BINAH: YESHIVAT HAVERIM יְשִׁיבָה חברים – BABYLONIAN TALMUD p69

Shall we then assume that our Mishna states in accordance with Beth Shamai, as they so state
plainly elsewhere, to which the Beth Hillel opposed and permitted? Said R. Iyqa b. Hanina: Our
Mishna treats of washing the entire body, and it is in accordance with the Tana of the following
Boraitha: “One shall not rinse his entire body (on the Sabbath) either with warm or with cold
water.” So is the decree of R. Mair, but R. Simeon permits this. R. Hisda says their dispute
concerns only (water that is) in the ground; but water contained in a vessel is strictly prohibited.
Rabba b. b. Hana in the name of R. Johanan said: “The Halakha prevails according to R.
Jehudah.” Said R. Joseph to him: “Didst thou hear this explicitly, or dost thou derive it by
inference (from a similar teaching)?” “I have heard it explicitly,” he answered.
It was taught: If water was warmed on Friday, Rabh said one may wash his entire body in it on
the next day, every member separately (i.e., not plunge into it at once). Samuel, however, said: It
was not allowed but of the face, hands, and feet. And the following Boraitha supports Samuel:
“If water was warmed on Friday, one may wash his face, hands, and feet with it on the following
day, but not his entire body, even member by member; and so much less with water warmed on
a feast day.”
Said R. Joseph to Abayi: “Did Rabba not act according to the decisions of Rabh?” “I know not,”
he answered.
The rabbis taught: A bath-house, the openings of which were stopped up on Friday (so that the
heat should not escape), may be used for bathing immediately after the Sabbath is over. If its
openings were stopped up on the eve of a feast day, one may, on the next day, enter it to have a
sweat, but he must leave it and rinse his hands in an adjoining room. R. Jehudah said: It
happened in a bath-house of the city of B’nai Beraq, that its openings were stopped up on the
eve of a feast day. The next day R. Eliezer b. Azariah and R. Aqiba entered it and took a sweat;
then they left it and rinsed their bodies in the adjoining room; but the warm water in it had been
covered with boards. When the report of this reached the masters they
said, even if the warm water had not been covered with boards, they were also allowed (to do
so). However, since transgressing began to increase, they began to prohibit. In bath-houses of
large cities one may walk about without fear of people’s saying that he went to take a sweat.