Yoma 84
יומא פ״ד — ד"ה לְמִקְטְלֵיהּ בְּדָבָר הַנִּזְרָק
Yoma 84:1
A person who suffers pain in his throat may place medicine in his mouth on Shabbat despite the general prohibition against administering remedies; the Gemara illustrates this with Rabbi Yochanan's preparation and use of medicine for tzefidna (a disease beginning in the mouth and gums that extends to the intestines) on Shabbat, which is permitted because the illness progresses beyond the gums to vital organs.
וְעוֹד אָמַר רַבִּי מַתְיָא: רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן חָשׁ בְּצַפְדִּינָא. אֲזַל גַּבַּהּ דְּהַהִיא מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, עֲבַדָא לֵיהּ מִלְּתָא חַמְשָׁא וּמַעֲלֵי שַׁבְּתָא. אֲמַר לַהּ: בְּשַׁבָּת מַאי? אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: לָא צְרִיכַתְּ. אִי מִצְטְרִיכְנָא מַאי? אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: אִישְׁתְּבַע לִי דְּלָא מְגַלֵּית, אִישְׁתְּבַע: לֵאלָהָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל לָא מְגַלֵּינָא. נְפַק דַּרְשַׁהּ בְּפִירְקָא. מִמַּאי הֲוָה? מֵחַמִּימֵי חַמִּימֵי דְּחִיטֵּי, וּמִשִּׁיּוּרֵי כָּסָא דְהַרְסָנָא. וּמַאי סִימָנֵיהּ — כַּד רָמֵי מִידֵּי בְּכַכֵּיהּ וְאָתֵא דְּמָא מִבֵּי דָרֵי. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן כִּי חָשׁ בְּצַפְדִּינָא, עֲבַד הָכִי בְּשַׁבְּתָא וְאִיתַּסִּי. וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן הֵיכִי עָבֵיד הָכִי? אֲמַר רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק: שָׁאנֵי צַפְדִּינָא הוֹאִיל וּמַתְחִיל בַּפֶּה, וְגוֹמֵר בִּבְנֵי מֵעַיִים. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא לְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: כְּמַאן — כְּרַבִּי מַתְיָא בֶּן חָרָשׁ, דְּאָמַר: הַחוֹשֵׁשׁ בְּפִיו מְטִילִין לוֹ סַם בְּשַׁבָּת. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: שֶׁאֲנִי אוֹמֵר בְּזוֹ, וְלֹא בְּאַחֶרֶת.
§ The mishna said: And furthermore, Rabbi Matya ben Ḥarash said: With regard to one who suffers pain in his throat, one may place medicine inside his mouth on Shabbat, although administering a remedy is prohibited on Shabbat. The Gemara discusses a related incident: Rabbi Yoḥanan suffered from the illness tzefidna, which first affects the teeth and gums and then the intestines. He went to a certain gentile matron [matronita] who was a well-known healer. She prepared a medicine for him on Thursday and Friday. He said to her: What shall I do on Shabbat, when I cannot come to collect the medicine from you? She said to him: You will not need it. He asked her: If I do need it, what shall I do? She said to him: Swear to me that you will not reveal the remedy; then I will tell you, and you can prepare it yourself should you need it. He swore: To the God of the Jews, I will not reveal it. She told him the remedy. Rabbi Yoḥanan then went out and taught it publicly, revealing the secret of the remedy. § The Gemara asks: From where does this disease tzefidna come? It is from eating wheat bread that is too hot and fish remains fried in oil. What is the sign of this sickness? When one puts something between his teeth, blood comes out from his gums. When Rabbi Yoḥanan suffered from tzefidna, he prepared this medicine described above on Shabbat and was cured. The Gemara asks: And how did Rabbi Yoḥanan prepare this medicine on Shabbat for an ailment which affects only the gums but is not life-threatening? Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: Tzefidna is different, since it does indeed begin in the mouth and appears to be an illness of the teeth, but it ends up in the intestines and is dangerous. Rav Ḥiyya bar Abba said to Rabbi Yoḥanan: In accordance with whose opinion did you do this? Was it not in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Matya ben Ḥarash, who said: In the case of one who suffers pain in his mouth, one puts medicine in his mouth on Shabbat, which is a minority opinion? Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: It is so, but I say the Sages agreed with him about taking medicine in this case alone, but no other. If so, with regard to medicine on Shabbat, the view of Rabbi Matya ben Ḥarash is not a minority opinion.








