Study Shabbat folio 46A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
מותר לנטותה ומותר לפרקה בשבת. אלא אמר אביי: בשל חוליות. אי הכי, מאי טעמא דרבי שמעון בן לקיש דשרי?
it is permitted to assemble it and it is permitted to dismantle it on Shabbat. If a permanent object like that one may be assembled on Shabbat and there is no concern for the prohibition of building, all the more so it should not be considered building and dismantling in the case of a candelabrum. Rather, Abaye said: Here it is referring to a special candelabrum made of joints, removable parts, and there is concern lest it fall and break into its component parts when it is moved, and one may come to reassemble it, which would be tantamount to crafting a vessel on Shabbat. The Talmud asks: If so, if it is referring to that type of candelabrum, what is the reason for the opinion of R' Shimon ben Lakish who permits moving the candelabrum?
מאי ״חוליות״ — כעין חוליות, דאית בה חידקי. הלכך: חוליות, בין גדולה בין קטנה — אסורה לטלטלה. גדולה נמי דאית בה חידקי — גזירה אטו גדולה דחוליות. כי פליגי בקטנה דאית בה חידקי: מר סבר גזרינן, ומר סבר לא גזרינן.
The Talmud replies: It is not referring to a candelabrum that can actually be dismantled. Rather, what is the meaning of joints? Similar to joints, i.e., there are grooves in it and it appears as if it is made of different components. Therefore, in summary: With regard to a candelabrum made of actual joints, both one that is large and one that is small, it is prohibited to move it. In addition, a large candelabrum that has grooves, everyone agrees that it is prohibited to move it by rabbinic decree, which was issued due to a large candelabrum made of joints. Because it is common for a large candelabrum to be made of joints, if one saw someone carrying a large, grooved candelabrum, he would mistakenly assume that it had joints due to the similarity between them, and would mistakenly permit carrying a large candelabrum actually composed of joints. Where R' Yoḥanan and Reish Lakish disagree is in the case of a small candelabrum that has grooves. This Sage, R' Yoḥanan, holds that we issue a decree prohibiting moving even a small, grooved candelabrum due to a large one. And this Sage, Reish Lakish, holds that we do not issue a decree. Because a small candelabrum is not typically made of joints, everyone realizes that the grooves are strictly decorative.