Shabbat 12: Carrying, Lice, Visiting, Candlelight on Shabbat

We are permitted to wear phylacteries if we began wearing them before erev Shabbat.  The rabbis suggest that one should be touching the phylacteries at all times to remind oneself that they are present.  This is like the High Priest who wears the tzitz, frontplate, and should be aware of it at all times.  Similarly, Chananya teaches that people must feel their clothes and empty all pockets at the nightfall of erev Shabbat to avoid inadvertent carrying.

We can't shake lice from our clothes nor read a book by candlelight which we could adjust.  Does this mean that we cannot shake our clothes during Shabbat during the day in case we kill the louse that we find?  Rabbi Eliezer suggests that killing the louse is the same as killing a camel, for killing is not permitted on Shabbat.  And perhaps the prohibition regarding reading because of adjusting the wick of a candle is actually about avoiding finding and then killing a louse at night.  Or perhaps we need to be able to tell the difference between men and women's clothing, which could be a problem in Mechoze where clothing was similar.  Farmers and villagers could easily differentiate their clothing by gender. 

Perhaps we cannot shake clothing to rid them of lice in the public domain to save their dignity.  Rabbi Nechemya said that one may not make an appiktoizin, a drug that induces vomiting, due to preserving human dignity.  The Tosefta say that one may squeeze a louse and throw it on Shabbat as long is one does not kill it.  Abba Shaul says that one may throw the louse as long as one does
not squeeze it.  There are more arguments shared about how to manage lice and whether that management is to be different from other days of the week. 

Beit Shammai say that we should not m'shaddechin, betroth, children on Shabbat nor agree to teach a child to read a sacred book or teach him a trade.  Nor may we comfort mourners nor visit the Shick on Shabbat.  Beit Hills permit all these activities because they are all connected to mitzvot.  On Shabbat we say different things when we visit.  Instead we should say that on Shabbat it is prohibited to cry out and ask for compassion because healing is soon coming.  Rabbi Meir adds that "The merit of Shabbat is capable of engendering compassion".

Different rabbis share many different things to say on Shabbat when visiting a person who is sick.  Rabbi Elazar was said to pray in Aramaic if the person did not know Hebrew: "May the all-Merciful remember you for peace".  We should wrap ourselves in a talit, prayer shawl, and sit below the sick person, as we learn that "G-d will support him on the bed of illness". 

The rabbis turn again to their conversation about reading by candlelight.  They consider whether or not a servant can examine the cups of oil lamps by candlelight.  A servant might be new and not be familiar with the cups/bowls.