- Chillul Shabbos for צרכי מילה
The opening Mishnah of the nineteenth perek introduces a machlokes regarding whether one can be mechallel Shabbos for צרכי מילה - the needs for the mitzvah of bris milah.
• Rebbe Eliezer says that if one did not bring the איזמל - the knife for performing the milah, erev Shabbos, he may carry it on Shabbos. He should bring the knife exposed, except in times when there was a governmental decree on doing a bris milah, in which case he should cover it in the presence of witnesses. Furthermore, Rebbe Eliezer holds that one may even cut down a tree to make charcoal, in order to make the knife .
• Rabbi Akiva disagrees and introduces a klal that any melachah that can be performed erev Shabbos, does not push aside Shabbos restrictions.
- Accepting a mitzvah b’simcha
It was taught in a Baraisa that Rebbe Shimon ben Gamliel says that any mitzvah that the Jewish people accepted upon themselves with simcha, such as bris milah, as it says, שש אנכי על אמרתך כמוצא שלל רב – I rejoice over Your word, like one finds abundant spoils, they still perform with simcha. Rashi explains that Dovid Hamelech was upset when he went to the bathhouse and felt naked from mitzvos, until he saw his milah, and his mind was set at ease. (“Your word” in the singular is referring to bris milah, the first mitzvah given to the Jewish people, before other “words” were given.) The Jewish people as well rejoice over this mitzvah, which is there at all times.
Rebbe Shimon ben Gamliel continues and says that any mitzvah that the Jewish people accepted upon themselves בקטטה - contentiously , such as עריות - the prohibition against incestuous relationships, with one's relatives, they still observe contentiously, דליכא כתובה דלא רמו בה תיגרא – for there is no kesubah of which the two sides do not quarrel.
- Moving an object in a mavoi where no shituf was done
Rebbe Zeira asked Rebbe Assi whether a mavoi where no shituf was done, and therefore the courtyards were not merged, is similar to a courtyard where the residents did not make an eiruv, and just as the residents can carry an object that was resting in the courtyard erev Shabbos, on Shabbos, so too they can carry an object that was resting in the mavoi erev Shabbos, in the mavoi on Shabbos. Or perhaps the mavoi does not have the same halacha as the courtyard, either because the courtyard has four partitions and the mavoi only has three, or perhaps because the courtyard has residents and the mavoi does not?
Initially Rebbe Assi was silent but on a subsequent occasion he recalled being told of an incident in which a knife was brought from one end of a mavoi that had no shituf, to the other end, in order that a milah could be performed.
