Daf Ditty Shabbes 101”Tied together”

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‫משה שפיר קאמרת‬

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https://web.nli.org.il/sites/nli/english/digitallibrary/pages/viewer.aspx?presentorid=NNL_Ephemera&DocID=NNL_Ephemera70
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‫ֲאַמר ֵליהּ ַרב ָסְפָרא‪ֹ :‬מֶשׁה‪ַ ,‬שִׁפּיר ָקָאְמַרְתּ?! ״ְמַטְלְטִלין ִמזּוֹ ָלזוֹ״ ְתַּנן! ֶאָלּא ָאַמר ַרב ָסְפָרא‪ :‬ל ֹא ִנְצ ְרָכה ֶאָלּא ְלָﬠֵרב וְּלַטְלֵטל‬
‫ִמזּוֹ ָלזוֹ‪ְ ,‬וִכְדַת ְנָיא‪ְ :‬סִפינוֹת ְקשׁוּרוֹת זוֹ ָבּזוֹ — ְמָﬠ ְרִבין וְּמַטְלְטִלין ִמזּוֹ ָלזוֹ‪ִ .‬נְפְסקוּ — ֶנֶאְסרוּ‪ָ .‬חְזרוּ ְו ִנְקְשׁרוּ‪ֵ ,‬בּין שׁוְֹגִגין‬
‫‪.‬וֵּבין ְמִזיִדין ֵבּין ֲאנוִּסין ֵבּין מוְּטִﬠין — ָחְזרוּ ְלֶהיֵתָּרן ָה ִראשׁוֹן‬
Rav Safra said to him: You, who are as great in this generation as Moses, did you speak well?
We learned in the mishna that one may carry only from one to the other, not via a small boat.
Rather, Rav Safra said: The mishna was only necessary to obligate one to place an eiruv, a joining
of courtyards, between the two boats. Since the boats belong to different people, they must be
joined to form a single domain in order to permit carrying from one to the other, as it was taught
in a baraita: With regard to boats tied to one another, one places an eiruv and carries from one
to the other. If the ties between them were severed, the people on the boats are prohibited to carry
from one to the other. If they were then retied, whether unwittingly, i.e., the one who retied them
forgot that it was Shabbat, whether intentionally, whether due to circumstances beyond one’s
control, whether mistakenly, the boats are restored to their original permitted status.

The Mishna on yesterday’s daf discusses transferring objects between two boats on Shabbat. The
Mishna taught:

If boats are tied together, one may carry an object from one to the other on Shabbat.

On today’s daf the Gemara asks:

That is obvious, since these boats are like a single domain. Rava said: This Mishna was necessary
only to permit carrying from one boat to another via a small boat that is between them. Rav Safra
said to him: You, who are as great in this generation as Moses, did you speak well? We learned
in the Mishna that one may carry only from one to the other, not via a small boat. Rather, Rav
Safra said: The Mishna was only necessary to obligate one to place an eiruv, a joining of
courtyards, between the two boats. Since the boats belong to different people, they must be joined
to form a single domain in order to permit carrying from one to the other, as it was taught in a
baraita: With regard to boats tied to one another, one places an eiruv and carries from one to
the other. If the ties between them were severed, the people on the boats are prohibited to carry
from one to the other. If they were then retied, whether unwittingly, i.e., the one who retied them
forgot that it was Shabbat, whether intentionally, whether due to circumstances beyond one’s
control, whether mistakenly, the boats are restored to their original permitted status.

The expression “Moses, did you speak well” appears several times in the Talmud.

Rashi sometimes explains it as a reference to a prominent leader of the generation or a Torah

scholar. Other times, he explains it as an exclamation by which one takes an oath in the name of
Moses.

Some explain that here the phrase is not an expression of wonder, but rather an expression of
support meaning that Rav Safra agreed with Rava’s basic halakha. Yet he still commented that an
analysis of the language of the Mishna indicates otherwise (Me’iri)2

“Moses, you spoke well!” ‫"משה שפיר קאמרת‬

At first glance, Rav Safra’s enthusiastic response to Rava’s teaching appears to be the highest of
praise. What could be more complementary than comparing a colleague to Moses, the man who
led Israel out of Egypt, who spoke to God face-to-face, and whom the rabbis frequently refer to
as Moshe Rabbenu — “Moses our rabbi”?

