Study Moed Katan folio 12A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
אמר שמואל: מקבלי קיבולת, בתוך התחום — אסור. חוץ לתחום — מותר.
§ Shmuel said: With regard to non-Jew contractors, who are paid for the completed job rather than by the day, it is prohibited for them to work for a Jew within the boundaries of the Shabbat limit on a day that it is prohibited for the Jew to work. It looks like the Jew assigned work for them to do on that day, even though they in fact make their own schedule. Outside the Shabbat limit, where Jews will not see the work being done, it is permitted.
אמר רב פפא: ואפילו חוץ לתחום, לא אמרן אלא דליכא מתא דמקרבא להתם, אבל איכא מתא דמקרבא להתם — אסור.
Rav Pappa said: And even outside the Shabbat limit, we said only that it is permissible to let them work when there is no other city in close proximity to there, but if there is another city in close proximity to there, it is prohibited, since the work is likely to be seen by a Jew.
אמר רב משרשיא: וכי ליכא מתא דמקרבא להתם נמי, לא אמרן אלא בשבתות ובימים טובים, דלא שכיחי אינשי דאזלי להתם, אבל בחולו של מועד, דשכיחי אינשי דאזלי ואתו להתם — אסור.
Rav Mesharshiyya said: And even when there is no other city in close proximity, we said that it is permissible for non-Jew contractors to work for a Jew only on Shabbatot and Festivals, when Jewish people do not routinely go there, i.e., to the place where the work is being performed. However, on the intermediate days of a Festival, when Jewish people routinely come and go from there and see the work being done, it is prohibited.
מר זוטרא בריה דרב נחמן בנו ליה אפדנא מקבלי קיבולת חוץ לתחום. איקלע רב ספרא ורב הונא בר חיננא, ולא עלו לגביה. ואיכא דאמרי: הוא נמי לא על בגוויה.
The Talmud relates about Mar Zutra, son of Rav Naḥman, that non-Jew contractors built a mansion [apadana] for him outside the Shabbat limit. Rav Safra and Rav Huna bar Ḥinnana happened to come there, but they did not enter it, because it had been built on Shabbat in a prohibited manner. And there are those who say: Even he, Mar Zutra himself, did not enter it.