Shabbat 109B

אימור דפליגי לענין טומאה וטהרה, לענין שבת מי שמעת להו? אלא אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק, לא קשיא: הא דאישתהי, הא דלא אישתהי.

Say that they disagree over the status of the Mediterranean Sea with regard to impurity and purity, but with regard to Shabbat did you hear that they disagree? Rather, Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: The contradiction between the two baraitot is not difficult. This baraita, which prohibits bathing in the Mediterranean, is referring to a case where one remained in the water and thereby indicated that he bathed in the Mediterranean for its curative effects. That baraita, which permits bathing, is referring to a case where one did not remain in the water, and thereby indicated that he bathed in the Mediterranean for non-medical purposes.

במאי אוקימתא לבתרייתא ⁠— דלא אישתהי, אי דלא אישתהי ⁠— אפילו במי משרה נמי. דהתניא: רוחצין במי טבריא ובמי משרה ובימה של סדום, ואף על פי שיש לו חטטים בראשו. במה דברים אמורים ⁠— שלא נשתהא, אבל נשתהא ⁠— אסור.

The Talmud asks: And how did you establish this last baraita? Do you say that it is referring to a case where one did not remain in the water? If it is referring to a case where one did not remain in the water, it would be permitted to bathe even in water in which flax was soaked, as it was taught in a baraita: One may bathe on Shabbat in the waters of Tiberias, and in water in which flax was soaked, and in the Sodom Sea, and this is even though one has wounds on his head that are healed by bathing in these waters. In what case is this statement said? In a case where one did not remain in the water, since it appears that he entered the water to cool himself. However, if one remained in the water it is prohibited.