Beitzah 18a — the Talmud in English

Rabba said: An enactment

of the Sages,

lest one take it in his hand and carry it four cubits in the public domain

to the ritual bath.

Abaye said to him: He has a pit in his courtyard —

what is there to say?

He said to him: An enactment concerning a pit in his courtyard —

on account of a pit in the public domain.

That works for Shabbat; on Yom Tov

when there is no prohibition of carrying an object that is needed for the day —

what is there to say?

And we answer:

They enacted Yom Tov on account of Shabbat.

And do we enact such a decree?

But we learned: And they agree that one makes the water touch the water of the ritual bath in a stone vessel in order to purify it, but one does not immerse it.

And if it is so

that they enact decrees —

let us enact a decree concerning making water touch the ritual bath on account of immersion!

And we answer:

But can you understand it so? If he has better water —

these

water —

why do I need to make them touch the ritual bath?

Rather —

it necessarily speaks here of one

who does not have

better water.

And since he does not have —

he is exceedingly careful with them

and there is no need to enact a decree.

He challenged him

from that which was taught: One uses a stratagem and

draws

water on Yom Tov

with an impure bucket, and it becomes pure

by itself.

And if it is so

that they enact decrees,

let us enact a decree lest he come to immerse it by itself,

without drawing water!

And we answer:

There it is different, since he was not permitted

to immerse it

except through his bucket —

he remembers.

He challenged him: A vessel that became impure on the eve of Yom Tov —

one may not immerse it on Yom Tov,

since he should have immersed it while it was still day.

But if it became impure

on Yom Tov —

one may immerse it on Yom Tov.

And if it is so —

let us enact a decree concerning Yom Tov on account of the eve of Yom Tov!

And we answer:

Impurity on Yom Tov is a matter that is uncommon,

since everyone purifies himself on the eve of the festival.

And a matter that is uncommon —

the Sages did not enact a decree concerning it.

He challenged him: A vessel that became impure through a primary source of impurity,

whose impurity is from the Torah —

one may not immerse it on Yom Tov.

But if the vessel became impure

through a derivative of impurity,

whose impurity is only rabbinic [for a vessel becomes impure from the Torah only through a primary source of impurity] —

one may immerse it on Yom Tov.

And if it is so, let us enact a decree concerning this on account of that!

And we answer: A vessel that became impure through a

derivative of impurity

and is therefore a second degree of impurity —

how can you find it,

with whom will you find that it needs to be immersed? It belongs only

to priests

for the second-degree vessel renders the teruma that it touches a third degree of impurity. But with non-sacred produce, a vessel that is a second degree of impurity does not render it a third degree of impurity.

And therefore there is no concern, since

priests —

are vigilant.

Come and hear, for Rav Hiyya bar Ashi said in the name of Rav: A menstruant who does not have garments

that are pure to wear after she becomes pure from her impurity, and it is forbidden to immerse garments on Yom Tov, she

uses a stratagem and immerses in her garments,

in a manner in which they do not constitute an interposition, as they are not tight against her body, and they become pure together with her.

And if it is so

that they enact decrees,

let us enact a decree

that she should not immerse in her garments,

lest she come to immerse

her garments

by themselves!

And we answer:

There it is different, since she was not permitted

to immerse them

except through wearing them —

she remembers.

And here the Gemara returns to explain why one may not immerse vessels on Shabbat and on Yom Tov.

Rav Yosef said: An enactment because of wringing.

Abaye said to him: That works for vessels

garments

that are subject to wringing.

Vessels that are not subject to wringing —

what is there to say?

He said to him: An enactment concerning these on account of those.

He challenged him with all these refutations,

above,

and he answered him as we answered.

Rav Bibi said:

one may not immerse on Yom Tov and on Shabbat,

because of an enactment lest he delay

his impure vessels, to immerse them at his free time on Yom Tov and on Shabbat, and come to stumble concerning impure teruma.

It was taught in accordance with Rav Bibi: A vessel that became impure on the eve of Yom Tov —

one may not immerse it on Yom Tov, because of an enactment lest he delay.

Rava said:

one may not immerse

because it appears as though he is repairing a vessel.

And we refute Rava:

If so, a person also

should not immerse, because it appears as though he is repairing!? And we answer:

A person —

appears as though he is cooling himself,

as one who descends to wash in order to cool himself.

That works

when he immerses in

better water,

for a person appears properly as though he is cooling himself.

But if he immerses in

bad water —

what is there to say?