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Sabbath 24, 5 teaches us that it is not at all prohibited. The Bavli tells us that the measurement that is permitted by the Mishna is for a" Mitzva" only. We compared this commentary tradition with the commentary traditions we find in the Yerushalmi. We concluded:

There were Amoraim in Israel who were not aware of the tradition that restricted this permission to the performing of a" Mitzva". As there was a tradition even in Israel to be more stringent in the observance of Sabbath laws which were permitted in the Mishna( such as sealing the window) it is understandable why we find that these Amoraim( E.g. Rabbi Yizchak Nafcha) taught that this Mishna is not part of Halacha. Another approach to understanding this Mishna is to explain that it allows this act to be performed only when a" Mitzva" is involved. Later on the Rishonim who commented on these Tannaitic sources tried to resolve this in a harmonious manner. In this connection the Tosafot raised the question: According to Rabbi Yizchak Nafcha, who is not comfortable with the ruling in the Mishna in the tractate Shabbath that it is permissible to seal a window, why did he have to argue that this ruling was not halachic, he could have said that the Mishna restricted this act only when it was. performed for the purpose of a" Mitzva"( similar to measuring), and sealing a window in general is prohibited. Their answer is that measuring is an act that belongs to the category of" Ovadin de'chol” which is less stringent, while sealing a window belongs to the category of the" ny" which are rabbinic Prohibitions that are more stringent. It would seem that this is the source of the opinion that became accepted in the halachot of Sabbath that measuring belongs to the category of" Ovadin de'chol" which is permitted when performed with a Shinnuy.

E. With reference to the above discussion in regard to the term" Ovadin de'chol": In the Talmud it is mentioned explicitly only once by an Amora in this context in Bavli ( Beza 28, a). The problem is that we are not certain that the term related to Abbaye is

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