Shabbat 141B

במה מגררו? אמר רבי אבהו: בגב סכין.

With what does one scrape it off? R' Abahu said: With the back of a knife, which is a departure from the typical manner of doing so.

אמר ליה ההוא סבא: סמי דידך מקמי הא דתני רבי חייא: אין מגררין לא מנעל חדש ולא מנעל ישן, ולא יסוך את רגלו שמן והוא בתוך המנעל או בתוך הסנדל. אבל סך את רגלו שמן, ומניח בתוך המנעל או בתוך הסנדל. וסך כל גופו שמן, ומתעגל על גבי קטבליא, ואינו חושש.

A certain Elder said to R' Abbahu: Delete your teaching before this statement taught by R' Ḥiyya: One may not scrape at all; neither a new shoe nor an old shoe, and one may not smear oil on one’s foot while it is inside the shoe or inside the sandal, as the oil is absorbed by the leather of the shoe and strengthens it, which constitutes performance of the prohibited labor of tanning. However, one may smear oil on his foot in the typical manner and place it afterward in a shoe or in a sandal, and he need not be concerned that this oil will enhance the shoe leather. And he may likewise smear oil on his entire body with oil and roll on a leather carpet, and he need not be concerned.

אמר רב חסדא: לא שנו אלא לצחצחו, אבל לעבדו ⁠— אסור.

Rav Ḥisda said: They only taught this in a case where he does so in order to polish the carpet. But if he does so to tan the carpet, it is prohibited.

לעבדו, פשיטא? ותו: לצחצחו, מי איכא מאן דשרי?

The Talmud raises a difficulty: If he does so to tan the leather, it is obvious that it is prohibited, as tanning is a labor prohibited by Torah law. And furthermore: If he does so in order to polish it, is there an opinion that permits one to perform this act intentionally on Shabbat ab initio?

אלא, אי איתמר הכי איתמר: אמר רב חסדא, לא שנו אלא שיעור לצחצחו, אבל שיעור לעבדו ⁠— אסור.

Rather, if it was stated, it was stated as follows: Rav Ḥisda said: They only taught that it is permitted to do so on Shabbat in a case where one smears a measure sufficient only to polish it; however, if one smears a measure sufficient to tan it, it is prohibited, even if he did not intend to tan the leather.