Siman - Shabbos Daf 34
- Speaking gently erev Shabbos
The Mishnah stated that on Friday before dark one should check with his family whether they separated Maasros from their Shabbos food and prepared the eruv, as well as remind them to light the Shabbos light.
Rabbah bar Rav Huna said that even though the Rabbonim said that one must say these three things in their home, one must take care to say them gently (בניחותא) so that his family members will accept the reminder and not become resentful and reject it.
- Insulating food
Rava explains that the reason the Rabbonim decreed that once it becomes dark on Shabbos one must not insulate his food with a material that does not increase its heat (שאינו מוסיף הבל) was out of concern that perhaps one will cause the pot to boil before insulating it and thereby transgress the melocho of bishul (cooking) on Shabbos. They did not forbid insulating bein hashemashos since ordinary pots are still boiling then and therefore there is no fear one will heat them up further.
Rava also taught that the reason the Rabbonim decreed one may not insulate food with materials that tend to increase the heat (מוסיף הבל) of materials they surround even on erev Shabbos, is that one might come to insulate with ash (שמא יטמין ברמץ) that has live coals mixed with it and come to stir the coals (שמא יחתה) so the food will cook faster.
- Bein Hashemashos
A Baraisa introduces a three-way machlokes as to when bein hashemashos begins and ends:
- R’ Yehudah: It begins with the setting of the sun (שקיעת החמה) and continues as long as the eastern face of the sky is reddening when the bottom of the sky has darkened. Night begins when the upper sky has darkened to the same color as the bottom sky.
- R’ Nechemyah: Bein Hashemashos begins with the setting of the sun and lasts the time it takes for one to walk a half-mil. After that, it is night.
- R’ Yose: Bein Hashemashos is like the blink of an eye (כהרף עין). It is impossible to determine the short transition between day departing and night beginning.
