Shabbos Daf 3 שבת דַף 3

One is only liable to bring a chatas for doing a melochoh if he performed it single-handedly. Two people that perform a melochoh together are exempt from bringing a chatas.

Rebbe learns this from the passuk ofואם נפש אחת תחטא בשגגה מעם הארץ בעשותה אחת ממצות ה' אשר לא תעשנה– And if an individual from among the people of the land  shall sin unintentionally by committing one of the commandments of Hashem that may not be done. Rebbe teaches the word בעשתה as a contraction of the words בעשות אותה– by committing it (the misdeed), which implies that one must do the complete act to be liable. (Tosfos(

Rav asked Rebbe what the law is in a case where one’s friend loaded upon him food and drink in a private domain and then the one with the load walked out into the public domain. Is lifting his body to begin walking (עקירת גופו) considered as if he lifted the object from its place (עקירת חפץ) or not?

Rebbe answered that it is considered an act of lifting an object (עקירה) since the body is considered in a state of resting on the ground and the person would be liable to bring a chatas. This is different than a hand that isn’t considered in a resting state on the ground.

Abaye stated that it was clear to him from the Mishna that the hand is not considered totally drawn to the body to the point that it is regarded as being in the same domain as the body. If it was, then the poor person standing in the public domain would have given his hand the status of a reshus harabim and the homeowner would have been liable the moment he placed the object in the poor person’s hand.

This leads Abaye to inquire whether the Rabbis penalized someone for extending his laden hand into another reshus by giving the hand the status of a karmelis, thereby forbidding him to retract it. This question becomes the focus for the remainder of the Daf.