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Today's daf
September 22, 2021 | Beitzah 22
This shiur has been dedicated by Norit & Zev Sack & mishpacha, l'eluy nishmas Moshe ben Yitzchak Haymov, on his yahrtzait.
and kindle a lamp for him. They said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: They may even roast a small fish for him. That is also taught in a baraita: With regard to one who did not prepare an eiruv tavshilin, others may bake one loaf of bread for him, and insulate one pot of food for him, and kindle a lamp for him, and heat one small jug [kiton] of water for him. And some say: They may even roast a small fish for him.,Rava said: Actually, one can say that the mishna is referring to a case where one prepared an eiruv tavshilin, and nevertheless, if he did not insulate hot food on the eve of the Festival for Shabbat he may not do so on the Festival itself, because insulating hot food is different, as it is evident that he is acting with Shabbat in mind and not for the Festival. Beit Shammai view this as a desecration of the sanctity of the Festival.,Abaye raised an objection to Rava’s opinion from the following baraita: Ḥananya says that Beit Shammai say: One may not bake on a Festival for Shabbat that occurs on the following day unless he established a joining of cooked foods with bread, and he may not cook for Shabbat unless he established a joining of cooked foods with a cooked dish, and he may not insulate hot food for Shabbat unless he already had hot food insulated from the eve of the Festival. But this indicates that if he had hot food insulated, he may in any case act in that manner and insulate hot food for Shabbat, even though it is evident that he is acting with Shabbat in mind. This shows that even according to Ḥananya, who rules in accordance with the opinion of Beit Shammai, it is permitted to insulate hot food on a Festival for Shabbat.,Rather, Abaye said that the mishna is referring to a case where he established a joining of cooked foods for this, meaning he baked and cooked before the Festival for the sake of an eiruv, but he did not establish a joining of cooked foods for this, i.e., he did not insulate hot food for Shabbat on the Festival eve. And the mishna is in accordance with the opinion of Ḥananya, according to Beit Shammai, with Rabban Gamliel’s household being stringent upon themselves in this regard.,§ The mishna states that one of the three stringencies that Rabban Gamliel practiced in accordance with Beit Shammai was that on a Festival one may not set up a candelabrum that fell. The Gemara asks: What prohibited act does one perform when he sets a candelabrum upright? Rav Ḥinnana bar Bisna said: Here, we are dealing with a candelabrum composed of segments that come apart; it is prohibited to reassemble such a candelabrum because it looks like building. As Beit Shammai hold that there is a prohibition against building with regard to vessels, and therefore the pieces of this candelabrum may not be reconnected, whereas Beit Hillel hold that there is no prohibition against building with regard to vessels, and there is also no prohibition against dismantling with regard to vessels. One may therefore reattach the pieces of the candelabrum if they came apart.,The Gemara relates that Ulla once happened to come to the house of Rav Yehuda on a Festival. Ulla’s servant stood and tilted the oil lamp [sheragga], diverting most of the oil to one side, with the intention of preventing the oil from reaching the wick so that the light would be extinguished more quickly. Rav Yehuda raised an objection to Ulla from the following baraita, in which it is taught: One who adds oil to a lamp on Shabbat is liable for performing the prohibited labor of kindling on Shabbat, and one who supplies himself with oil from a lit lamp on Shabbat is liable for performing the prohibited labor of extinguishing, as he causes the light to be extinguished more quickly. This indicates that any action, even an indirect one, that causes a lamp be extinguished earlier than it would have otherwise is considered extinguishing. Here too, by tilting the lamp, the servant extinguished a light on the Festival, which is prohibited. Ulla said to him: You are indeed correct; the act was performed by my servant without my knowledge.,With regard to the halakha governing extinguishing on a Festival, Rav said: It is permitted to trim the end of a wick that has become charcoal, so that it will burn better; this is not considered extinguishing.,With regard to this same issue, Abba bar Marta raised a dilemma before Abaye: What is the halakha with regard to extinguishing a lamp that is burning in a room on a Festival for another matter, a euphemism for marital relations? Since it is prohibited to have relations in a room where a lamp is burning, may one