1)

(a)The Shiur of ...

1. ... a bone (according to the Tana Kama) - is one that is sufficiently large to fashion a spoon from it.

2. ... a piece of glass - is one with which one can sharpen the shuttle of the weaving loom.

3. ... a rock or a stone, according to Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov (according to the Tana Kama, it is one that is large enough to throw at a bird [that is eating one's fruit]) - one that is sufficiently large to throw at an animal.

(b)Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov disagrees with the Tana Kama - because a bird will fly away if one merely shouts at it.

(c)We initially interpret Rebbi Yehudah's Shiur for a bone of 'Chaf' as one from which it is possible to manufacture a lock. The problem with this is that the Shiur of Rebbi Yehudah will then be larger than that of the Tana Kama - whereas we have already learned a number of times, that in this area of Halachah, it is the Tana Kama whose Shiur is always the larger of the two.

(d)We therefore translate 'Chaf' as - one tooth of a lock.

2)

(a)The teeth of a lock become subject to Tum'ah only once they have been fitted into the lock ...

(b)... and Rebbi Yehudah must be speaking of a lock that is attached to vessels - because if it was attached to a door, it would be no more Tamei than the door itself, which is Tahor, because whatever is attached to the ground is Tahor like the ground itself.

(c)If the lock was not subject to Tum'ah, the teeth would not be subject to Tum'ah, either. The fact that the lock has a hole 'to receive' the teeth, gives it the Din of a receptacle, and wooden receptacles are subject to Tum'ah.

(d)The Beraisa gives the Shi'ur for glass as - one that is able to split two hairs simultaneously.

(e)Glass is called 'Sechuchis' because one can see through it (from the word 'Socheh' - to see); and 'Zechuchis' because it is clear (from the word 'Zach' - clear).

3)

(a)The Chachamim ascribe to Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov's Shiur (for a rock or a stone as one that is large enough to throw at an animal) the weight of - ten Zuz.

(b)Zonin asked in the Beis ha'Medrash what the Shi'ur of stones for the bathroom is - concerning both the Chiyuv for carrying them in the street, and whether one may pick them up in the Chatzer to take into the bathroom (because of Muktzeh).

(c)They answered him that three stones are involved here; one the size of a k'Zayis, one, of a nut, and one, of a k'Beitzah (to be used progressively, for practical reasons). We reject this answer here however (even though, there are Tana'im who agree with it on principle) - inasmuch as there is no way of measuring them there.

(d)And we conclude that one is permitted to take a handful of stones - even if there are four or five of them.

4)

(a)Rebbi Meir gives the Shiur of each of the three stones as a walnut, Rebbi Yehudah as a k'Beitzah. Rafram bar Papa equates this Machlokes with another Machlokes, where they argue in exactly the same manner, with reference to - an Esrog, whose minimum Shiur, according to Rebbi Meir, is the size of a walnut, and according to Rebbi Yehudah, that of an egg.

(b)Rav Yehudah precludes a 'Payas' from the stones that one is permitted to take into the bathroom. Payas is - a clod of earth (like Pisas Regev), which is not fit to use to clean oneself, because it tends to break up into pieces, and which is therefore Muktzeh.

(c)Rava says 'Asur Lemashmesh bi'Tz'ror be'Shabbos, ke'Derech she'Memashmesh be'Chol' (which means that one is forbidden to use a rock to help one to open the bowels on Shabbos, as one does on a weekday). We query this however, with 'Listachen'. The ...

1. ... problem is how it can be forbidden, in view of what we have learnt, that someone who does not relieve himself when he needs to, will contract dropsy.

2. ... solution is that when Rava said 'as one does on a weekday', he meant 'in the same way as One does during the weekday, but that one may do it in an unusual way.

(d)The handful is only permitted to take into a fixed bathroom, where he knows for sure that, even if some stones are not used on Friday night, they will nevertheless be used on Shabbos during the day. But if one is using a makeshift bathroom (in which case, stones that are not used, will have been carried for in vain) - Chazal made a compromise permitting only one medium-size stone (namely, the size of a walnut (see also Tosfos).

5)

(a)A small mortar is Muktzeh because it is a 'Kli she'Melachto le'Isur' (see also Korban Nesan'el 2:20). Consequently - if it is still dirty from a previous use ('Im Yesh Alehah Eid'), Rav Sheishes permits it is as if he had now designated it for that use, and it is permitted.

(b)Ten things cause piles; eating bamboo-leaves, vine-leaves or branches, rough meat without salt, the spinal cord of a fish or salted fish that has not been fully cooked, drinking the dregs of wine - cleaning oneself with plaster or with broken pieces of earthenware, and using a rock which somebody else used.

(c)'ha'Toleh Atzmo be'Veis ha'Kisei'. which means - relieving oneself standing, rather than sitting.

(d)The tenth item (a clod of earth that his friend used) creates a problem for Rav Sheishes - who permits it on Shabbos.

(e)We resolve this discrepancy in three different ways - 1. that Rav Sheishes is speaking when the Eid (the excrement on the mortar) is dry (the Beraisa, when it is wet); 2. Rav Sheishes is speaking when he uses the other side of the Eid (the Beraisa, when he uses the same side as the other person) - 3. He is speaking about his own Eid (the Beraisa, about somebody else's).

6)

(a)If the rain washes off the Eid - the mortar is still permitted, provided the mark is still visible, in which case, it remains disgusting and is unusable for its original function.

