Beitzah

— He1 ruled as the following Tanna. For It was taught: One may loosen the knots in the ground, but one may not unravel nor cut, whether on a Sabbath or on a Festival; but as to those of utensils — on a Sabbath one may loosen but one may not unravel nor cut; on a Festival one may loosen and unravel and cut. You have justified the first clause; but there is a contradiction from the concluding clause!2 — This represents the opinion of R. Nehemiah who says: All utensils may not be handled except for their normal use.3 If it is R. Nehemiah, why particularly the Sabbath; the same holds good even on a Festival! And if you say that R. Nehemiah makes a distinction between a shebuth4 of the Sabbath and a shebuth of a Festival,5 [I would object], Does he then make a distinction? For one [Baraitha] teaches: One may kindle a fire [on a Festival] with utensils,6 but one may not kindle a fire with fragments of utensils;7 and another [Baraitha] teaches: One may kindle a fire with both utensils and fragments of utensils; and [still] another [Baraitha] teaches: One may not kindle either with utensils or with broken pieces of utensils; and we explained, there is no contradiction: One is according to R. Judah, the other is according to R. Simeon, and the third is according to R. Nehemiah!8 — Two Tannaim dispute about the opinion of R. Nehemiah.9 MISHNAH. ONE MAY NOT HOLLOW OUT A LAMP10 [ON A FESTIVAL], BECAUSE HE WOULD BE MAKING A UTENSIL; AND ONE MAY NOT MAKE CHARCOAL11 ON A FESTIVAL, NOR CUT A WICK IN TWO. R. JUDAH SAYS: ONE MAY SEVER IT WITH A FLAME. GEMARA. Who teaches that the hollowing out of a lamp constitutes [making] a utensil?12 — Said R. Joseph: It is R. Meir; for it was taught: When is a clay vessel susceptible to defilement? As soon as its form is finished;13 this is the opinion of R. Meir. R. Joshua says: As soon as it is baked in the furnace. Said Abaye to him: Whence does this follow? Perhaps R. Meir is of this opinion only there, because they [the vessels] are fit for receiving things;14 but here15 for what is it fit? — For receiving copper coins. Some say: Said R. Joseph: It is R. Eliezer son of R. Zadok: For we have learnt: Ironian16 stewpots do not contract defilement when under the same roof as a corpse, but they become defiled if they are carried by one who has an issue.17 R. Eliezer son of R. Zadok says: They are undefiled even if they are carried by one who has an issue, because they are not yet finished in the making.18 Said Abaye to him: Perhaps R. Eliezer son of R. Zadok is of this opinion only there, because they [the stewpots] are fit for receiving things;19 but here for what is it fit? — For receiving copper coins. Our Rabbis taught: One may not holiow out a lamp and one may not make Ironian stewpots on a Festival. R. Simeon b. Gamaliel permits Ironian stewpots. What means Ironian? — Said Rab Judah: Provincial. What means ‘provincial’? — Said Abaye: Peasants’ trenchers. 20 AND ONE MAY NOT MAKE CHARCOAL. This is obvious; for what is it fit?21 — R. Hiyya taught: This is necessary to be taught only with respect to handing them over to the bath attendants on the same day.22 Is it then permissible [for such use] on that day?23 — As Raba explained [elsewhere]: Where it is for perspiring,24 and before the prohibition,25 so also here [it treats of a case] of perspiring and before the prohibition. NOR CUT A WICK IN TWO [etc.]: Why not with a knife — even unravelling and cutting too. with R. Nehemiah in this. permit them to be handled), this is discounted, since they were not intended for this before the Festival. permits them, while R. Nehemiah, holding that utensils may be handled for their normal use only, forbids even whole utensils This proves that R. Nehemiah's ruling applies to Festivals too. does not. explains it in the sense of provincial, coarse and unfinished. V. ‘Ed., Sonc. ed. p. 12, n. 9. According to the Commentaries, this stewpot was fashioned like a hollow ball and thus baked in the kiln and afterwards cut into two. Undivided it cannot become unclean through a dead body because the inner space is enclosed and a clay vessel must have a hollow before it can receive defilement. (Cf. Num. XIX, 15). constitutes the making of a utensil, and the same holds good in the Mishnah.