Siman - Shabbos Daf 108
- Chicken skin used for tefillin
Rav Huna said that one may write tefillin on the hide of a kosher bird. Rav Yosef asks, what is the novelty of this ruling? It can’t be to teach you that birds have a hide, as that we already know, based on the Mishnah earlier that teaches that one who bruises beasts and birds, is chayav.
Abaye said to Rav Yosef that Rav Huna is teaching a great deal, for we would have thought that the hide of a kosher bird is not valid for tefillin, since a bird’s hide is full of holes. Rashi explains that the hide has holes since it is perforated by its feathers. Abaye explains that the holes are not problematic, because as they say in Eretz Yisroel, a hole which ink passes over and does not sink into, is not considered a hole to render the parchment unfit to be used for tefillin.
- Source for Bris Milah on male
When Rav arrived in Bavel, Shmuel told Karna to test Rav. Karna asked Rav three questions, the third one being, where is it derived that bris milah is performed on that place, referring to the male member? Rav responded that it is learned from a gezeirah shaveh from the parsha of Orlah where it states, ערלתו – Its blockage. Just as Orlah refers to something that produces fruit, so too bris milah, which has the word ערלתו, refers to something that produces fruit.
The Gemara notes that there is an identical machlokes among the Tannaim. Rebbe Oshaya brings this gezeirah shaveh, whereas Rebbe Nassan states that the gezeirah shaveh is not necessary. According to Rebbe Nassan, the proof comes from the passuk, וערל זכר אשר לא ימול את בשר ערלתו – A blocked male, the flesh of whose blockage is not circumcised. This teaches that circumcision is performed on the place of the body where the difference between the male gender and female gender are recognizable.
- Salt water on Shabbos
The next Mishnah in the perek deals with the deRabbonon of making salt water on Shabbos.
-The Tanna Kamma says that one may not prepare brine (הילמי) but one may prepare salt water for dipping bread, or adding to cooked food. Meaning, one may make a small amount.
-Rebbe Yose challenges the Tanna Kamma, since brine should have the same halacha regardless of the quantity. He therefore says that making salt water is permissible if one adds oil to the water or to the salt, before he mixes the water and salt together.
Rashi explains that mixing the oil in first, weakens the mixture of salt and water. Even though it also weakens the mixture if it is poured in afterwards, doing so is forbidden because putting the salt and water in first, resembles the melacha of מעבד, tanning.
