Shabbat 156 - August 9, 19 Av

Study Guide Shabbat 156

Today's daf is dedicated in memory of Mayer Penstein, Meyer Yosef ben Avraham v'Eta, a close family friend who loved to learn Torah, who passed away this past week. And by Racheli and Yaakov in honor of Deborah Aschheim on the occassion of her birthday. "Happy birthday Mom! We love you & miss you! Kol HaKavod on your Daf Yomi journey! Love, Cheli & Yaakov." 

The gemara continues to delve into the debate between the rabbis and Rabbi Yosi son of Rabbi Yehuda regarding kneading/mixing substances on Shabbat. Rabbi Yehushua ben Levi lists the significance of the day one is born and how that affects one's personality. Rabbi Chanina disagrees and says it is not the day that affects it but the hour as it is affected by the constellations and each hour a different constellation rules. He holds that the constellations affect the Jews. Rabbi Yochanan and others disagree and hold that constellations do not affect Jewish people and several stories are brought to show who holds that way and why, including the story of Shmuel and Avlet, and Rabbi Akiva's daughter on her wedding day who was destined to be bitten by a snake but due to her generous behavior, was able to overcome it. The mishna brings a debate regarding muktze between Rabbi Shimon (tana kama) and Rabbi Yehuda and the gemara lined up who held like who. The gemara then brings opinions that we hold like Rabbi Shimon on all debates between him and Rabbi Yehuda in masechet Shabbat other than one minor category of mutzke upon which there is a debate which category it is.