Today we are introduced to Elisha the Winged One. Why was Elisha called “the Winged One”? As we have stated before, of all the ancient hegemonic powers over the Jews, the Romans are particularly despised. At one point, the Romans decreed that anyone wearing Tefilin would have their brains bashed out. Elisha openly defied this decree by wearing his Tefilin in public. He is spotted by a Roman official (a Questator – the Hebrew uses this term) and Elisha runs. Just before the official catches him, Elisha removes his Tefilin. When asked by the official what he has in his hands, Elisha respods, “dove wings”. When Elisha opens his hand, miraculously he holds a pair of dove wings. From then on he was Elisha the Winged One.

The Talmud asks, “Why dove wings?” The Talmud refers to Psalms 68:14 (“even for those of you who lie among the sheepfolds there are wings of a dove sheathed in silver, its pinions in fine gold”), which the Talmud takes to refer to Jews. The commandments protect the Jews, in the same way a dove uses its wings to protect itself. Tefilin are reminders of the commandments, so only naturally Elisha’s Tefilin would turn into doves wings. A note in the Schottenstein edition indicates that this tale is why some people have the custom of wrapping the straps of their Tefilin in the shape of dove’s wings for storage.

The story of Elisha the Winged One is introduced because of a new Mishnah in today’s Daf. The Mishnah lists more things with which we can insulate food pots on Shabbat including dove’s feathers. The mention of dove’s feathers brings to mind the story of Elisha the Winged One.

A second Mishnah in today’s Daf indicates that we can insulate a pot on Shabbat with animal hides or wool shearings. However, we are not allowed to move shearings. We are allowed to remove the lid, even if it causes some of the shearings to fall. We get a dispute about whether we can remove and replace a pot in shearings, with the majority opinion being the more lenient permission to do so.

Several times in the past, I have mentioned that there are thirty-nine prohibited labors on Shabbat. Today we learn why. Rabbi Yonasan ben Achinai, Rabbi Yonasan ben Elazar and Rabbi Chanina ben Chama are having a discussion. They ask why there are thirty-nine forbidden labors. Rabbi Chanina bar Chama believes that they correspond to the thirty-nine tasks required to build the Tabernacle. He believes this proof because the section of Exodus prohibiting labor on Shabbat is immediately prior to the section of Exodus describing the building of the Tabernacle. Rabbi Yonasan ben Elazar believes that the reason is that the Torah mentions work thirty-nine times, but this proves to be factually incorrect. I am hopeful that the list of thirty-nine will be laid out in one place soon.