The Daily Mishnah with Benedict

The pen is mightier than the sword and the rabbis spend more than half of the twelfth chapter of Shabbat on the question of writing - what works and what does not work to trigger liability? For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat . For other resources go to https://www.thedailymishnah.com .

Building, ploughing, weeding, gathering, writing. Which one do you think will interest the rabbis most? For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat . For other resources go to https://www.thedailymishnah.com

What if we throw something in the sea? From a boat? Without remembering that it was shabbat? For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat . For other resources go to www.thedailymishnah.com .

What if we throw something on shabbat? From a public space into a private one? Over a public space? Do the air rights count? For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat . For other resources go to www.thedailymishnah.com .

Someone who completes carries with a partner or carries a human being or carries in an unusual way? Is this "carrying" for the purpose of keeping shabbat? For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat . For other resources go to www.thedailymishnah.com .

Boundary cases - someone who changes his mind, who only completes half an action or who completes it in an unusual way. Are they carrying on shabbat? For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat . For other resources go to www.thedailymishnah.com .

Today's Daily Mishnah goes back to minimal quantities for carrying on shabbat - pepper, spices, detergent and fuel, ending up with a children's toy. For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat . For other resources go to www.thedailymishnah.com .

How do we know that we are keeping the right halakha? Do we rely on tradition, on reason or on Biblical exegesis? In-between clarifying the quantities that are significant for carrying on Shabbat, the Mishnah brings a group of seven teachings that can each be associated with a verse from Tanach . Themes of holiness, impurity, and fertility run through them. For the source sheet, look here: https:/...

How do we know that we are keeping the right halakha? In-between teaching quantities that are significant for carrying on Shabbat, the Mishnah takes a surprising turn. For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat

Thinking of carrying eye-shadow on shabbat? Or sand? Or earth?  What is the minimal critical quantity that is needed to define the archetypal creative act of "carrying in the public domain"?  For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat

Thinking of carrying pea-stalks on shabbat? Or eye-wash or ears of wheat? For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat

What are the 39 core activities that we refrain from carrying out on Shabbat? For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat

Comfort objects? Bells? Foxes' teeth? What other kinds of things can be carried on Shabbat? For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat

Girls with pierced ears, women with cloaks and men with prosthetics. What do they do on shabbat? For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat

What kind of things can we go out with on Shabbat? Spice-jars? Weapons? Garters? Find out more! For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat

The Mishnah finishes its discussion of animals carrying on shabbat with a hint at the responsibilities of leaders to support moral standards in their communities. Then it moves to the kind of adornments that humans used to go out with in the time of the Mishnah. For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat

Animals need to rest too! How do they go out on Shabbat? The Mishnah teaches us about animals before it teaches about humans. For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat

Today's Daily Mishnah examines how to keep food hot on shabbat and introduces the concept of "muktzeh", stuff that we don't handle on shabbat. For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat

Taking food and drink away from a stove or a heater on shabbat. For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat

Lighting the light, and putting food on a burning stove before shabbat. For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat

Fuelling the light, and questions of life and death. For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat

How do we light on shabbat and why are some wicks or some fuels forbidden? For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat  

Roasting on shabbat? In principle, processes that we might set running before shabbat can continue to operate during it, but perhaps not roasting? As ever, there are exceptions. For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat .

After coming to blows at the entrance to the beit midrash, Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel continue their debates about processes that we might set running before shabbat but which continue to operate during it. Eventually, the Mishnah will validate Beit Hillel. For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat

Swords and spears in the beyt midrash? Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel come to blows. Eventually, the Mishnah will validate Beit Hillel. For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnaShabbat