BEITZAH - 022b – ביצה – פרק שני – יום טוב, כב ע”ב

which is not so with an egg.^[1]

מה שאין כן בביצה - for they are one holiness, and they were lenient on the second day of Rosh Hashanah only regarding a dead body.

He said to him: I hold like the Nehardeans, who say: Even with an egg.^[2]

And what is your reasoning? Perhaps they will make Elul a full month.^[3]

But Rav Chinena bar Kahana said: From the days of Ezra onward, we have not found a full Elul.^[4]

And one may not bake thick loaves, only thin ones.^[5]

The Rabbis taught: Beis Shammai say: One may not bake thick bread on Pesach, and Beis Hillel permit.^[6]

בפסח - you might think: because he cannot guard it from leavening.

And how much is thick bread?

וכמה פת עבה - that Beis Hillel permitted.

Rav Huna said: A tefach, for so we find the lechem hapanim was a tefach.^[7]

שכן מצינו בלחם הפנים - which is matzah, as we say: all menachos come as matzah (Menachos 57a). And it was a tefach thick, as its name lechem hapanim: it has faces, and faces are no less than a tefach.

Rav Yosef challenged this: If they said so of the diligent, shall they say so of those who are not diligent?^[8]

בזריזין - of the house of Garmu, who were craftsmen and diligent in this.

If they said so of well-worked bread, shall they say so of bread that is not well worked?

פת עמלה - braie in the vernacular: it required three hundred rubbings by hand and five hundred kneadings with the fist, one rubbing and two kneadings, two rubbings and three kneadings, in Menachos (76a).

If they said so of dry wood, shall they say so of wet wood?

עצים יבשים - from the fifteenth of Av they stopped cutting wood for the altar fire, in tractate Taanis (31a), and from the wood of the Wood Chamber they baked and cooked all the needs of the Mikdash.

If they said so of a hot oven, shall they say so of a cold oven?

בתנור חם - which they heated every day, both for menachos and for roasting.

If they said so of a metal oven, shall they say so of an earthenware oven?^[9]

מתכת - in tractate Zevachim (95b) we say that the oven of the Mikdash was of metal, because of the Two Loaves and the lechem hapanim, which are baked and sanctified in the oven; so it is a sacred vessel, and we do not make a sacred vessel of earthenware.

Rav Yirmiyah bar Abba said: I asked my teacher privately, and who is he? Rav:

ביחוד - between me and him.

What is thick bread? A large quantity of bread.^[10]

Some say: Rav Yirmiyah bar Abba said that Rav said: I asked my teacher privately,

ואיכא דאמרי - Rav himself said: I asked my teacher privately.

and who is he? Rabbeinu HaKadosh:^[11]

ומנו - Rav’s teacher, Rabbeinu HaKadosh. Another explanation: “biyichud” means clearly, as we learned in Shekalim (6:2): “and they knew clearly that the Aron was hidden there.”

What is thick bread? A large quantity of bread.

פת מרובה - and it is not because of leavening, but because he takes on extra labor for tomorrow and another day.

And why do they call it thick bread?

Because it is large in the kneading.^[12]

Alternatively, in the place of this Tanna, a large quantity of bread was called thick bread.

Now, since it is because he takes on labor he does not need, why mention Pesach? Even on other Yamim Tovim too!^[13]

Yes, that is so, and the Tanna was dealing with the Yom Tov of Pesach.

So too it was taught: Beis Shammai say: One may not bake a large quantity of bread on Yom Tov,

תניא נמי הכי - that they disagree on other Yamim Tovim too.

and Beis Hillel permit.

וב"ה מתירין - as we said, that bread bakes well when the oven is full.

Mishnah

He also said three things that are lenient:^[14]

One may sweep the dining room,

מכבדין בית המטות - the reclining room where they eat, for they would recline and eat on couches.

and one may put down incense on Yom Tov,

מוגמר - frankincense on coals.

and one may prepare a helmeted kid on the nights of Pesach.^[15]

מקולס - its legs and innards hang out at its side when he roasts it. They did this as a remembrance of the Mikdash, where it is written “with its legs and its innards.” “Mekulas” is the term for an armed warrior whose weapons hang at his side, as we translate “and a copper helmet” as “and a kulsa of copper” (Shmuel I 17:5).