extinguish a lamp for this purpose? Abaye said to him: One may not extinguish it, as it is possible to have relations in a different room.,Abba bar Marta continued: If he does not have a different room, what should he do? Abaye replied: It is possible to erect for oneself a partition out of sheets and engage in relations on the other side of the partition. Abba bar Marta asked further: If he does not have sheets to erect a partition, what should he do? Abaye answered: It is possible to invert a vessel over the lamp in order to hide the light. Abba bar Marta further inquired: If he does not have a vessel, what should he do? Abaye said to him: It is prohibited; one may not extinguish the lamp.,Abba bar Marta raised an objection to Abaye’s opinion from the following baraita: One may not extinguish a piece of wood in order to save it from being needlessly burned, but if he extinguishes it so that the house or a pot not become smoky, it is permitted. This shows that it is permitted to extinguish a fire on a Festival if it serves people’s needs. Abaye said to him: That baraita is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, who permits the performance of prohibited labors on a Festival for all of one’s needs and not only for the preparation of food; when I spoke, it was in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis, who disagree.,Further on the topic of extinguishing, Abaye raised a dilemma before Rabba: What is the halakha with regard to extinguishing a fire on a Festival? He clarified his question: Where there is danger to life, I have no dilemma, as in that case it is permitted even on Shabbat. When I raised the dilemma, it was with regard to a case involving only monetary loss. What is the halakha? Rabba said to him: It is prohibited.,Abaye raised an objection to his opinion from the baraita cited above: One may not extinguish a piece of wood in order to save it from being needlessly burned, but if he extinguishes it so that the house or a pot not become smoky, it is permitted. This indicates that extinguishing a fire on a Festival is permitted even if only to prevent a small loss. Rabba replied: That baraita is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda; when I spoke, it was in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis.,§ Rav Ashi raised a dilemma before Ameimar: What is the halakha with regard to painting an eye with a medicinal ointment on a Festival? He elaborated on his question: Where there is a danger to the eye, for example, the illnesses called rira, ditza, dema, dimata, and kadaḥta, or the beginning of an inflammation, I have no dilemma, as in such cases it is permitted to apply an ointment even on Shabbat. When I raised the dilemma, it was with regard to less serious ailments, such as at the end of an inflammation, or in order to brighten one’s eyesight. What is the halakha in such cases? Ameimar said to him: It is prohibited.,Rav Ashi raised an objection to him from the same baraita: One may not extinguish a piece of wood in order to save it from being needlessly burned, but if he extinguishes it so that the house or a pot not become smoky, it is permitted. This indicates that a prohibited labor is permitted on a Festival, if it is performed for the sake of a bodily need. And Ameimar answered him as we answered before, that the baraita is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda.,The Gemara relates that Ameimar permitted painting an eye for medicinal purposes on Shabbat by means of a gentile. Some say that Ameimar himself painted his eye on Shabbat by means of a gentile. Rav Ashi said to Ameimar: What is your reasoning in permitting this practice? You must rely upon that which Ulla, son of Rav Ilai, said: All the needs of an ill person whose life is not in danger are performed by means of a gentile on Shabbat. And similarly, Rav Hamnuna said: With regard to any matter in which there is no life-threatening danger but only potential illness, one says to the gentile to perform the act, and the gentile performs the act for him.,However, this applies only where the ill person, or any other Jew, does not assist the gentile. But in this case the Master, Ameimar, assists the gentile while the ointment is being applied, as he closes and opens his eye, thereby allowing the ointment to penetrate more deeply. Therefore, this should be prohibited. Ameimar said to Rav Ashi: There is also the opinion of Rav Zevid, who holds in accordance with your opinion; he, too, raised the objection that it should be prohibited due to the fact that the Jew assists the gentile. And I already answered him: The assistance provided by one who assists another in performing a task that the other could essentially have performed himself is insubstantial. Inasmuch as the action is primarily performed by the gentile, the minor assistance given by the Jew may be overlooked.,The Gemara further relates that Ameimar permitted painting an eye with a medicinal ointment on the second day of the festival of Rosh HaShana if the eye is causing pain and requires treatment. Rav Ashi said to Ameimar: But didn’t Rava say that if a person died on the first day of a Festival, gentiles may attend to his burial; if he died on the second day of a Festival observed in the Diaspora, Jews may attend to his burial? And this is the halakha even on the second day of the festival of Rosh HaShana,
