Study Shabbat folio 41A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
that does not have embankments surrounding it. Since there are no partitions, it appears like an ocean or a river. That incident involving R' Abbahu occurred in a place that has embankments and looks like a vessel. Therefore, the rabbis did not prohibit it.
After citing what R' Zeira related with regard to R' Abbahu, the Talmud cites that R' Zeira said: I saw that R' Abbahu, while he was bathing, placed his hands over his genitals for the sake of modesty, and I do not know whether he touched them or did not touch them. The Talmud questions R' Zeira’s
Abaye said: Nevertheless, no proof can be cited from that baraita. Perhaps the rabbis rendered the legal status of this situation like that of a military unit, as we learned in a Mishnah: A military unit that entered a city, if it entered during peacetime, after the soldiers leave, the open jugs
The Talmud questions the story itself: And is that so? Is it permitted under any circumstances to cover one’s genitals while bathing? Didn’t R' Abba say that Rav Huna said that Rav said: Anyone who places his hands over his genitals is as if he denies the covenant of our father Abraham? It appears
Speaking of bathing and its halakhot, the Talmud relates: R' Zeira was avoiding being seen by his teacher, Rav Yehuda, as R' Zeira sought to ascend to Eretz Yisrael and his teacher disapproved. As Rav Yehuda said: Anyone who ascends from Babylonia to Eretz Yisrael transgresses a positive commandmen