And the Sages forbid.^[16]

וחכמים אוסרין - all three: sweeping because of leveling holes; incense because it is not a need of every person, and for this reason we forbid it in Kesubos, first perek (7a): “what is eaten by every soul”, something common to every person, and this is only for the pampered or for one who smells badly; and a helmeted kid because it resembles kodashim, and they may say that one may consecrate and eat kodashim outside.

Gemara

Rav Assi said: The dispute is about perfuming, but to smell, all agree it is permitted.^[17]

מחלוקת לגמר - when the Sages forbade it, they forbade it only where he puts it down to perfume utensils, placing the pan with frankincense and coals under the garments to put scent into them, which is not bodily pleasure but preparing utensils. But one who puts frankincense on coals to smell its scent is permitted, for it is bodily pleasure and it is like food. Now according to what Rav Assi says, the reason of the Rabbis is not “something common to every person,” as I explained above, but that he intends to adorn utensils. Below he retracts because of a difficulty.

They challenged him: One may not sweep the dining room on Yom Tov, but those of Rabban Gamliel’s house would sweep.^[18]

Rabbi Eliezer bar Tzadok said: Many times I came in after my father to the house of Rabban Gamliel, and they did not sweep the dining room on Yom Tov,^[19]

rather they swept them on Erev Yom Tov and spread sheets over them.

The next day, when guests came in, they removed the sheets, and the house was found swept by itself.

כשאורחים נכנסין - for they were invited to the Nasi’s meal in honor of Yom Tov.

They said to him: If so, one may do so even on Shabbos.

And one may not put down incense on Yom Tov, but those of Rabban Gamliel’s house would.

Rabbi Eliezer bar Tzadok said: Many times I came in after my father to the house of Rabban Gamliel, and they did not put down incense on Yom Tov,

rather they would bring iron censers and fill them with smoke on Erev Yom Tov,

ערדסקיאות - encensiers; they are hollow and perforated.^[20]

and they would stop up their holes on Erev Yom Tov.

ופוקקין נקביהן - to keep the smoke and scent from escaping.

The next day, when guests came in, they opened their holes, and the house was found perfumed by itself.

They said to him: If so, one may do so even on Shabbos.^[21]

אם כן - his colleagues would not have disagreed with him, for even on Shabbos one may do so. Rather, they certainly put it down on Yom Tov, which is why they disagreed with him. In any case we learn from this that it was not to perfume but to smell, in honor of the guests, and the Rabbis disagreed with him to forbid putting it down on Yom Tov, according to the Tanna Kamma; and according to Rabbi Eliezer bar Tzadok even Rabban Gamliel did not permit it. And you said all agree it is permitted!

Rather, if it was stated, it was stated like this: Rav Assi said: The dispute is about smelling, but to perfume is forbidden.^[22]

מחלוקת להריח - there it is that Rabban Gamliel permitted putting it down on Yom Tov in order to smell, according to the Tanna Kamma of Rabbi Eliezer bar Tzadok, and the Rabbis forbid, for we require something common to every person.

They asked: May one smoke?^[23]

מהו לעשן - fruit in the smoke of spices, so that it takes in the taste of the spice.

Rav Yirmiyah bar Abba said that Rav said: It is forbidden.

אסור - for it is excessive luxury, and is not common to every person, only to the fastidious. And this smoke involves a primary labor, as Rav Huna explains Rav’s reason: because he extinguishes the coals when he puts the powdered spices on them.

And Shmuel said: It is permitted.^[24]

ושמואל אמר מותר - for it is food, and is fit even for the poor, except that it is not available to them. It is like a deer that happened to come to him on Yom Tov, as we say in Kesubos (there).

Rav Huna said: It is forbidden because he extinguishes.^[25]

מפני שמכבה - as I explained, it is not common to every person, so it is forbidden to do a primary labor for it.

Rav Nachman said to him: Then let the master say: because he kindles!

ונימא מר מפני שמבעיר - the spices, for this too is a primary labor.

He said to him: At first he extinguishes, and at the end he kindles.

אמר ליה תחילתו מכבה וסופו מבעיר - both of them are in it, and I chose the very first.

Rav Yehudah said: On a coal it is forbidden^[26]

על גבי גחלת אסור - for there is extinguishing and kindling.

