## Shabbat Daf 26b

###### Shabbat 26b:1
[Shabbat 26b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/26b:1)

רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר וְתַנָּא דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אָמְרוּ דָּבָר אֶחָד. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר — הָא דַּאֲמַרַן. תַּנָּא דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל מַאי הִיא? — דְּתָנֵי דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל: הוֹאִיל וְנֶאֶמְרוּ ״בְּגָדִים״ בַּתּוֹרָה סְתָם, וּפָרַט לְךָ הַכָּתוּב בְּאֶחָד מֵהֶן צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים. מַה לְּהַלָּן צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים, אַף כֹּל צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar** and the ***tanna* of the school of Rabbi Yishmael** essentially **said the same thing,** even though they said it in different ways. The Gemara elaborates: The statement of **Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar** is **that which we said:** The only fabrics woven from plant materials that are considered bona fide fabrics are those made of linen. **What is** the statement of the ***tanna* from the school** of **Rabbi Yishmael? As it was taught** in **the school** of **Rabbi Yishmael: Since** the word **garments is stated in the Torah unmodified,** without stating from what materials those garments were made, **and the verse specified in one of** its references to garments, in the *halakhot* of ritual impurity of leprosy, **wool and linen:** “And the garment in which there will be the plague of leprosy, whether it be a woolen garment, or a linen garment” (Leviticus 13:47), the conclusion can be drawn: **Just as below,** when it mentions a garment in the case of leprosy, the Torah is referring to one made of **wool** or **linen, so too, all** garments mentioned in the Torah are those made from **wool** or **linen.** Other fabrics are not classified as garments.


###### Shabbat 26b:2
[Shabbat 26b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/26b:2)

רָבָא אָמַר: שְׁלֹשָׁה עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה בִּשְׁאָר בְּגָדִים אִיכָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ. דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר — אִית לֵיהּ. לְתַנָּא דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל — לֵית לֵיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
In contrast to Abaye, who viewed the opinions expressed by Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar and the *tanna* of the school of Rabbi Yishmael as expressing the same idea, **Rava said** that the two opinions are not identical. **There is** a difference **between them** when the cloth is **three by three** handbreadths, **with regard to other garments** that are neither wool nor linen. **As Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar** says explicitly: If it is less than three by three fingerbreadths, indicating that he **is of** the opinion that a cloth that is three by three handbreadths that is suitable for use even by wealthy people can become ritually impure. In his opinion, the uniqueness of linen fabric is not that it can become ritually impure, but rather that a linen rag, even if it is very small, can become ritually impure. The *tanna* **of the school of Rabbi Yishmael is not of** the opinion that other garments can become ritually impure.


###### Shabbat 26b:3
[Shabbat 26b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/26b:3)

דְּכוּלֵּי עָלְמָא מִיהַת שָׁלֹשׁ עַל שָׁלֹשׁ בְּצֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים מִיטַּמֵּא בִּנְגָעִים. מְנָלַן? דְּתַנְיָא: ״בֶּגֶד״ אֵין לִי אֶלָּא בֶּגֶד, שָׁלֹשׁ עַל שָׁלֹשׁ מִנַּיִן? — תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״וְהַבֶּגֶד״. וְאֵימָא לְרַבּוֹת שְׁלֹשָׁה עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה? לָאו קַל וָחוֹמֶר הוּא? הַשְׁתָּא שְׁתִי וָעֵרֶב מִיטַּמֵּא, שְׁלֹשָׁה עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה מִיבַּעְיָא?!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**In any case,** based on the above, **everyone agrees** that, clearly, **three by three** fingerbreadths **in** a **wool** or **linen** garment can **become ritually impure with** the impurity of **leprosy.** The Gemara asks: **From where do we** derive this? The Gemara responds that it is derived **as it was taught** in a *baraita* with regard to this matter. When the Torah states: **Garment,** unmodified, **I have** derived that **nothing other** than a whole **garment** can become ritually impure. However, with regard to a cloth that is **three by three** fingerbreadths, **from where** do I derive that it is also included in this *halakha*? **The verse states: “And the garment** in which there will be the plague of leprosy” (Leviticus 13:47). From the addition of the word: And the garment [*vehabeged*], it is derived that all woven swatches are subsumed within the category of garment in this matter. The Gemara asks: **And** perhaps **say** that it comes **to include** a woven garment that is **three by three** handbreadths? The Gemara answers: That is inconceivable. **Is that not** derived through **an *a fortiori* inference?** As, **now,** even the threads of the **warp** or the threads of the **woof** can **become ritually impure, is it necessary** to mention that a cloth **three by three** handbreadths can become ritually impure as well? A garment that is three by three handbreadths is comprised of several warp and woof threads that can themselves become ritually impure.


