Aligned sentence by sentence
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And I already mentioned the failures of such a view regarding “preparation” which nullifies this argument, in addition to our explanation here of this argument’s failure with another kind of discussion. Say to them “is not entering and exiting forbidden on the Sabbath?” And they must agree, and say to them “is it not that well water already increases and lessens on the Sabbath, and its increasing and decreasing is the result of water entering and exiting the well?” And since this is the case, say that “it is forbidden for a person to have a well in his house, lest something enter or exit his house which would desecrate the Sabbath.” And this opposes tradition and the words of Scripture additionally, since He says (2 Samuel 17:18) “But a lad saw them, and told Absalom; and they went both of them away quickly, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down thither.” And one of them says in this regard that one who has a well in his house is obligated to cover it before the Sabbath in order for it to be equivalent to being removed from his property, or rented from his house or borrowed to gentiles and thus become outside his property and domain. Say to him “if this was the case, say that it is forbidden for a person to have in his house roof gutters to the outside, lest rain water exit from them on the Sabbath and it will be that he violated the Sabbath. And similarly, it is forbidden for him to have a drainpipe in his house in which water exits the house, and similarly it is forbidden for him to have an outhouse dug to the water lest water increase or decrease on the Sabbath. Obligate all these and forbid them!”
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Moreover, say to him after his astonishment ends at forbidding these things in contradiction to what the entire Nation accepts, “does Scripture not forbid entering and exiting Jerusalem, because it is a designated Sabbath area since He says (Jeremiah 17:27) “But if ye will not hearken unto Me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden and enter in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched” and moreover what is said regarding this. And if this is the case, it is not permitted for there to be in Jerusalem a flowing river nor an uncovered spring, and this opposes the famous “pool of Siloam” and the tradition regarding (2 Chronicles 32:30) “This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper spring of the waters of Gihon, and brought them straight down on the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.” Moreover, say to him additionally “and if you forbid there to be roof gutters that drain rainwater external to your house, forbid also there to be a sewer for rainwater to flow to it on the Sabbath, and obligate covering it on the Sabbath as you obligate this with regards to the well.” Next, say to him that “the water of Jerusalem and al-Ramla that is drunk is water of reservoirs, and one who has a reservoir in his house is obligated to block it before the Sabbath, lest rainwater enter it on the Sabbath day.”
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And one of them argued that it is permitted for there to be a river and spring in Jerusalem, however we do not use this water on the Sabbath. Say to him “and is it not permitted for water to flow from the outside and enter and flow to the outside and exit, even with Scripture’s prohibition on entering and exiting? And if so why not permit it being used additionally even if it was not prepared?” If the preparation is obligatory, thus the ruling of water is different from the ruling for other kinds of food that obligate preparation. This too obligates them additionally to forbid using the well water and river water after the Sabbath, which flowed and increased during the Sabbath, as it is forbidden to use after the Sabbath what has been “done” on the Sabbath. And if they say that not everything which is “done” on the Sabbath is prohibited after the Sabbath, since Gentiles plant and harvest and pick on the Sabbath and we use these after the Sabbath, we say to them “you are not obligated what was completed by the nations and Gentiles, but rather you are obligated by what you accomplished and what you caused either intentionally or by negligence. For example, a pot which was forgotten in the oven and was cooked on the Sabbath, according to your view he is not permitted to eat its food. And for example ordering your Aramean laborer to harvest for you on the Sabbath, it is not permitted according to your view to be eaten after the Sabbath. And similarly if a Jew transgressed and completed something on the Sabbath, it is not permitted according to your view to benefit from that after the Sabbath. However, we ask you about the well and river that you dig and [caused water to flow from it], if water increased in it during the Sabbath, thus it is forbidden for you to use and drink water from it after the Sabbath, since you were the one who dug and caused it to flow, and you are the “one who caused flowing” on the Sabbath, as you are the “burner” of fire on the Sabbath if you light something before the Sabbath and do not extinguish it. And similarly, you are the “waterer” of plants on the Sabbath if you directed the water to them before the Sabbath and did not block it before the Sabbath enters. And since it is impossible to forbid these things that we just mentioned, it must be that the ruling for water is distinct from the ruling of other things and the requirement of “preparation” is not required before the Sabbath, and it is permitted to drink water and use it from a well and river and spring and rain and otherwise inside and outside the home.
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