Study Shabbat folio 45A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
הכי נמי מיסתברא דרב כרבי יהודה סבירא ליה, דאמר רב: מניחין נר על גבי דקל בשבת, ואין מניחין נר על גבי דקל ביום טוב. אי אמרת בשלמא דרב כרבי יהודה סבירא ליה — היינו דשני בין שבת ליום טוב. אלא אי אמרת כרבי שמעון סבירא ליה, מה לי שבת ומה לי יום טוב?
The Talmud adds: So too, it is reasonable to say that Rav holds in accordance with the opinion of R' Yehuda, as Rav said: One may place a lamp atop a palm tree on Friday to burn on Shabbat, and one may not place a lamp atop a palm tree on a Festival. Granted, if you say that Rav holds in accordance with the opinion of R' Yehuda in this matter; that is why there is a distinction between Shabbat and a Festival. Since the lamp is set-aside [muktze] on Shabbat one will not come to carry it. Since one is permitted to carry a lamp on a Festival, there is concern that one might climb the palm tree or make use of the tree on the Festival and thereby transgress the rabbinic prohibition against making use of something connected to the ground on a Festival. However, if you say that Rav holds in accordance with the opinion of R' Shimon, who maintains that the lamp is not set-aside even on Shabbat, what difference is there to me between Shabbat and a Festival? Ostensibly, there should be no distinction between the two.
ורב כרבי יהודה סבירא ליה? והא בעו מיניה דרב מהו לטלטולי שרגא דחנוכתא מקמי חברי בשבתא, ואמר להו: שפיר דמי! שעת הדחק שאני. דהא אמרו להו רב כהנא ורב אשי לרב: הכי הלכתא? אמר להו: כדי הוא רבי שמעון לסמוך עליו בשעת הדחק.
The Talmud asks: And does Rav really hold in accordance with the opinion of R' Yehuda that it is prohibited to move an object that is set-aside? Didn’t they raise a dilemma before Rav: What is the ruling with regard to moving a Hanukkah candle from before the ḥabarei, Persian Zoroastrian fire priests, on Shabbat? Those priests prohibited lighting fires on certain days. In order to prevent them from discovering that he lit Hanukkah candles it was necessary to quickly move them. And he said to them: One may well do so. Apparently, Rav does not hold that there is a prohibition of set-aside. The Talmud answers: This is not a proof, as exigent circumstances are different and Rav permitted this due to the danger involved. As Rav Kahana and Rav Ashi said to Rav on this matter: Is that the halakha? He said to them: R' Shimon is worthy to rely upon in exigent circumstances like this one.