ismael says, one folds garments and makes beds from the day of Atonement to the Sabbath [Since the holiness of the Day of Atonement is less than that of the Sabbath. The statements presuppose that the Day of Atonement may fall on a Friday or a Sunday, which is avoided in today’s computed calendar.] . The fats of the Sabbath [This refers to the Temple service. The left-over pieces of the sacrifices of one day have to be burned on the altar during the following night (Lev. 6:2,5). On the Sabbath, where burning is forbidden in general, only the sacrifice of the Sabbath (Num. 28:9–10) is permitted. Therefore it is clear that remainders from a Friday service of any kind cannot be burned in the following night. The question is about the service in the night from the Sabbath to Sunday, in case burning also is forbidden on Sunday. R. Aqiba follows his Mishnah (Megillah 1:5) that the only difference between Sabbath and the Day of Atonement is that violations of the Sabbath are criminal offenses while violations of the Day of Atonement are sins.] are brought on the Day of Atonement but those of the Day of Atonement are not brought on the Sabbath. Rebbi Aqiba says, neither are those of the Sabbath brought on the Day of Atonement nor those of the Day of Atonement on the Sabbath.
HALAKHAH: 3. In the House of Rebbi Yannai they said, folding by two persons is forbidden [Folding garments or bedsheets, as mentioned in Mishnah 3. Two people folding a sheet is professional work. Babli 113a (which has a list of further restrictons unknown to the Yerushalmi.)] . Rebbi Ḥaggai in the name of Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman: On the Sabbath, two together may not fold. If one folds on a footstool [Latin subsellium, -ii, n.] it is as if two persons were folding [Since folding garments on a low bench is easier than folding when holding them in the air, the low bench has the status of a work tool which rabbinically cannot be used.] . Rebbi Ḥaggai in the name of Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman: Sabbaths and holidays were given only for eating and drinking. Since this mouth [is bothersome] [As E proves, this word, which was written by the Leiden scribe, is the correct expression. It was changed by the corrector into a word, reproduced in the Venice edition, which makes no sense in this context.] (is smelling), they permitted him to be occupied with words of the Torah. Rebbi Berekhiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: Sabbaths and holidays were given only for being occupied with words of the Torah [Here E has an explanatory addition which is attested to in some Medieval sources [Sefer Haˋittim §198 p. 290; some mss. of Meїri ad 118b, ed. I. S. Lange p. 459, Or zarua Šabbat §89; it is missing in the quotes of the paragraph in Šibbole Halleqet (ed. S. Buber fol. 34a) and Sefer Hamanhig (ed I. Raphael p. 181)]: “on weekdays since he is occupied he has no free time to occupy himself with words of Torah; holidays and Sabbaths were given to him to occupy himself with words of Torah.”] . A baraita supports either one of them: What does one do? Either he sits down and eats or he sits and studies words of the Torah. One verse says, it is a Sabbath for the Eternal [Lev. 23:3. This means totally to the Eternal.] , and another verse says, an assembly for the Eternal [Deut. 16:8. This means partially to the Eternal.] , your God. How is that? Give part of it to the study of Torah and part to eat and to drink. Rebbi Abbahu said, a Sabbath for the Eternal [Ex. 20:10. E shows that probably the quote Lev. 23:3 is intended.] , rest like the Eternal. Since the Eternal rested from saying, you also should rest from saying [Ex. 20:10. E shows that probably the quote Lev. 23:3 is intended.] .
[This paragraph is not in the original text of the Yerushalmi; it was added by the corrector and is not in E. A Yerushalmi source of the story is Lev. rabba 34(15) at the end. A slightly different version is in the Babli 150b. It is clear that the mention of a “tent” in this connection is a scribal error; maybe it should be שִׂיחַ “bush”.] It happened that a pious person went to promenade in his vineyard on the Sabbath when he saw there a breach which he decided to repair after the Sabbath. He said, because I wanted to repair I shall never repair it. What did the Holy One, praise to Him, do for him? He prepared for him a tent of caper bush which grew there and mended it. From it he was fed and from there was his sustenance all his days.
