משנה: אֵין מְייַלְּדִין אֶת הַבְּהֵמָה בְּיוֹם טוֹב אֲבָל מְסַעֲדִין. וּמְייַלְּדִין אֶת הָאִשָּׁה בַּשַּׁבָּת וְקוֹרִין לָהּ חֲכָמָה מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם וּמְחַלְּלִין עָלֶיהָ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת. וְקוֹשְׁרִים אֶת הַטִּיבּוּר. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר אַף חוֹתְכִין. וְכָל־צָרְכֵי מִילָה עוֹשִׂין בַּשַּׁבָּת: MISHNAH: One does not use midwifery for animals on a holiday12Because this is an extraordinary exertion. but one helps13The permitted actions are described in the Halakhah.. One helps a woman in childbirth on the Sabbath, and calls a midwife for her from place to place14Even from a place outside the Sabbath boundaries since a woman in childbirth automatically is defined as being in mortal danger., and desecrates the Sabbath for her, and ties the umbilical cord; Rebbi Yose says, also one cuts it. All that is necessary for circumcision one does on the Sabbath15This sentence is the introduction to the topic of the next Chapter..
הלכה: אֵין מְייַלְּדִין אֶת הַבְּהֵמָה וכו׳. אֵי זֶהוּ הַסִּיּוּעַ. מֵבִיא יַיִן וְנוֹפֵחַ לְתוֹךְ חוֹטָמוֹ. וְנוֹתֵן יָדוֹ לְמַטָּה וּמְקַבְּלוֹ. וְשׁוֹמֵט דַּדֶּיהָ וְנוֹתֵן לְתוֹךְ פִּיו. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר. אַף מְרַחֲמִין עַל הַבְּהֵמָה בְיוֹם טוֹב. כֵּיצַד עוֹשֶׂה. נוֹתֵן גּוּשׁ שֶׁלְמֶלַח עַל רַחְמָהּ וְהִיא רוֹצָה לְהַנִּיק בְּנָהּ. HALAKHAH: “One does not use midwifery for animals,53Mishnah 3.” etc. What is help54Tosephta 15:2 (ed. Liebermann)? “He brings wine and blows it into his nostrils, and puts his hand down and receives him, and moves her teats and puts in his mouth. Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says, also one makes the animal love55If the mother rejects the calf; Tosephta 15:2. on a holiday. How does one do that? One puts a block of salt on her belly and she wants to nurse her son.”
וְקוֹרִין לָהּ חֲכָמָה מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם. כַּיי דְתַנִּינָן תַּמָּן. וְלֹא זוֹ בִלְבַד אֶלָּא אֲפִילוּ חֲכָמָה הַבָּאָה לְיַלֵּד. “And one calls a midwife for her from place to place.” As what we have stated there56Mishnah Roš Haššanah 2:5.: “Not only these but even a midwife who comes to assist at a birth.57The witnesses of the New Moon and the midwife who leave their Sabbath boundaries to testify or to help are treated like the residents of the town in which they exercise their duty.”
וּמְחַלְּלִין עָלֶיהָ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת. שְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר. עוֹשִׂין לָהּ מְדוּרָה אֲפִילוּ בִתָקוּפַת תַּמּוּז. “And desecrates the Sabbath for her.” Samuel says, one makes a bonfire for her even at the summer solstice58In his medical practice he insisted that the new mother always be kept warm. Babli 129a..
וְקוֹשְׁרִים אֶת הַטִּיבּוּר. כְּהָדָא אַמְתֵּיהּ דְּבַר קַפָּרָא נַפְקָא מְייַלְּדָה בַשַּׁבָּת. אֲתַת וּשְׁאָלַת לְרִבִּי. אֲמַר לָהּ. אֲזַלוֹן וּשְׁאָלוּן לַחַייְתָא. אָֽמְרָה לֵיהּ. לֵיכָּא חַייָא. אֲמַר לָהּ. זִילִי עִיבִידִי כְמִנְהָגָךְ. אָֽמְרָה לֵיהּ. לֵיכָּא מִנְהָג. אֲמַר לָהּ. אֵיזִילִי חַתִּיךְ. כְּרִבִּי יוֹסֵי. “And ties the umbilical cord.” As in the following: The slave girl of Bar Qappara expected to give birth on a Sabbath. She came and asked her master, who told her to go and ask the midwife. She said, there is no midwife. He said, go and follow your usage; she said, there is no usage. He said, go and cut it. This is like Rebbi Yose59Therefore practice has to follow R. Yose. Babli 129b..
כֵּינִי מַתְנִיתָא. וְכָל צוֹרְכֵי חַייָה נַעֲשִׂין בַּשַּׁבָּת׃ תַּנֵּי. הַשִּׁילִיָא הַזֹּאת בַּשַּׁבָּת עֲשִׁירִין טוֹמְנִין אוֹתָן בַּשֶּׁמֶן. וְהָעֲנִייִם טוֹמְנִין אוֹתָן בְּתֶבֶן וָחוֹל. אֵילּוּ וָאֵילּוּ טוֹמְנִין אוֹתָן בָּאָרֶץ כְּדֵי לִיתֵּן עֵרָבוֹן לָאָרֶץ. So is the Mishnah: “Everything that is necessary for a woman in childbirth one does on the Sabbath.60In this reading the Mishnah does not anticipate the topic of the next Chapter; also the statement of Mishnah 18:3 in the original text is repeated in 19:2.” It was stated:61Tosephta 15:3, Babli 129b. In these Babylonian sources the reason is given that the baby might catch a cold if the placenta remains exposed. “Concerning the placenta on the Sabbath, the rich women hide it in oil, the poor ones hide it in straw and sand. Both hide it in the earth, to give a pledge to Earth62To ensure that Earth will have space ready for burial if the newborn should need it at the end of his life..”