Or, perhaps not. On today’s daf, the rabbis of the Gemara are discussing a Mishnah from the
previous page which, once again, concerns transferring objects between domains on Shabbat:

If boats are tied together, one may carry an object from one to the other on Shabbat. If they
are not tied, even though they are adjacent, one may not carry from one to the other.

The Gemara raises an objection: this teaching is obvious! This is actually a common sort of
objection raised by the Gemara. It arises from a rabbinic assumption that every part of the Mishnah
is important and relevant — no teaching is superfluous. When the Gemara objects that a Mishnaic
statement appears to be obvious, this requires a response that reveals how, in fact, that particular
Mishnah teaches something novel.

At first, it is Rava who comes in to rescue this “obvious” Mishnah:

Rava said: This Mishnah was necessary to permit carrying from one boat to another via a
small boat that is between them.

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Steinsaltz, Daf Yomi.
In Rava’s view, while it is obvious that one can carry directly between two boats that are tied
together on Shabbat, the Mishnah teaches that one is also permitted to use a small shuttle boat to
transfer objects between them.

This is when Rav Safra exclaims: Moses, you spoke well! ‫"משה שפיר קאמרת‬

But then Rav Safra undoes Rava’s teaching, showing how language in the Mishnah — specifically
the use of the words mi zo le zo (‫)מזו לזו‬, which implies a direct transfer — rules out the use of
shuttle boats.

Now we are back to the original problem: the Mishnah seems superfluous. What is it actually
teaching us? Rav Safra has an answer for that too: the Mishnah is necessary to teach us that when
two boats that are tied together are owned by two different people, an eruv (a joining of private
spaces) is required to enable carrying between them on Shabbat. This is the real novel teaching of
this Mishnah.

Rashi suggests that we read Rav Safra’s response to his colleague’s weak solution — Moses, you
spoke well! — with astonishment. Rav Safra is flabbergasted that Rava would offer an explanation
so easily knocked down.3

Elsewhere is shas: Succah 39a

‫משה שפיר קאמרת אלא התם והכא אסוקי מילתא היא ולית לן בה אמר רבא לא לימא איניש יהא שמיה רבא והדר מברך‬
‫אלא יהא שמיה רבא מברך בהדדי א"ל רב ספרא משה שפיר קאמרת אלא התם והכא אסוקי מילתא הוא ולית לן בה‬:

You, who are as great in this generation as Moses, did you speak well? It is not so; rather, both
there and here, whether he recites it with or without pause, the latter part of the verse is the
conclusion of the matter, and we have no problem with it, as it is clear that his intention is to
recite the entire verse: “Blessed is one who comes in the name of the Lord.” Rava said: Let a
person not recite in the kaddish prayer: May His great name, and then, after pausing, recite: Be
blessed. Rather, let him recite without pause: May His great name be blessed. Rav Safra said
to Rava: You, who are as great in this generation as Moses, did you speak well? It is not so,
rather, both there and here, whether he recites it with or without pause, the latter part of the verse
is the conclusion of the matter, and we have no problem with it.

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Rabbi Elliot Goldberg in “myjewishlearning.org”
Rava taught that the Mishnah should be understood to allow not only transferring from one of the
two boats which were tied together to the other, but also that this may be done via a smaller boat
which is between them.

Rashi understands that Rav Safra was questioning Rava, because the Mishnah only states that
one may carry between the two tied boats themselves.

Rav Safra called Rava “Moshe”, as if to say, “How could someone as great as you say something
that is not indicated in the Mishnah?”

Ritva says that Rav Safra was not arguing with Rava. Rather, he was acknowledging that what
Rava said was correct, and one may carry via the small boat, although it is not tied to the others.

However, Rav Safra was pointing out that the words of the Mishnah only indicate that one may
carry directly between the two tied boats.

Why did Rav Safra call Rava “Moshe”?

The Ari zt”l explains that the ‫ שמה‬of Moshe Rabbeinu is the source of the souls of all talmidei
chachamim among the Jewish people throughout the generations.

The spark of this soul is especially characteristic among the Torah sages who are the leaders of
each generation. This is why we sometimes find certain distinguished Torah personalities
referred to as “Moshe”, because the spirit of Torah and wisdom and its special powers are
derived from his soul.

The notion of ‫ "משה שפיר קאמרת‬is a critical idea in Reb Zadok Hacohen who privileges talmidei
chachamim in every generation following the Ari.