which is not so with regard to an egg. With regard to an egg laid on a Festival, the two days of Rosh HaShana are considered one long day and a single period of sanctity. It was only in deference to the dead that the Sages were lenient with regard to burial on the second day of Rosh HaShana, but with regard to all other matters, the two days of Rosh HaShana are viewed as one day and are governed by the same halakha.,Ameimar said to him: I hold in accordance with the opinion of the Sages of Neharde’a, who state this halakha even with regard to an egg laid on the Festival and other matters, as there is no difference between the two days of Rosh HaShana and the two days of other Festivals. And what is your reasoning that you are concerned? Is it that perhaps they will extend the month of Elul and declare it a thirty-day month, which would mean that the second day of the Festival is the first of Tishrei, the true date of Rosh HaShana? But didn’t Rav Ḥinnana bar Kahana say: From the days of Ezra and onward we have not found that the month of Elul was made a full, thirty-day month, and therefore there is no cause for this concern.,§ It is taught in the mishna: And one may not bake thick loaves on a Festival but only thin ones. The Sages taught the following baraita: Beit Shammai say that one may not bake thick bread on Passover, as it might become leavened before it has a chance to bake, whereas Beit Hillel permit it. And how much thickness renders a loaf thick bread that is permitted by Beit Hillel? Rav Huna said: It is up to a thickness of one handbreadth, as we find likewise with regard to the shewbread in the Temple, which must also be unleavened and which was one handbreadth thick.,Rav Yosef strongly objects to this argument of Rav Huna: If the Sages stated this leniency with regard to the shewbread that is prepared by priests, who are vigilant about the mitzvot and ensure that the dough is not leavened, would they say the same with regard to bread that is prepared by ordinary people, who are not as vigilant? Furthermore, if they said this with regard to the shewbread, which is well-kneaded [amela] bread, would they say the same with regard to bread that is not as well kneaded?,Rav Yosef continues: If they stated this leniency in the case of dry wood, which was used in the Temple, as it would burn well and bake the bread quickly, would they say the same in the case of moist wood, which is what most people use to heat their ovens? Furthermore, if they said this with regard to the hot oven found in the Temple, would they say the same with regard to a standard oven, which is typically cold in comparison to that of the Temple? And lastly, if they said this with regard to the Temple’s metal oven, which warms up quickly, would they say the same with regard to the earthenware oven that most people use to bake their bread?,Rav Yirmeya bar Abba said: I asked my teacher in private, and who is this teacher? It is Rav. Rav Yirmeya asked him: What is the meaning of thick bread? Rav explained that it means a large quantity of bread, a large amount of dough prepared in a single session. The concern here is not that the bread might become leavened, but that its preparation involves unnecessary exertion on the Festival.,Some say that Rav Yirmeya bar Abba said that Rav said: I asked this of my teacher in private; and who is Rav’s teacher? It is our holy Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. And he explained the matter as follows: What is the meaning of thick bread? It means a large quantity of bread. And why do they call it thick bread? It is because it is greatly expanded at the time of kneading and therefore looks very thick. Alternatively, in the place where this tanna of the mishna lived, a large quantity of bread was called thick bread.,The Gemara asks: Now, since the prohibition here is because he exerts himself unnecessarily, then why did the baraita teach this halakha specifically with respect to Passover? The same halakha should apply with regard to the other Festivals as well. The Gemara answers: Yes, it is indeed so; the halakha is not limited to Passover. But the tanna who taught this halakha was dealing at the time with the festival of Passover and therefore mentioned this halakha in relation to that