Topics covered:
Opening Chapter 16, and emotional, counter-instinctual laws regarding a fire that breaks out on Shabbos. Life must of course be saved, but most property cannot due to extinguishing, carrying, and preparation-for-use restrictions on Shabbos. The Sages, however, open their analysis with the exception to the rule: books of Scripture, which may be saved to prevent desecrating God’s name. Exceptions to the exception in Talmudic times included books that should not have been written at all according to some opinions, like the Oral Law and translations of scripture. Today we may save any books of Scripture and Jewish law, prayer and study, no matter the language of translation. Questions arise, however, re an old and worn out book of Scripture. The rule turns on whether it contains God’s name or at least 85 legible letters arranged in words. The number comes from Numbers 10:35-36 which the Sages interpret as a separate book of the Bible.