‫ומשה רבינו ע"ה זכה לשניהם כמ"ש )במגילה יט‬:) ‫הראהו הקב"ה למשה דקדוקי תורה ודקדוקי סופרים ומה‬
‫ וכל ת"ח גדול בתורה נקרא משה‬,‫כמ"ש שבת קא(שהסופרים עתידין לחדש וזה פה אל פה‬:) ‫משה שפיר קאמרת‬
‫ וכ' האריז"ל דבכל דור יש ת"ח שהוא ניצוץ מנשמת משה רבינו ע"ה וכמ"ש‬.‫ופירש"י רבינו בדורו כמשה בדורו‬
‫אין דור שאין בו כמשה )ב"ר פ' נו( במדרש‬
God showed Moses the specifics of Torah and even the variations of textual transmission and
even what the future scribes will invent. And every Talmid Chacham who is a giant in Torah is
called by the appellation “Moses!”
Then, citing the Ari:

‫וכמו”ש האריז”ל על לשון משה שפיר קאמרת דגדול הדור נקרא כן שהוא ניצוץ משה רבינו ע”ה עצמו המתגלגל בכל‬
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‫דור‬
That the Gadol Ha-Dor in each generation is called Moshe, because he carries a spark of Moses
himself, that reincarnates in each.

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‫ וזאת הברכה פ”ח‬,‫ספר הלקוטיס‬
 ‫בכל דור יש גם כן נפש או נפשות של ראשי אלפי ישראל הכוללים כמה אלפים נפשות‪ .‬ויש ראשי הדור שהם כוללים‬
‫נפשות כל אותו הדור דוגמת משה רבינו ע”ה ובהם שורש ממשה וכמו”ש האריז”ל על לשון משה שפיר קאמרת דגדול‬
‫דר”ח בריה דרב איקא בירך הדור נקרא כן שהוא ניצוץ משה רבינו ע”ה עצמו המתגלגל בכל דור ובגמ’ )ברכות נח‬
‫על ר”פ ור”ה ברי’ דר”י חכם הרזים וא”ל כיון חזתינכו עלואי כששים ריבוא וא”ל חכימת כולי האי כו’ ע”ש וחשבו זה‬
‫לחכמה גדולה שהשיג על ידי ראייתו אותם ]עד”ש בזוהר יתרו ע”פ ואתה תחזה[ שהם חשובים כששים ריבוא היינו‬
‫‪.‬שנפשותם כוללות נפשות כל הדור וכלולים מס’ רבוא דיעות‬

‫‪In each generation there a few souls of the leaders that represent many souls. There are leaders‬‬
‫)‪who represent specific generations like Moshe our teacher (OBM‬‬

‫‪Derech Mitzvosecha‬‬

‫להבין ולהשכיל קצת איכותו ומהותו של כח זה הרוחני המוליד שבנפש‪ ,‬יובן על דרך משל מן כח המוליד שבלבושי‬
‫הנפש‪ ,‬כמו בשכל ומחשבה ודבור‪ .‬שהרי אנו רואים בהשפעת שכל מרב לתלמיד על ידי הדבור‪ ,‬שהוא לבוש החיצון‪,‬‬
‫יש בו גם כן כח המוליד‪ ,‬והוא הנקרא יסוד דדכורא‪ .‬בהיות שיש חכם שאין לו כח זה להשפיע לזולתו‪ ,‬אף על פי שמבין‬
‫בטוב לעצמו‪ ,‬לפי שאין לו כלי היסוד להסביר ולהטעים השכל לפי ערך קטנות התלמיד‪ ,‬אלא מבין ומשיג לפי השגתו‪,‬‬
‫ולא יוכל למצוא עצות בנפשו איך להוריד ולהלביש את הסברא בצירופי אותיות אחרים לפי אופן הבנת התלמיד‪ .‬וזהו‬
‫מפני שאין לו כל כך בחינת כלי ההשפעה חוץ מעצמותו‪ ,‬שהם בחינת תרין ביעין‪ ,‬נצח והוד‪ ,‬היועצות איך יהיה‬
‫ההשפעה והיסוד שהוא גוף ההשפעה‪ .‬ויש חכם הימנו‪ ,‬שכלי היסוד יש בו יותר‪ ,‬דהיינו שיוכל להסביר ולהטעים את‬
‫השכל‪ ,‬עד שגם התינוק יוכל להבינו‪ ,‬מפני שיש לו ריבוי דברים להרחיב העניין ]ו[להטעימו בצירופים שונים‪ .‬וכמו‬
‫על כל )סוכה לט א( "שכתוב בספרי הקבלה‪ ,‬שפרנסי הדור הם מבחינת היסודות‪ ,‬וזהו שאמר "משה שפיר קאמרת‬
‫גדול הדור המלמד לתלמידיו‪ ,‬שמשה היה בחינת יסוד אבא‪ .‬כי כמו שהוא בעניין השפעת שכל‪ ,‬כך גם השפעת תורה‬
‫והכנסת יראת שמים בלב השמים‪ .‬והנה בחינה זו נקראת יסוד דדכורא‪ ,‬ועל דרך זה יובן גם כן במקבל ההשפעה‪ ,‬שיש‬
‫בו בחינת כלי‪ ,‬יסוד דנוקבא‪ .‬והוא מה שאנו רואים שיש תלמיד שקולט היטב במוחו מה שהוא שומע‪ ,‬ויש שאינו קולט‬
‫היטב‪ ,‬והיינו לפי ערך יסוד דנוקבא המקבל‪ .‬וזהו עניין ד' מדות שבתלמידים‪ ,‬משפך בחינת פולטת‪ ,‬ונפה בסוד הברור‬
‫‪.‬שבטפה ודו"ק‬

