Avodah Zarah, Daf Kaf Het, Part 5
Introduction
Today s sugya deals with eye injuries.
אמר רבה בר זוטרא אמר רבי חנינא מעלין אזנים בשבת תני רב שמואל בר יהודה ביד אבל לא בסם איכא דאמרי בסם אבל לא ביד מ"ט מזריף זריף
Rava b. Zutra in the name of R. Hanina: It is permissible to restore the ear into its proper position on Shabbat. R. Shmuel b. Judah taught: With the hand, but not by applying medicines.
There are those who say: By applying medicine, but not with the hand. Why not? He might come to injure him.
All agree that it is permitted to restore the ear into its proper position which means to fix a dislocated jaw. However, they disagree with regard to whether it is better to do so with medicine or with the hand. Those who prefer the hand would say that taking medicine is a rabbinic prohibition and therefore should be avoided. Those who prefer the medicine would say that resetting the jaw by hand might cause injury, and it is prohibited by the Torah to cause injury.
אמר רב זוטרא בר טוביה אמר רב עין שמרדה מותר לכוחלה בשבת. סבור מיניה הני מילי הוא דשחקי סמנין מאתמול אבל משחק בשבת ואתויי דרך רשות הרבים לא
א"ל ההוא מרבנן ורבי יעקב שמיה לדידי מיפרשא מיני’ דרב יהודה אפילו מישחק בשבת ואתויי דרך רשות הרבים מותר
R. Zutra b. Tuvyah in the name of Rav: An eye that got out of order, it is permissible to put blue paint on it on Shabbat. They thought that this is true only when the medical ingredients had been ground the previous day, but if it is necessary to grind them on the Sabbath and carry them through the public domain, it would not be permitted.
One of the rabbis, and R. Jacob was his name, remarked to him: It was explained to me on behalf of Rav Judah that even grinding on the Sabbath and the carrying through the public street are permissible.
An eye that got out of order seems to refer to an eye that is about to pop out of its socket. The medical treatment is to apply blue eyeshadow. The Talmud rules that this injury is so dangerous that the dyes may be ground even on Shabbat and they may be carried through the public domain.