Shabbat 23:1 — Full Text
שׁוֹאֵל אָדָם מֵחֲבֵרוֹ כַּדֵּי יַיִן וְכַדֵּי שֶׁמֶן, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמַר לוֹ הַלְוֵנִי. וְכֵן הָאִשָּׁה מֵחֲבֶרְתָּהּ כִּכָּרוֹת.
וְאִם אֵינוֹ מַאֲמִינוֹ, מַנִּיחַ טַלִּיתוֹ אֶצְלוֹ וְעוֹשֶׂה עִמּוֹ חֶשְׁבּוֹן לְאַחַר שַׁבָּת.
וְכֵן עֶרֶב פֶּסַח בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת, מַנִּיחַ טַלִּיתוֹ אֶצְלוֹ וְנוֹטֵל אֶת פִּסְחוֹ, וְעוֹשֶׂה עִמּוֹ חֶשְׁבּוֹן לְאַחַר יוֹם טוֹב.
הַכְּלָל: Borrowing vs. Lending on Shabbat
One may ask a neighbor for goods on Shabbat — but the language of the request matters
✓ Permitted
שְׁאִילָה — שׁוֹאֵל אָדָם מֵחֲבֵרוֹ
One may ask a neighbor for jugs of wine or oil on Shabbat using the language of "borrowing" (she'ilah). Similarly a woman may ask her neighbor for loaves of bread.
✗ Forbidden
הַלְוָאָה — לֹא יֹאמַר לוֹ הַלְוֵנִי
One may not use the language of "lending" (halva'ah). A loan implies a debt and a future repayment obligation — which constitutes a form of commerce forbidden on Shabbat.
אִם אֵינוֹ מַאֲמִינוֹ — מַנִּיחַ טַלִּיתוֹ אֶצְלוֹ וְעוֹשֶׂה עִמּוֹ חֶשְׁבּוֹן לְאַחַר שַׁבָּת
If the neighbor doesn't trust him to return the goods — he may leave his tallit as collateral, and they settle accounts after Shabbat. The physical collateral replaces the commercial transaction, making it permissible.
הַמִּקְרֶה הַמְּיֻחָד: Erev Pesach on Shabbat in Jerusalem
When 14 Nissan falls on Shabbat, pilgrims in Jerusalem face a unique problem — they must acquire their Korban Pesach that day
The Scenario — Step by Step
א
עֶרֶב פֶּסַח בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת
14 Nissan — Erev Pesach — falls on Shabbat. Pilgrims are in Jerusalem for the regel.
ב
צָרִיךְ לִקַּח אֶת הַפֶּסַח — אֲבָל אֵין מִקָּח וּמִמְכָּר בְּשַׁבָּת
He needs to acquire his Korban Pesach animal — but buying and selling are forbidden on Shabbat.
ג
מַנִּיחַ טַלִּיתוֹ אֶצְלוֹ וְנוֹטֵל אֶת פִּסְחוֹ
He leaves his tallit as collateral with the seller and takes the Korban Pesach animal.
ד
וְעוֹשֶׂה עִמּוֹ חֶשְׁבּוֹן לְאַחַר יוֹם טוֹב
They settle accounts after Yom Tov — not after Shabbat, since Yom Tov follows immediately.
The Tallit Collateral Mechanism
טַלִּית →
← פֶּסַח
טַלִּית
tallit as collateral
← טַלִּית
כֶּסֶף →
Settlement: after Yom Tov — tallit returned, payment made. No commercial transaction occurs on Shabbat itself.
⚠ Why Not Just Say "Sell Me"?
Explicit commercial language — מְכֹר לִי ("sell me") — is forbidden on Shabbat. The tallit mechanism avoids this: the pilgrim "takes" the animal and leaves a pledge. It resembles borrowing (she'ilah) more than purchasing, which is why it is permitted.
הַמַּסְקָנָה — Language, Collateral, and the Korban Pesach
This mishnah shows halacha operating at full creative capacity: the Korban Pesach must be acquired on 14 Nissan, but 14 Nissan has fallen on Shabbat, and commerce is forbidden. The solution — leave a tallit, take the animal, settle after Yom Tov — is elegant precisely because it reframes the transaction. What would normally be a sale becomes a collateral pledge, legally closer to borrowing than buying. Together with Shabbat 1:11 (lowering the lamb into the oven at nightfall), this mishnah reveals how thoroughly the Rabbis thought through the intersection of Shabbat law and Korban Pesach obligation — every step of the process, from acquisition to roasting, was carefully mapped.