(Mar bar ha'Meduri): If one stuck his hand into an animal's womb and moved (thereby aborting) the fetus, he is liable.

Question: What is the reason?

Answer (Rava): Rav Sheshes taught that if one uproots field dodder (a parasitic plant) from prickly shrubs he is liable for uprooting something from where it grows - the same applies here.

(Abaye): If one uproots mushrooms growing on the handle of a bucket, he is liable for uprooting something from where it grows.

Question (against Rav Sheshes and Abaye - R. Oshaya - Mishnah): If one detaches something that was growing in a flowerpot with a hole, he is liable; if the flowerpot does not have a hole, he is exempt (because its contents do not grow from the ground - the same applies to mushrooms)!

Answer: It is abnormal to grow something in a flowerpot without a hole - it is normal for mushrooms to grow on a bucket or hops on prickly shrubs.

(Mishnah): If one traps animals or birds...

(Rav Huna): One may write Tefilin on skin of a Tahor bird.

Question (Rav Yosef): Does he teach that birds have skin? We already learn this from our Mishnah - '...If he wounds them (animals or birds) he is liable'!

Answer (Abaye): One might have thought that their skin is Pasul for Tefilin because it is full of holes (where feathers were removed) - Rav Huna teaches, this is not so, like Chachamim of Eretz Yisrael:

(Chachamim of Eretz Yisrael): We are not concerned for any hole that the ink passes over (i.e. no hole will be seen in the letter).

Version #1 - Question (R. Zeira - Beraisa): "Vi'Chnafav" - this is Machshir the skin (Olas ha'Of is burned on the Mizbe'ach with its skin).

If the skin is different than the flesh, it should be removed [like skin of Olas Behemah]!

Answer (Abaye): It is skin, the Torah permitted it to the Mizbe'ach.

Version #2 - Support (R. Zeira - Beraisa): "Vi'Chnafav" - this is Machshir the skin.

If the skin is different than the flesh, we understand why we need a verse to permit it - but if it is like the flesh, why is a verse needed?

Answer (Abaye): Perhaps it is like flesh, but because it is full of holes, one might have thought that it is repulsive [and Pasul for Hakravah] - the verse teaches, this is not so.

Question (Mar brei d'Ravina): May one write Tefilin on skin of a Tahor fish?

Answer (Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak): If Eliyahu will come and say.

Question: What does this mean? (After Moshe, prophecy cannot determine Halachah!)

Suggestion: He will say whether or not it has skin.

Rejection #1: We see that it has skin!

Rejection #2 (Mishnah): [A Kli made of] bones or skin of a fish shield from Tum'ah in Ohel ha'Mes [since it is not Mekabel Tum'ah. The Mishnah does not show that Halachah distinguishes the skin from the flesh - also flesh of fish is Tahor! Rather, we understand that it [only] discusses Kelim made of the skin because the skin can be made into Kelim, unlike the flesh.]

Answer: (Initially, it is disgusting.) If Eliyahu will say that [after it is tanned] it is no longer considered disgusting, it is Kosher. If not, it is Pasul. [Maharatz Chayos - Chachamim know the Halachah, that one may not write on something disgusting. Eliyahu can tell us the nature of fish skin.]

Shmuel and Karna were on the bank of the Malka river; there were big waves, and the water was cloudy.

Shmuel: A great Chacham is coming from Eretz Yisrael; he has stomach problems, the water is rising in front of him (Rashi - to cover up his pain; Tosfos - Shmuel had heard that a Chacham was coming, he knew that he would be sick on account of drinking the cloudy water - he was a brilliant doctor);

Go check if he really is a Chacham!

Question (Karna, of Rav): What is the source that one may write Tefilin only on skin of a Tahor animal?

Answer (Rav): "Lema'an Tihyeh Toras Hash-m b'Ficha" - it must be from something permitted to your mouth.

Question (Karna): What is the source that blood is red [but other colors do not make a woman Nidah]?

