Shabbas 117b – Bahul al mamono

Rava explains the limit of how much we are allowed to remove from the house that is burning to be based on מתוך שאדם בהול על ממונו אי שרית ליה  אתי לכבויי.

This is contrast to 43b where R’ Yehuda Ben Lakish says מתוך שאדם בהול על מתו אי לא שרית ליה אתי לכבויי. Tosfos there (44a) explains that a person has more concern over a dead body than his money so he will put it out on purpose if we dont allow him a way to save the body. The concern over money however is more of when he is allowed to save, he may get so involved that he will forget its shabbas and then put out the fire.

However, the sugya on 65b still needs to be resolved with our sugya. The gemara, when raising the issue of saving clothes from a fire (הערמה), says that according to Rabbi Meir  on 120a we need to allow all clothes for if not,  דאי לא שרית ליה אתי לכבויי, which is like the death case and not monetary case above!

The Aruch Hashulchan in Siman 334 explains the difference between the sugyos as follows. He says that Rashi in 117b writes “ואי שרית ליה לאתחולי בהצלה”. This word is the key to understand, as it is based on human psychology. When a person is heavily involved in the act of saving things due to the fire he may forget its shabbas and chazal need to consider that and therefore use behala to expand the heter and allow him as much as possible so he does not resort to putting out the fire. Once he has been given enough leeway to act, he is calm and focused and we are no longer concerned about him putting it out, but if we limit him partially, then he may have more confusion and forget its shabbas. On the other hand, sometimes we may limit him from getting involved in kibuy, as in saving three meals which is a small act and not even a “start” in Rashi’s words, then the person understands that Chazal limited what he can do and he accepts it as a gezeira mishamayim and the worry is not that he will put it out, and instead we need to keep him away from getting involved in the acts that would make him forget its shabbas.

Therefore, according to Rabbi Meir we must allow all clothes and not limit to 18 as we are allowing him to act, and similarly on 120b, Chachamim allow all vessels including kelei cheres that will explode immediately since once he is allowed to build the mechitza we need to allow him to finish, for if not, this may cause behala and putting out of the fire.

The Aruch Hashulchan does not address Rabbi Yossi on 120b who says the opposite sevara – that by mechitza, he says that “אי שרית ליה אתי לכבויי”- which would seem to indicate that Rabbi Yossi and Chachamim are arguing about the Aruch Hashulchan’s explanation. Perhaps Rabbi Yossi has a different point of argument and is arguing on how sharp the lines have to be drawn between gerama and kibuy and his concern is that we cannot allow gerama because it looks too much like kibuy and this is unrelated to the question above.