7)

(a)When Rabah bar Rav Shiloh asked Rav Chisda whether one is permitted to take the stones up on to the roof on Shabbos to use there (since it may be Asur because of 'Tircha Yeseirah [excessive bother]), Rav Chisda replied with the principle - 'Gadol Kavod ha'Beriyos, she'Docheh es Lo Sa'aseh she'ba'Torah' (that human dignity overrides the La'av of 'Lo Sasur' [incorporating all Isurim de'Rabbanan), to resolve the Sha'aleh.

(b)We learn this - from the Pasuk in ki Seitzei "ve'Hisalamta" (the Torah's concession for a dignified elder to refrain from returning a lost article if it would be undignified for him to do so).

(c)Nevertheless, the Chachamim forbid picking up splinters to pick one's teeth (other than from a stable), because this is something that one should have done before Shabbos (whereas not everybody knows where he will relieve himself, making it difficult to prepare the stones in advance).

(d)Resh Lakish permits cleaning oneself with a clod of earth from which grass is growing - adding that if, on the other hand, he deliberately detaches the grass, he is Chayav a Chatas.

8)

(a)Rav Huna's reason for forbidding relieving oneself in someone else's field, cannot be due to ...

1. ... the prohibition of treading in someone else's field and spoiling the furrows, because if it was - it would have been forbidden during the week too, and not just on Shabbos!

2. ... the fear that he might come to pull out some of the grass that is growing there, and be Chayav because of Tolesh - because Resh Lakish specifically permits using a rock, in spite of the grass growing on it.

(b)Rav Huna's reason must therefore be - because he may inadvertently take a rock from higher ground, and put it down on lower ground (to fill in a hole there) - and Rabah has taught that someone who does so is Chayav Chatas because of Choresh (plowing, though in the house, he would be Chayav because of Boneh [building]).

(c)Rav Kahana refutes Rav Papi's inference from Resh Lakish's above-mentioned concesssion, that it is permitted to move a Parfisa (a plant-pot) on Shabbos (as long as one take's care not to detach the plant in any way, or to enhance its growth) - because Resh Lakish Heter to clean oneself with a clod of earth on Shabbos is based on Kavod ha'Beri'os, and will not extend to picking up a plant-pot with a plant growing in it, where Kavod ha'Beri'os does not apply.

(d)The definition of a Parfisa (based on a Teshuvas ha'Ge'onim) is - a wickerwork basket, one for each member of the family, which they would customarily fill with earth and manure, some two or three weeks before Rosh ha'Shanah, and in which they would then plant a bean-seed or that of another legume. Then, on Erev Rosh ha'Shanah, each person would take his basket, and revolve it around his head seven times, saying 'Zeh Tachas Zeh; Zeh Chalipasi, ve'Zeh Temurasi', after which he would take the basket and throw it into the river (an apparent combination [and possibly the fore-runner of] Kaparos and Tashlich).

9)

(a)Abaye takes the opportunity to say something connected with Parfisa. Someone who moves a holed plant-pot from the ground and places it on pegs (where it is still open to the ground), he says - is Chayav because of 'Tolesh' (in fact it cannot be more than an Isur mi'de'Rabbanan, because otherwise, how could Chazal permit it because of Kavod haBeri'os is involved?), since he has removed it from its source of growth. And the same will apply if he takes the pot from the pegs, where they do not nurture from the ground, and places it on the ground.

(b)These acts resemble - Tolesh and Notei'a.

(c)The two reasons for the prohibition of using a piece of clay to clean oneself, even during the week are - because of the danger of tearing out the glands of the rectum, and because it is subject to witchcraft.

(d)According to Rav Nasan bar Oshaya, Rebbi Yochanan nevertheless finds it necessary to forbid it specifically on Shabbos - to teach us that when one has the choice of a piece of clay or rocks, one should preferably use the rocks (even though they are Muktzeh and the clay is not), on account of these two reasons.

10)

(a)According to Rav Nasan bar Oshaya, Rebbi Yochanan's reason cannot be because of the fear that he may remove hairs from the rectum - because of the principle 'Davar she'Ein Miskaven, Mutar'.

(b)Rava does indeed ascribe Rebbi Yochanan's reason to the Isur of removing hair - and Rebbi Yochanan holds 'Davar she'Ein Miskaven, Asur'.

(c)This clashes with another ruling of Rebbi Yochanan, in connection with the Mishnah in Nazir, which permits him to comb his hair - because it is a Davar she'Ein Miskaven, and Rebbi Yochanan always rules like a Stam Mishnah.

(d)We deal with this discrepancy - by rejecting Rava's explanation of Rebbi Yochanan's ruling, and accepting that of Rav Nasan bar Oshaya.

11)

(a)When Rav Chisda and Rabah bar Rav Huna refused to take a certain Roman matron with them in a boat - she cast a spell on the boat, in an attempt to stop it from moving.

(b)But Rav Chisda and Rabah bar Rav Huna - negated the spell by pronouncing a Name of Hash-m (or uttering a counter-spell).

(c)The matron ascribed their ability to counter her spell to the fact that they - always avoided using a piece of clay to clean themselves, killing a louse directly on their clothes - and removing a garlic, leek or onion directly from a bundle of vegetables which had been tied by the gardeners (always taking care to untie it first).