Tosafos

דנפישא בלישה - Rashi explained: and Beis Hillel permit because Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said that a woman may fill the oven with bread, and so on. This is not convincing. First, if so, it should have cited this statement of Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar, since their dispute is about this. Further, it is not at all like thick loaves, so why bring them here? Therefore it seems to me that “a large quantity of bread” here means very large loaves, which he makes for the weekday since they involve less labor,^[27] and so it is implied in the Yerushalmi: since you weary him, he holds back and makes only what he needs. For a small loaf involves more labor in the kneading of each one. Both the thick and the thin loaves are only what he needs, and they are also equal in thickness, except that thick loaves are large and thin loaves are small. And what it says below, “because he takes on labor he does not need,” means: since he makes large loaves, he will come to make more than is needed for Yom Tov. [And see Tosafos, Pesachim 37a, beginning “and Beis Hillel.”]

Notes

1. 1. This continues Rava’s words from 22a: the two days of Rosh Hashanah count as one holiness, so an egg laid on the first day is forbidden on the second. Only for a dead body were they lenient.
2. 2. The Nehardeans are the Sages of Nehardea. They hold that an egg of the first day is permitted on the second, so kohl would be permitted as well.
3. 3. Perhaps Ameimar’s reason is that Elul may be made full, so the second day would be the true Rosh Hashanah.
4. 4. This rejects that reason: since the days of Ezra no full Elul has been found, so there is no such concern.
5. 5. This is the third of the three matters in the Mishnah on 21b. Gritzin are thick loaves.
6. 6. The beraisa also appears in Pesachim 36b. At first the Gemara assumes the concern is that thick bread will become chametz; below it turns out the reason is different.
7. 7. The lechem hapanim is the twelve matzah loaves on the Shulchan in the Mikdash. They were a tefach thick, as Rashi explains, and from this Rav Huna learns that such thickness does not leaven.
8. 8. Rav Yosef rejects this: the house of Garmu, who baked the lechem hapanim (Yoma 38a), were skilled craftsmen, so nothing can be learned from them for ordinary people.
9. 9. Five differences set the baking of the lechem hapanim apart: craftsmen, well-worked dough, dry wood, a hot oven and a metal oven. So the proof falls away.
10. 10. “Rebbi” here is Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi, Rav’s teacher. This is a different explanation altogether: “thick” means a large quantity, and leavening has nothing to do with it.
11. 11. In this version Rav himself asked Rabbeinu HaKadosh, Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi. Rashi gives two meanings of “biyichud”: privately, or clearly, as in the Mishnah in Shekalim.
12. 12. Why call a large quantity “thick”? Because the dough is large and heavy in the kneading.
13. 13. If the reason is needless labor, it has no special connection to Pesach. The Gemara answers that the Tanna happened to be discussing Pesach, and the same holds for other Yamim Tovim.
14. 14. “He” is Rabban Gamliel, whose three stringencies were in the previous Mishnah (21b). Here are three leniencies.
15. 15. A kid roasted whole, with its legs and innards at its side, like the Korban Pesach (Shemos 12:9), as a remembrance of the Mikdash.
16. 16. Rashi gives the reasons: sweeping may level holes in the floor; incense is not common to every person; and the kid may lead people to say that one may consecrate and eat kodashim outside.
17. 17. Rav Assi was an Amora. Perfuming means scenting clothes and utensils, which is not bodily pleasure, while smelling is. He holds that smelling is permitted even for the Sages; this will change below.
18. 18. This beraisa challenges Rav Assi: according to the Tanna Kamma they disagree even about scent for the honor of guests.
19. 19. Rabbi Eliezer bar Tzadok was a Tanna who saw Rabban Gamliel’s house himself. By his testimony, even Rabban Gamliel did everything on Erev Yom Tov.
20. 20. Rashi on Shemos 28:14 also mentions these censers, using the same Old French word.
21. 21. The Sages answer: if everything was done on Erev Yom Tov, it would be allowed even on Shabbos and there would be no dispute. So they must have put it down on Yom Tov itself. This shows that the dispute is about smelling.
22. 22. Rav Assi’s statement is revised: the dispute is about smelling, and perfuming clothes is forbidden according to all.
23. 23. This means smoking fruit over spices so that it takes in the flavor. The question is whether this counts as preparing food.
24. 24. For Shmuel this is food and fit for everyone, even if the poor rarely have it, like a deer that happened to come on Yom Tov (Kesubos 7a).
25. 25. According to Rashi, placing spices on the coal puts part of it out, and since this is not common to every person, the permission for food labors does not cover it.
26. 26. The statement continues on 23a: “on earthenware it is permitted.”
27. 27. Tosafos disagrees with Rashi: “a large quantity of bread” means very large loaves, which take less labor than small ones, so he may come to make more than the day needs. Thin loaves are simply smaller.