In chapter 21 of the laws of Shabbat, Maimonides segues from the laws of preparing food to those of administering medicine. We examine the grounds for the way he tied the two themes and his use of the concept of grinding ingredients.

In this session we analyze the text in Talmud Yerushalmi dealing with medical treatment on Shabbat.

Is the prohibition against using medicine on Shabbat based on the concern that people will grind ingredients to make the medicine?

The category of killing an animal is not mentioned in tractate Shabbat, except for the list in 7:2,why?

Also, is scientific evidence taken into account when discussing Halacha?

The Mishnah says that one is not liable for tearing clothes as a sign of mourning or to calm anger. The Talmud qualifies the first statement and rejects the second. An interesting example of how we don’t follow the rulings of the Mishnah.

We segue from the laws of writing on Shabbat yo facilitating signage for illiterate witnesses, and from there to printing a Seder Torah.

How can we quantify writing in Shabbat? Is it the number of letters, the context of writing, or message delivered?

This Mishnah asks how much you need to build to be liable for construction. We discuss the scope of construction and the interesting but forgotten opinion that a work is only an accomplished act.

In this segment we gloss over the many details of carrying objects and materials, and focus on the last Mishnah of chapter 10, which speaks of grooming and combing hair.

Chapter 6 of Mishnah Shabbat provides valuable information about lifestyle in antiquity. Women did not cover their hair and men openly carried weapons.