Shabbat 120: Indirectly Extinguishing Fire on Shabbat, Writing G-d's Name on the Body

Some thoughts from today's daf, which continues to alert us to the importance of breaking the rules of Shabbat for some exceptional reasons and the importance of children learning Torah.  We begin with a new Mishna:

We may rescue a basket full of loaves and food from a fire on Shabbat even if there is food for one hundred meals in it rather than just three meals for Shabbat.  And we may rescue a round cake of dried figs and a barrel of wine, which are both huge, too.  We can even call others to rescue thee things, and those rescuers might sell those items back to their owner after Shabbat.  The items could be moved to a courtyard where there was an eiruv and one may carry.  Ben Beteira says an eiruv was not required.  Can one carry all of the utensils and wear all possible garments, and wrap all cloths possible around oneself to save ones property?  Rabbi Yosei says only eighteen garments at once.

The rabbis discuss how this could be possible after our last Mishna was so clear about collecting no more than three meals worth of food from a fire on Shabbat.  And what about asking for money for saving someone's property?  We are taught that these people are Heaven-fearing but not truly pious.

Another new Mishna: we may spread out a moist goat's hide over a box or a chest or a closet that caught fire, because the fire singes and does not burn it.  We can create a barrier against the fire with vessels so that the fire won't spread.  Rabbi Yosei says we cannot use new earthenware vessels full of water because they will burst from the heat and put out the fire, which is not permitted on Shabbat even indirectly.   The Gemara says that we can put water on one side of a goat's skin if the other side is on fire and if that puts out the fire, so be it.

The rabbis consider several situations that might cause a candle or another flame to be extinguished.  one must be careful to keep that light burning.  One of the major considerations is whether indirect extinguishing is permitted or not.  Regarding a similar situation, like when a person writes the name of G-d on one's body, Rabbi Yosei is more lenient than the rabbis as he permits a person to immerse for any reason without covering the spot with a reed as long as one does not rub the name off.  

We learn here about putting G-d's name on the body.  If we do this, we learn from Rava bar Rav Sheila explains that we may not stand in a filthy place and that we must wrap a reed tightly around the name when immersing in a ritual bath because we are not to stand naked before the name of G-d.  The Gemara says that covering G-d's name with our hand is enough.

THe Gemara asks if there is a disagreement between the statements of the Rabbis, like in the case of a fire when some hold that one can indirectly extinguish a fire on Shabbat and others deny that claim, the all the more so it should be permitted in indirectly erase G-d's name indirectly.  Why were the rabbis stringent here?  The Gemara teaches that regarding blood, ink, honey and milk, they are considered to interpose, as it is firmly attached to the skin, if they are dry and then immersed.  If they are moist, they do not interpose.