Siman - Shabbos Daf 140

• Soaking chiltis

The next Mishnah states that one may not soak chiltis in warm water, but may put it in vinegar. Rashi explains that people would soak the chiltis in warm water to make a therapeutic drink, and they would put it in vinegar to be used as a condiment.

The Gemara asked what the law would be if someone did soak the chiltis in warm water on Shabbos? Rav Adda Narshaah said before Rav Yosef that if one soaked the chiltis beshogeg, then he is chayav a chatas. Abaye said to Rav Adda that soaking chiltis is comparable to soaking raw meat in water, where one is certainly not liable. Rather, Abaye said that it is Rabbinically prohibited because of עובדא דחול, that one should not act in a manner that he acts during the week. 

• Rubbing freshly laundered linen shirt

Rav Acha bar Yosef asked Rav Safra whether one is permitted to rub a freshly laundered linen shirt on Shabbos. Do we say that he intends merely to soften the shirt, in which case it is permitted, or perhaps he intends to make the shirt brighter and therefore it is prohibited?

Rashi explains that freshly laundered linen shirts are stiff and rubbing softens the shirt. It also has the effect of making it brighter and brightening it is considered a form of libun, laundering,

Rav Safra answered that one’s intent in rubbing the shirt is to soften it, and therefore it is permitted.

Rav Acha bar Yosef had previously asked Rav Huna the same question about a linen kerchief and was told that it was prohibited because people rub them to make them brighter. However, he still asked Rav Safra afterwards if it is permitted to rub a freshly laundered shirt, because it is not similar to rubbing a linen kerchief. People care more about the brightness of a linen kerchief, because it’s more visible as a head covering, and therefore it could be that although rubbing a kerchief is forbidden, rubbing a shirt would be permitted.

• Rav Chisda’s advice

Rav Chisda gave thirteen pieces of advice to talmidei chochomim, and eight pieces of advice to his own daughters regarding proper behavior with their husbands.

He advised that a poor talmid chochom who does not have much bread, should save his bread until he has enough for a satisfying meal, instead of dividing his bread into many small unsatisfying meals.