###### Shabbat 26b:4
[Shabbat 26b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/26b:4)

אִי הָכִי, שָׁלֹשׁ עַל שָׁלֹשׁ נָמֵי לֵיתֵי בְּקַל וָחוֹמֶר! אֶלָּא: שְׁלֹשָׁה עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה, דַּחֲזוּ בֵּין לַעֲשִׁירִים בֵּין לַעֲנִיִּים — אָתֵי בְּקַל וָחוֹמֶר. שָׁלֹשׁ עַל שָׁלֹשׁ, לַעֲנִיִּים הוּא דְּחַזְיָין לַעֲשִׁירִים לָא חַזְיָין — לָא אָתֵי בְּקַל וָחוֹמֶר. טַעְמָא דְּכַתְבֵיהּ קְרָא, הָא לָא כַּתְבֵיהּ קְרָא — לָא גָּמְרִינַן בְּקַל וָחוֹמֶר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara rejects this: **If so,** then **let us also derive** a cloth that is **three by three** fingerbreadths through the same ***a fortiori* inference** from the warp and woof threads. **Rather,** it must be that this *a fortiori* inference is flawed. Threads woven into fabric do not maintain their previous status as they are no longer suitable to be used as warp and woof threads. **Rather,** cloths that are **three by three** handbreadths, **which are suitable** for use **by both the wealthy and the poor** as they are multipurpose cloths, can **be derived through an *a fortiori* inference,** as they are certainly more significant than the warp and woof threads and they become ritually impure. However, cloths that are **three by three** fingerbreadths, which **are suitable for** use by **the poor** but **are unsuitable for** use by **the wealthy, are not derived through an *a fortiori* inference.** Therefore, **the reason** that they can become ritually impure is specifically **because it was written in the Torah. Had it not been written in the Torah, we would not derive** it **through an *a fortiori* inference.**


###### Shabbat 26b:5
[Shabbat 26b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/26b:5)

וְאֵימָא לְרַבּוֹת שְׁלֹשָׁה עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה בִּשְׁאָר בְּגָדִים? אָמַר קְרָא: ״בֶּגֶד צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים״. בֶּגֶד צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים — אִין, מִידֵּי אַחֲרִינֵי — לָא. וְאֵימָא כִּי אִימַּעוּט מִשָּׁלֹשׁ עַל שָׁלֹשׁ, אֲבָל שְׁלֹשָׁה עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה — מִיטַּמֵּא! תְּרֵי מִיעוּטֵי כְּתִיבִי: ״בֶּגֶד צֶמֶר אוֹ [בְּבֶגֶד] פִּשְׁתִּים״ — חַד לְמַעוֹטֵי מִשָּׁלֹשׁ עַל שָׁלֹשׁ, וְחַד לְמַעוֹטֵי מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara also asks: Indeed, there is amplification in the Torah, derived from the term: And the garment, which is a generalization that comes to expand upon the details that follow. **And say** that it comes **to include** the ruling that cloth that is **three by three** handbreadths **in garments** made of materials **other** than wool or linen can become ritually impure. The Gemara answers: That is inconceivable. **The verse said: A garment of wool** or **linen,** indicating that a garment made of **wool** or **linen, yes,** it becomes ritually impure; a garment made of **other materials, no,** it does not become ritually impure. The Gemara asks: **And say** that **when** the verse **excluded,** it excluded specifically a garment that is **three by three** fingerbreadths; **however,** a garment that is **three by three** handbreadths **can become ritually impure.** The Gemara replies: **Two exclusions are written;** once it is stated: “A garment of wool or linen” (Leviticus 13:59), and it is also stated: **“Whether it be a woolen garment, or a linen garment” (**Leviticus 13:47). **One** verse comes **to exclude** cloth of **three by three** fingerbreadths, **and one** verse comes **to exclude** cloth of **three by three** handbreadths, to emphasize that a garment made of a material that is neither wool nor linen cannot become ritually impure at all. This corresponds to Abaye’s opinion that garments not made of wool or linen cannot become ritually impure.


###### Shabbat 26b:6
[Shabbat 26b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/26b:6)

וּלְרָבָא דְּאָמַר שְׁלֹשָׁה עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה בִּשְׁאָר בְּגָדִים אִיכָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ, לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר אִית לֵיהּ, לְתַנָּא דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל לֵית לֵיהּ — שְׁלֹשָׁה עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה בִּשְׁאָר בְּגָדִים

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And according to** the opinion of **Rava, who said** that the practical difference **between** the two opinions is with regard to cloth **three by three** handbreadths **in other garments, that Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar is of** the opinion that they can become ritually impure, whereas the ***tanna* of the school of Rabbi Yishmael is not of** the opinion that they can become ritually impure, in the case of a cloth that is **three by three** handbreadths **in other garments,**