Festival, even though it applies in equal fashion to the other Festivals. The Gemara comments that this is also taught in a baraita: Beit Shammai say: One may not bake a large quantity of bread on any Festival, whereas Beit Hillel permit it.,MISHNA: Rabban Gamliel also said three things as leniencies, in opposition to the view of most of the Sages: One may sweep the room of the couches on a Festival, i.e., the dining room, where they would recline on couches to eat, as there is no concern that by sweeping the room one might come to fill in the holes and level the ground. And one may place incense consisting of fragrant herbs on burning coals in order to perfume one’s house on a Festival. And one may prepare a whole kid goat, meaning a kid goat roasted whole, with its entrails over its head, on the night of Passover, as was the custom when they roasted the Paschal lamb in the Temple. However, the Rabbis prohibit all three practices: It is prohibited to sweep lest one come to level the ground, it is prohibited to burn incense because it does not meet the criteria of permitted food preparation, and it is prohibited to eat a kid that was roasted whole on the night of Passover because it would appear as if he were eating consecrated food outside the Temple.,GEMARA: Rav Asi said: The dispute with regard to incense applies only to a case where one wishes to burn the incense in order to perfume his garments. However, if he burns the incense in order to enjoy the smell, all agree that this is like other bodily pleasures, the satisfaction of which has the same status as food preparation, and it is therefore permitted.,The Gemara raises an objection against Rav Asi’s understanding of the mishna from the following Tosefta: One may not sweep the room of the couches on a Festival lest he fill in holes and level the ground, but in the house of Rabban Gamliel they did sweep, as they did not share this concern. Rabbi Eliezer bar Tzadok said: On many occasions I followed Father, Rabbi Tzadok, into Rabban Gamliel’s house, and I observed that they would not actually sweep the room of the couches on a Festival, but rather they would do the following: They would sweep the room on the eve of the Festival and spread sheets over it so that it would not become dirty, and on the following day, when the guests entered, they removed the sheets, and it turned out that the house was cleaned on its own. The other Sages said to him: If so, it is permitted to do so on Shabbat as well, and there is no dispute in that case.,The Tosefta continues: Similarly, one may not place incense on burning coals on a Festival, but in the house of Rabban Gamliel they did place incense. Rabbi Eliezer bar Tzadok said: On many occasions I followed Father into Rabban Gamliel’s house, and I noticed that they would not actually place incense on burning coals on a Festival, but rather they would bring perforated coal pans [ardaska’ot] made of iron, filled them with fragrant smoke on the eve of the Festival, and plugged their holes on the Festival eve so that their fragrant smell would not escape. On the following day, when the guests entered, they opened the holes, releasing the smell throughout the house, and it turned out that the house was perfumed on its own.,The other Sages said to him: If so, it is permitted to do so on Shabbat as well. This shows that the issue was not the perfuming of clothes but rather the burning of incense for the smell in the house. It follows that the Sages prohibit the practice even when the incense is burned for the enjoyment of the smell, against the opinion of Rav Asi.,Rather, the Gemara retracts its previous statement and says that if this was stated, it was stated as follows: Rav Asi said that the dispute with regard to incense applies only to a case where one burns the incense in order to enjoy the smell. However, if he burns the incense in order to perfume his garments, all agree that it is prohibited.,A dilemma was raised before the Sages: What is the halakha with regard to smoking fruit on a Festival with incense in order to enhance its aroma? Rav Yirmeya bar Abba said that Rav said: It is prohibited, as it is not included in the category of permitted food preparation. And Shmuel said: It is permitted. Rav Huna said: It is prohibited because he extinguishes some of the coals when he sprinkles the aromatic powder on them. Rav Naḥman said to him: And let the Master say that it is prohibited because he kindles the coals, as afterward the fragrant spices cause the coals to burn even more strongly; why are you not concerned about this? Rav Huna said to him: Two prohibitions are indeed violated: Its beginning involves extinguishing, and its end involves kindling.,Rav Yehuda said: Sprinkling the aromatic spices on the coals themselves is in fact prohibited for the aforementioned reasons.