(Mishnah): An episode occurred in which people of Tiverya made...

Explanation: Initially they would plug up the holes [through which heat from the fire entered the bathhouse] from before Shabbos, and they entered and bathed on Shabbos;

They were suspected of filling [the place of the fire] with wood from before Shabbos [and opening the holes], and it would burn on Shabbos. [RASHBA - they were very prone to stoke the coals, so Rabanan] forbade to them bathing and permitted a steambath;

They were suspected to enter and bathe and say "we are taking a steambath!'' [Rabanan] forbade to them bathing and a steambath.

There were two baths there - one of sweet water [heated through fire] and one of salt water (Chamei Tiverya, i.e. naturally hot spring water). They were suspected to remove the boards [covering the former], bathe in the sweet water and say "we bathed in the salt water.'' They forbade to them everything.

Once people observed the fences [that Rabanan made, Rabanan] permitted to them more and more, until they permitted to them cave water and Chamei Tiverya, but they did not permit bringing towels [with which they dried themselves after bathing].

Who permitted bringing towels? It was R. Chanina ben Akivah.

(Beraisa): R. Chanina ben Akivah permitted three matters - he permitted [Hatmanah] in chaff of legumes (and did not consider it to be Machshir, even though they collected it early when it was still wet with dew), and a balcony over the sea (to make a hole in it and draw water through it), and bringing towels.

Question (Mishnah): One who bathes in a cave or in Chamei Tiverya, he may dry himself even with 10 towels, but he may not bring them [home] in his hand.

Answer (Shmuel): What will this Talmid (who asked this question do) - he did not learn [Gemara] or serve [Chachamim]! This Mishnah was before they permitted bringing towels;

(R. Yirmeyah and R. Ze'ira citing Rav Yehudah citing Shmuel): Rebbi permitted bringing towels. (Initially he taught that it is forbidden. Later he found that a individual forbids, so he permitted - PNEI MOSHE.)

(Beraisa): One may not shower in hot water, but not in cold water.

(R. Yudah bar Pazi): This Beraisa was before Chachamim permitted Chamei Tiverya;

(Beraisa): One who bathes in Chamei Tiverya, he may pour water on himself, but others may not pour for him.

R. Shimon ben Menasiya says, even he may not pour on himself, for this increases the heat and wets the ground.

R. Acha bar Yitzchak went to bathe with R. Ba bar Mamal in the hot spring (MUSAF HA'ARUCH) of Bar Yatasis. He saw a man pouring on himself.

R. Acha (to the man): This is forbidden on Shabbos, for it increases the heat and wets the ground. (This is like R. Shimon ben Menasiya.)

R. Avahu instructed others to pour [on themselves], and some would fall on him;

[To prevent suspicion,] he told then that [once] R. Lavanti bathed with R. Yonah, and he saw a man pouring on himself (but would not let others pour on him). He said to him "we need not be concerned for the opinion of an individual'' (the first Tana of the Beraisa. The Halachah is even others may pour on him. We explained this like PNEI MEIR.)

R. Yitzchak Ruba bathed with Rebbi. He said 'may I put a flask of oil [to warm it before anointing with it] in the tub [of hot water? Rebbi' told him 'put (i.e. take water from the tub) in a Kli, and it will become like a Kli Sheni' (and you may put the flask in it. TORAH MI'TZIYON - when one pours from a Kli Rishon, the receiving Kli is a Kli Sheni. The Taz was unsure about a ladle that drew from a Kli. Here, Rebbi said that it becomes like a Kli Sheni.)

(R. Yakov bar Idi citing R. Yehoshua ben Levi): One may ask laws of a bathhouse in a bathhouse, and laws of a privy in a privy.

Support: R. Shimon ben Elazar bathed with R. Meir. He said to him 'may one clean himself [from the water with a cloth]?' He answered "it is forbidden [lest one squeeze]. He asked 'may one wash the floor?' He answered "it is forbidden'' [lest one even out cavities].

Question: Shmuel asked Rav "may one answer Amen in a filthy place?'', and he said "it is forbidden, and this that I told you that it is forbidden, is forbidden [to say in such a place]''!

Answer: We find that Tana'im [argue about this]. A Beraisa teaches "one may not ask laws of a bathhouse in a bathhouse, or laws of a privy in a privy.'

(Mishnah): If it was on Yom Tov, it is like water heated on Yom Tov...

If water was heated on Yom Tov, or was heated from Erev Shabbos for Shabbos, Rav and Shmuel argue about this;

One of them said that one may wash with it his face, hands and feet. The other said that one may wash with it his entire body, limb by limb (but not all at once). We do not know who said this and who said this.

Inference: Since Shmuel taught that one may wash with it his face, hands and feet, Rav said that one may wash with it his entire body, limb by limb.

Question (a philosopher, to Bar Kapara, and Avlat to Levi bar Sisi): (One may heat water on Yom Tov to drink it, but one may not bathe in such water.) Is it permitted to drink and forbidden to bathe?!

Bar Kapara: If you would see a eunuch hug your wife, would it upset you? He said yes.

Bar Kapara: Can [a eunuch] know (have proper Bi'ah with) her?! He said [no, but] she should not be used to lewdness. [Bar Kapara] said "here, [Chachamim forbade] lest people get used to [heating water, and they will come to do so without need].''

After [the philosopher] left, [Bar Kapara's] Talmidim said "you dispelled him with a futile answer - what will you answer us?''

Bar Kapara: It says "Ach Asher Ye'achel l'Chol Nefesh Hu Levado Ye'aseh Lachem.'' (Most people wash the face, hands and feet every day, but not the entire body.)