Mishnah Shabbat 16

¹All sacred writings may be saved from a fire, whether we read from them or not [on Shabbat]. And even if they are written in any language, they must be stored. And why do we not read them? Because of the neglect of the study house. One may save the container of a scroll together with the scroll, and the container of tefillin together with the tefillin, even if it [also] contains money. And to where may one rescue them? Into a closed alley. Ben Batera says: even into an open one. ²Food for three meals may be saved, that which is fit for a person, for a person, that which is fit for a beast, for a beast. How is this so? If a fire breaks out on the eve of Shabbat, food for three meals may be saved. If in the morning, food for two meals may be saved. If at [the time of] minhah, food for one meal. Rabbi Yose says: at all times we may save food for three meals. ³One may save a basket full of loaves, even if it contains [enough for] a hundred meals, and a round cake of pressed figs, and a barrel of wine. And he [the owner] may say to others, “Come and save for yourselves.” And if they are clever, they make an account with him after Shabbat. To where may they be saved? Into a courtyard which has an eruv. Ben Batera says: even into a courtyard which does not have an eruv. ⁴And to there he may carry out all his utensils; And he may wear all that he can wear and wrap himself in all that he can wrap himself. Rabbi Yose says: [only] eighteen pieces of clothing. Then he may go back in and put on [more clothes] and carry them out. And he may say to others, “Come and save with me.” ⁵Rabbi Shimon ben Nannas says: one may spread a goat skin over a box, chest, or trunk which has caught fire, because he singes. And one may make a barrier with all vessels, whether full [of water] or empty, that the fire should not travel onward. Rabbi Yose forbids in the case of new earthen vessels filled with water, because since they cannot stand the heat, they will burst and extinguish the fire. ⁶If a non-Jew comes to extinguish, they do not say to him, “extinguish it” or “do not extinguish,” because his resting is not their obligation. But if a minor comes to extinguish, they must not listen to him, because his resting is their obligation. ⁷One may turn a dish over a lamp so that the beams should not catch [fire], and over an infant’s excrement, and over a scorpion so that it should not bite. Rabbi Judah said: an incident came before Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai in Arabia and he said, “I fear that he may be liable for a sin-offering.” ⁸If a Gentile lights a lamp, an Israelite may make use of its light. But if [he does it] for the sake of the Israelite, it is forbidden. If he draws water to give his own animal to drink, an Israelite may water his [animal] after him. But if [he draws it] for the Israelite’s sake, it is forbidden. If a Gentile makes a plank to descend [off a ship by] it, an Israelite may descend after him; But if on the Israelite’s account, it is forbidden. It once happened that Rabban Gamaliel and the elders were traveling in a ship, when a Gentile made a plank for getting off, and Rabban Gamaliel, and the elders descended by it.