Answer (Rav): "Va'Yir'u Mo'av...ha'Mayim Adumim ka'Dam" - this teaches that blood is red.

Question (Karna): How do we know where to circumcise?

Answer (Rav): It says 'Orlah', like it says regarding fruits of the first three years - just like there it relates to procreation, also regarding Milah.

Questions (Karna): Perhaps it refers to the heart, or to the ear - it says "U'Maltem Es Orlas Levavchem", and "Hine Arelah Oznam"!

Answer (Rav): It is better to learn Orlah without an accompanying name from another such Orlah (as opposed to Orlah of the heart or ear).

Rav asked Karna for his name; when told, he requested that a Keren (horn) should sprout in Karna's eye - in the end, it did (Rav did not appreciate being tested. Ya'avetz - it is improper to ask someone weak from traveling; Rav was not held accountable for cursing him or for cursing Shmuel (below), since he was in great pain.)

Shmuel hosted Rav; he fed him barley bread, fish fried in its oil with flour and gave him beer to drink, but did not show him where the Beis ha'Kisei is (forcing Rav to hold it in would cure him).

Rav did not understand Shmuel's intent - he cursed him that he should never have sons - this was fulfilled [even though Rav regretted it when he found out the intent. On account of the curse, Rav put Shmuel's honor above his own, even though Rav was a greater Chacham - Bava Kama 80b.]

Rav's answer is the subject of an argument of Tana'im:

(Beraisa) Question: How do we know where to circumcise?

Answer #1 (R. Yoshiyah): It says 'Orlah', like it says regarding fruits of the first three years - just like there it refers to propagation, also regarding Milah.

Answer #2 (R. Noson): We need not learn from there - it says "V'Arel Zachar...", it is in the place that distinguishes males and females.

(Beraisa): One may write Tefilin on skin of a Tahor Behemah or Chayah, even if it is a Nevelah or Treifah;

A tradition from Moshe from Sinai requires wrapping the parchments in the hair of a Tahor animal, and sewing them with sinews of a Tahor animal.

One may not write Tefilin on skin of a Tamei Behemah or Chayah, there is no need to say it is forbidden on skin of a Nevelah or Treifah of a Tamei species (slaughter does not apply, it always becomes Nevelah when it dies); the parchments may not be wrapped or sewn in their hair or sinews.

Question (a Baisusi (heretic)): What is the source to forbid writing Tefilin on skin of a Tamei Behemah?

Answer (R. Yehoshua ha'Garsi): "Lema'an Tihyeh Toras Hash-m b'Ficha" - it must be from something permitted to your mouth.

Question (the Baisusi): If so, it should be forbidden on skin of a Treifah or Nevelah!

Answer (R. Yehoshua): I answer you with a parable - there were two men sentenced to be executed, one was killed by the king, the other by the executioner - surely, the one killed by the king is superior! (Likewise, Nevelah is superior to a slaughtered animal.)

Question (the Baisusi): If so, it should be permitted to eat Nevelah!

Answer (R. Yehoshua): It says "Lo Sochlu Chol Nevelah".

The Baisusi was pleased with the answer,

(Mishnah): One may not make brine on Shabbos, but one may make saltwater and dip bread in it or add it to a cooked food (this will be explained);

R. Yosi: Brine is the same, whether one makes a lot or a little!

Rather, it is permitted to make saltwater if one puts oil into the water or salt first.

(Gemara): Question: What does the first Tana say?

Answer (Rav Yehudah): One may not make a large amount of saltwater on Shabbos, a small amount is permitted.

(Mishnah - R. Yosi): Brine is the same, whether one makes a lot or a little!

Question: Does R. Yosi permit or forbid?

Answer #1 (Rav Yehudah): Since it does not say 'R. Yosi forbids', he permits.

Objection (Rabah - Seifa): Rather, it is permitted to make saltwater if...

This shows that he forbids [without oil first! Rashi - such saltwater is strong, putting food in it will resemble tanning; Rambam - it will resemble doing Melachah with food (this is like Rava, who says that tanning does not apply to food - Tosfos Yom Tov).]

