Beitzah

If [I had given my decision] forthwith, I would have erred, and told you that [in a dispute between] Rab and R. Johanan the halachah is as R. Johanan; whereas Raba has said: In these three [cases]1 the law is as Rab, both when he is lenient and when he is stringent. R. Johanan said: If branches fell off a palm tree on a Sabbath, it is forbidden to burn them [for firewood] on the Festival [immediately following it], and do not seek to refute me [by referring to the case] of the egg.2 What is the reason? Because the egg is fit to be taken raw on the [Sabbath] day [it was laid],3 and since you do not permit it [to be eaten] until the following day, one will surely know that on the same day [that it was laid] it is prohibited.4 [But in the case of the] branches which are not fit for the [Sabbath] day [on which they fell],5 if you permit them to be used on the morrow,6 one might say that even on the [same] day [they fell off]7 , they are also permitted, while [their prohibition] the day before was on account of the Sabbath, when they were not fit for burning. R. Mattenah said: If branches fell off a palm tree on a Festival into an oven, one may add thereto a larger amount of wood kept in readiness8 and burn them [together]. But is he not handling a prohibited object?9 Since the greater part consists of that which is permitted, when he is handling, he is handling that which is permitted. But he neutralizes a prohibited object at the outset, and we have learnt: One may not [directly] neutralize a prohibited object at the outset!10 — This applies only [where the object is prohibited] according to the Biblical law, but [where it is only] Rabbinical]y [prohibited] one may [directly] neutralize.11 But how is it to be explained according to R. Ashi, who says that an object [forbidden] which will become permitted is not neutralized even though [forbidden] by a Rabbinical enactment?12 — this applies only where the prohibited object remains intact, but here the thing forbidden is indeed burnt up.13 It was stated: [With reference to] the two Festival-days of the Diaspora,14 Rab says: [The egg] laid on the one15 is permitted on the other,16 and R. Assi maintains: [The egg] laid on the one is forbidden on the other. Shall it be said that R. Assi holds the opinion that [both days] have one continuous holiness? But R. Assi recited the habdalah17 [blessing] between the first and second Festival-days?18 — R. Assi himself was in doubt, hence he acted in both cases with stringency.19 R. Zera said: Logic supports R. Assi; for we are now well acquainted with the fixing of the new moon and, nevertheless, we do observe two days.20 Abaye said: Logic supports Rab; for we have learnt: In early times they used to light bonfires,21 but on account of the mischief of the Samaritans22 the Rabbis ordained that messengers should go forth.23 Now if the [mischief of the] Samaritans ceased24 we would [all] observe only one day; and [even during the Samaritan mischief] wherever the messengers arrived25 they observed [only] one day.26 But now that we are well acquainted with the fixing of the new moon,27 why do we observe two days? — Because they sent [word] from there [Palestine]:28 Give heed to the customs of your ancestors which have come down to you; for it might happen that the government might issue a decree29 and it will cause confusion [in ritual]. It was stated: [With respect to] the two Festival-days of the New Year, Rab and Samuel30 both say: [An egg] laid on the first day is forbidden on the second day. For we have learnt:31 In early times they [the Sanhedrin] admitted the testimony about new moon throughout the [whole]32 day.33 Once, however, the witnesses were late in arriving se'ah of Heave-offering fell into less than 100 se'ahs of common produce, and other common produce afterwards fell therein, if it was in error the whole is permitted, but if wantonly, it is forbidden. Cf. a'r a.l. Since the Festival is fixed for a certain day of the month (for example passover on the 15th Nisan) it is Important to know the exact day the New Moon appears. For the consecration of the New Moon was determined not only by mathematical calculation but by the confirmation of witnesses who had seen it. This applied only to the 30th, but on the 31st, the day would be consecrated even without witnesses, because it would be known that after the 30th the moon should become new even if it were not seen, for the moon renewed itself about every 292 days. therefore those in Palestine could easily be informed whether the new moon was consecrated by the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem on the 30th day or on the 31st, thus making the month just passed either full or defective. But those in the Diaspora, not being able to be informed in time whether the new moon was consecrated on the 30th or on the 31st, kept the appointed Festival-day for two days in order to be sure of observing it (for example, in the case of Passover, they kept both the 15th and 16th of Nisan as the 1st day of Passover). Hence the two Festival-days of the Diaspora. Rashi. (a) It was an enactment of the Rabbis that for all time in the Diaspora two days should be kept for each Festival-day (v. supra n. 1). From that point of view the two days are regarded as one long day of holiness and the egg might not be eaten on the second day. (b) The people in the Diaspora have taken upon themselves the observance of two days instead of one because of their uncertainty; for those however, who were well acquainted with the fixing of the new moon, the first day only is regarded as really holy and the second day as of a minor holiness, requiring the recitation of the habdalah between the two, and the egg would be permitted to be eaten on the second day. is their ordinances that we observe. of the past month or the 1st of the coming month. so that sometimes they would cover more territory than at others. pp. 316-318.] contemporary of Hillel II, urging the people of the Diaspora not to depart from the ancestral customs despite the calendar which have been introduced by the Patriarch, v. Graetz IV, p. 456.] would be lost. observed as New Year's day in case witnesses should arrive during that day reporting that they had seen the new moon.