Rebbi Ḥanina said, with difficulty they permitted greeting on the Sabbath [This is continuation of the statement that talking on the Sabbath is frowned upon. In the Babli, 12b, this is applied only to visits to the sick and mourners.] . Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said, when Rebbi Simeon ben Yoḥai saw that his mother enjoyed talking much, he said to her, mama, today is Sabbath. It was stated: It is forbidden to pray for his needs on the Sabbath. Rebbi Zeˋira asked Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, may one say, “shepherd us, provide for us” [Expressions in the third benediction of Grace. (Cf. the author’s The Scholar’s Haggadah, p. 353.) The passage also is quoted in Lev. rabba 34 (Note 36).] ? He answered him, these are formulas of benediction.
It was stated: One rinses cups, pots, and plates from Friday Night to the morning, from morning to noon, from noon to afternoon [One may cleanse dishes from one meal for the next; one is not required to have new dishes for every repast. Babli 118a.] . After afternoon it is forbidden, only for cups it is permitted since drinking has no fixed times. Rebbi Jeremiah, Rebbi Zeˋira in the name of Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi: An intelligent woman rinses a cup here, a pot there, a plate there; the result is that she waters down her house on the Sabbath [If she has a one story house with a dirt floor, she washes different pieces at different places and so sprinkles all places.] .
Rebbi Zeˋira in the name of Rav Ḥisda, if the Day of Atonement falls to be on the Sabbath [It seems that this means that the Day of Atonement falls on Friday, as in the parallel in the Babli 114b.] one does not blow [A public blowing of a ram’s horn on Friday afternoon towards evening at a fixed time before sundown to alert everybody to the coming of the Sabbath. The details of this Galilean procedure are found only in the Babli, 35b. If Friday is the Day of Atonement, nobody is working and the sounding of the horn is unnecessary and therefore rabbinically forbidden.] , if after the Sabbath one does not make havdalah [The required declaration of a “difference between Sabbath (or holiday) and weekday” after the end of the Sabbath or the holiday. Rabbinically, no work may be performed before some form of havdalah. But since everything forbidden on the Sabbath also is forbidden on the Day of Atonement (Mishnah Megillah 1:5), havdalah in this situation would make no sense. A special form of havdalah is required if Sunday is any other holiday since many things forbidden on the Sabbath are permitted on a holiday.] . Why? Following Rebbi Aqiba. But following Rebbi Ismael he makes havdalah since the fats of the Sabbath [This refers to the Temple service. The left-over pieces of the sacrifices of one day have to be burned on the altar during the following night (Lev. 6:2,5). On the Sabbath, where burning is forbidden in general, only the sacrifice of the Sabbath (Num. 28:9–10) is permitted. Therefore it is clear that remainders from a Friday service of any kind cannot be burned in the following night. The question is about the service in the night from the Sabbath to Sunday, in case burning also is forbidden on Sunday. R. Aqiba follows his Mishnah (Megillah 1:5) that the only difference between Sabbath and the Day of Atonement is that violations of the Sabbath are criminal offenses while violations of the Day of Atonement are sins.] are brought on the Day of Atonement [It is implicit in his position as reported in Mishnah 3 that he considers the holiness of the Day of Atonement to be inferior to that of the Sabbath.] . Rebbi Ezra said before Rebbi Mana, even according to Rebbi Ismael he should not make havdalah, since one only makes havdalah to permit things which were forbidden to him. If he would burn the fats of the Sabbath on the Sabbath, would that not be permitted? Rebbi Samuel the brother of Rebbi Berekhiah said, he should make havdalah since by it he permits to rinse pickled and parboiled [food] [One is permitted to start preparing food for breaking the fast some time before the end of the day of Atonement even though in general one is prohibited to do anything on a Sabbath or holiday to prepare for the following weekday. (This exception holds true even if the day of Atonement is a Sabbath proper.)] . Rebbi Yose said, he only is permitted to rinse pickled and parboiled [food] from the time of afternoon prayers or later. Could he make havdalah from the time of afternoon prayers or later? As you take it, there is no cup, there is no light [The standard havdalah uses a cup of wine, a torch, and spices (the latter is not needed for holidays and the day of Atonement). Berakhot 5:2. On the Day of Atonement proper, neither a cup of wine nor fire is available.] , how can he make havdalah? Rebbi Abun said, in prayer [The original form of havdalah, cf. Berakhot 5:2 Note 88.] .