Answer #2 (Rabah and R. Yochanan): He forbids.

Support (Beraisa): One may not make a large amount of saltwater to put in vegetables being pickled in a shard, but one may make a small amount to dip bread in it or add it to a cooked food.

R. Yosi: Do we forbid a large amount and permit a small amount?! People will say that a large Melachah is forbidden, but a small amount is permitted!

Rather, both of these are forbidden - it is permitted only if he puts oil into the water or salt first; he may not mix [pure] water and salt.

(R. Yehudah bar Chaviva - Beraisa): One may not make strong saltwater.

Question: What is strong saltwater?

Answer (Rabah and Rav Yosef): It is so concentrated that an egg floats in it.

Question: How much salt makes it this concentrated?

Answer (Abaye): It is two thirds salt and one third water.

Question: Why do people make such strong saltwater?

Answer (R. Avahu): It is used for fat of fish.

(R. Yehudah bar Chaviva - Beraisa): One may not salt [at once several pieces of] a radish or egg on Shabbos (this hardens and improves them, it resembles tanning).

(Rav Chizkiyah): A radish is forbidden, an egg is permitted.

(Rav Nachman): At first I used to salt radishes [on Shabbos] - I thought, this makes it worse (blunts the sharpness, so it is not forbidden);

(Shmuel): Sharp radishes are beneficial.

After I heard Ula teach that in Eretz Yisrael they salt piles upon piles of them, I stopped salting [two at a time], but I do dip them [in saltwater when eating them].

(R. Yehudah bar Chaviva - Beraisa): If not for the outer peel of radishes, Esrogim and [white of] eggs, they would [harden and] never leave the intestines.

(Rav Dimi): No one ever drowned in the Dead Sea [the salt keeps people afloat].

(Rav Yosef): Sodom was Nehefach (overturned - "Va'Yahafoch Es he'Arim ha'El..." (Bereishis 19:25)), everything about it is Hafuch (reversed) - people do not drown in it, but beams sink in it.

(Abaye): No, Rav Dimi teaches a bigger Chidush - not only beams, which don't sink in any waters, don't sink in the Dead Sea - but even people, who drown in other waters, do not drown in it!

Question: What difference does it make?

Answer: (Since it is salty, it heals - therefore, one may not open and close his eye in it on Shabbos.) Ravin was walking in back of R. Yirmiyah on the bank of the Dead Sea; he asked if one may bathe in the water (perhaps it is forbidden mid'Rabanan on account of healing).

R. Yirmiyah: It is permitted (it is not evident that it is done to heal).

Question (Ravin): May one open and close his eye (so the water will enter)?

R. Yirmiyah: I did not hear about this, I heard a related Halachah:

(Shmuel's father or Levi): One may not [open and close the eye to] put wine in the eye (clearly this is to heal); one may put wine on the eye;

(The other of Shmuel's father and Levi): One may not even put tasteless spit (i.e. of one who did not eat anything since waking up) on the eye (it is repulsive, surely it is not to wash it, rather, to heal).

Deduction: Shmuel's father said the former, for Shmuel taught that one may soak bread in wine and put it on the eye - surely, he heard this from his father!

Objection: Shmuel also taught that one may not even put tasteless spit on the eye - will you say that he heard also this from his father? If so, Levi did not teach either of them!

Conclusion: Shmuel heard one from his father and one from Levi - we cannot determine which he heard from which.

(Mar Ukva): One may soak Kilor (a plaster for the eye) from before Shabbos and put it on the eye on Shabbos.

Bar Livai was opening and closing his eye.

Mar Ukva: Surely, Shmuel did not permit this!

R. Yanai asked Mar Ukva to send Kilorim of Shmuel.

Mar Ukva: I will send, lest you think that I am stingy - but Shmuel taught that a drop of cold water [on the eyes] in the morning and washing the hands and feet in hot water in the evening is better than all Kilorim.

In a Beraisa, R. Muna taught just like Shmuel.