מימהל היכי מהלינן ליה!
If so, with regard to circumcision, how can we circumcise him? Perhaps he is a stillborn and one may not desecrate Shabbat for his circumcision.
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מימהל היכי מהלינן ליה!
If so, with regard to circumcision, how can we circumcise him? Perhaps he is a stillborn and one may not desecrate Shabbat for his circumcision.
אמר רב אדא בר אהבה: מלין אותו ממה נפשך: אם חי הוא — שפיר קא מהיל, ואם לאו — מחתך בבשר הוא.
Rav Adda bar Ahava said: One may circumcise him whichever way you look at it, based on the following calculation: If he is a child who will live, the circumcisor may well circumcise the child, and if not, if the child is a stillborn and the circumcisor is merely cutting flesh, one who cuts the flesh of a corpse or the flesh of one with the legal status of a corpse is not considered to have made a wound, and therefore has not performed a prohibited labor.
ואלא הא דתניא: ספק בן שבעה, ספק בן שמונה — אין מחללין עליו את השבת, אמאי? נימהליה ממה נפשך! אם חי הוא — שפיר קא מהיל, ואם לאו — מחתך בבשר הוא!
The Talmud raises a difficulty: And however, with regard to that which was taught in a baraita: If there is uncertainty whether he was born after 7 months of pregnancy, and uncertainty whether he was born after 8 months, one does not desecrate Shabbat on his behalf and circumcise him. The Talmud asks: Why? Let us circumcise him on Shabbat, as whichever way you look at it, that is appropriate. If he is a child that will live, the circumcisor may well circumcise the child, and if not, he is merely cutting the flesh of a corpse, which does not violate any Shabbat prohibitions.
אמר מר בריה דרבינא: אנא ורב נחומי בר זכריה תרגימנא: מימהל — הכי נמי מהלינן ליה. לא נצרכה אלא למכשירי מילה, ואליבא דרבי אליעזר.
Mar, son of Ravina, said: Rav Naḥumei bar Zekharya and I interpreted this as follows: Indeed, as for circumcision itself, we do indeed circumcise that child even on Shabbat. It was only necessary to say that one does not desecrate Shabbat on his behalf with regard to the issue of preparing facilitators of circumcision on Shabbat, in accordance with the opinion of R' Eliezer that actions that facilitate circumcision at its appointed time override Shabbat.
Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.