‫‪Me’Or Eynayim (Chernobyl) echoes this:‬‬

‫דנודע כי אתפשטותא דמשה הוא בכל דרא עד ששים רבוא דרי ובכל צדיק וצדיק יש בחי׳ משה ניצוץ הקדוש מנשמת‬
‫יתברך‬ ‫עבודתו‬ ‫לעובד‬ ‫שמסייעו‬ ‫ע״ה‬ ‫רבינו‬ ‫משה‬

‫‪It is known that Moshe is manifest in every generation “until 600000 generations” and every‬‬
‫‪Zaddik has an aspect of Moshe , a spark of Moshe’s holy soul that helps in his divine worship.‬‬

‫‪However, the Karliner (and the Bal HaTanya extend this aspect to every Yid:‬‬

‫הוא לשון הנהגה‪ .‬וזהו וידבר משה‪ .‬הנהיג והכניס את מועד”י י”י‪ .‬התגלות אלקות‪ .‬אל בני ישראל‪ .‬ואתפשטותא דמשה‬
‫‪:‬הוא בכל דרא ודרא‪ .‬כי כל צדיק בדורו הוא בחינת משה והם מכניסים התגלות אלקות בכל רגל ורגל אל בני ישראל‬
‫)‪– Bais Ahron (Karlin‬‬
This is the aspect of Moses introducing the revelation of divinity into the children of Israel, and
the manifestation of Moshe occurs in every generation for every Zaddik has that aspect of Moses
and they inject the revelation of divinity every festival into Am Yisroel,

‫ שלח לך כו’ הלא זה מלא בכל הספרים אשר אתפשטותא דמשה בכל דרא ודרא והוא שורש של נשמות‬.‫עוד נוכל לומר‬
.‫ והראיה כפי דאיתא שנולדו במצרים ששים רבוא בכרס אחד ומנו משה כי הוא כללות ששים רבוא ישראל‬.‫כל ישראל‬
‫ היינו הנשמות הנבראים בזה העולם בכל עת מאז ועד עתה ועד שיהיה שלימות‬.‫לכך א”ל הקב”ה שלח לך אנשים‬
‫הגמור והם נתונים בתוך הגוף בזה העולם‬:
– Bais Ahron

We might add that in every sacred volume Moses is manifest in every generation for he is the
root soul of all souls of Israel, so when God says “send for yourself men” these refer to the souls
to be born in this world at all times, form then to now, until the completion of the tikkun..

Nevertheless, Reb Nosson Breslover restricts this illumination to only one in every generation
(of course!)5the Zaddik Emes

‫ ִכּי ֹמֶשׁה ַרֵבּנוּ ִמְתַלֵבּשׁ ְבָּכל דּוֹר ָודוֹר ַבַּצִּדּיק ָהֲאִמִתּי ֶשַׁבּדּוֹר‬,‫ ְוִאְתַפְּשּׁטוָּתא ְדֹּמֶשׁה ְבָּכל ָדָּרא ְוָדָרא‬.

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Likutei Halochos, Reb Nosson Steinhart