Beitzah 22b (כב:) — the Talmud in English

This is not so with regard to an egg

that was laid on the first day of Yom Tov, which is not permitted on the second day of Rosh HaShana, even though on the other festivals it is permitted on the second day. This is because the sanctity of the two days of Rosh HaShana is one, and they were lenient on the second day only with regard to the honor of the dead.

If so, why did Ameimar permit applying eye makeup on the second day of Rosh HaShana?

He said to him:

Ameimar:

I—

I hold in accordance with the view of the Nehardeans, who say that even with regard to an egg

that was laid on the second day of Rosh HaShana, they were lenient.

And what is your view

that you are stringent and prohibit it on the second day of Rosh HaShana? After all, the only possible concern is

lest the court intercalate

the month of

Elul.

That is, you are concerned lest the witnesses not come on the thirtieth day of Elul, in which case the month of Elul would be “intercalated,” consisting of thirty days [rather than the usual twenty-nine], and Rosh HaShana would, by Torah law, fall on the second day of Yom Tov.

You need not be concerned about this possibility, for

as Rav Ḥinnana bar Kahana said: From the days of Ezra onward—

we have never found an intercalated Elul!

We learned in the Mishna:

And one may bake neither thick loaves nor cakes, but only wafers.

The Sages taught: Beit Shammai say: One may not bake thick bread on Passover, but Beit Hillel permit it.

The Gemara assumes that the reason for Beit Shammai’s ruling is concern about leavening, and therefore asks:

And

up to

how much

may the thickness of the

“thick bread”

that Beit Hillel permitted one to bake be, without concern about leavening?

Rav Huna said:

Up to a thickness of

a handbreadth.

As we find with regard to the showbread,

which was baked as matza and had a thickness of

a handbreadth.

Rav Yosef raised an objection to this: If they said

that one may permit a thickness of a handbreadth

with regard to

priests, who are

swift

and can guard the dough against leavening—

will they say this with regard to

ordinary people, who

are not swift

and may bake bread on Passover up to a thickness of a handbreadth?

If they said

that one may bake bread a handbreadth thick

with

regard to the “laborious” bread of the showbread, which required considerable effort to prepare—

will they say

this

with regard to

ordinary bread on Passover,

which is not laborious?

If they said

that there is no concern about leavening with regard to the showbread, since the bread was baked using

dry wood

that produced intense heat—

will they say

that one may bake thick bread using

moist wood,

which produces less heat?

If they said

that the showbread was baked

in a hot oven

that was heated every day for the meal offerings—

will they say this in an oven

for Passover that was

cold

until it was heated, and therefore did not have intense heat?

If they said

that the showbread was baked

in a metal oven,

which had intense heat—

will they say this in an earthenware oven,

which had less heat?

Rav Yosef’s questions remained unanswered. Therefore, the Gemara offers another explanation of the dispute between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel concerning thick bread on Passover.

a.

Rav Yirmeya bar Abba said: I asked

—I asked

my teacher

[my rabbi]

privately,

between him and me, without other people present.

As an aside, the Gemara explains:

And who was he,

the teacher of Rav Yirmeya bar Abba?

Rav.

What is meant by “thick bread”

that Beit Hillel permitted one to bake?

Rav answered me:

A large quantity of bread.

That is, they permitted baking many loaves on Yom Tov, more than was needed for Yom Tov itself. Beit Shammai prohibit this because of the exertion involved for the following day, but not because of concern about leavening.

Some say

that

Rav Yirmeya bar Abba said that Rav said as follows:

I asked my teacher privately.

That is, Rav himself asked this of his teacher.

And who was he,

Rav’s teacher?

Rabbeinu HaKadosh,

that is, Rabbi.

What is meant by thick bread?

Rabbi answered me:

A large quantity of bread.

And why did they call it “thick bread”?—

Because it is abundant,

as it is very thick

at

the time of

kneading.

Alternatively, in the place of this tanna

who taught this beraita,

a large quantity of bread—

they called it “thick bread.”

The Gemara challenges this explanation:

Granted,

after all,

it is because he exerts unnecessary effort

on Yom Tov

that

Beit Shammai prohibit it.

If so, this is difficult:

Why specifically

did the tanna state that their dispute concerns

Passover?

After all,

even on the other festivals as well

they would dispute this matter.

And we answer:

Indeed, it is so,

they also dispute this matter with regard to the other festivals.

And the tanna

who taught it with regard to Passover did so because he

was

in the midst of the

laws of the Passover festival,

as he was teaching these matters within the other laws of Passover that he was discussing.

It was taught likewise,

explicitly, that the subject of the dispute is the laws of exertion on Yom Tov, and not concern about leavening on Passover:

For it was taught:

Beit Shammai say: One may not bake a large quantity of bread on Yom Tov, but Beit Hillel permit it.

Mishna:

He too,

Rabban Gamliel, who was stringent in the earlier mishnayot,

said three matters as leniencies:

a.

They sweep

—they sweep

the house of the beds,

which was the place where they reclined on beds to eat the meal. He did not concern himself with the decree lest one come to level the depressions in the ground while sweeping.

b.

And they place the incense—

frankincense on coals

on Yom Tov,

and the Sages did not prohibit it because it is not a need connected with food preparation.

c.

And they prepare a kid roasted whole,

roasted intact with its legs and entrails, which were roasted together with it,

on the nights of Passover,

and he did not concern himself with the fact that it appeared as though one were eating a Paschal offering outside the Temple.

And the Sages prohibit

sweeping, lest one level the depressions; burning incense, since it is not a need connected with food preparation but only a luxury; and preparing a kid roasted whole, because it resembles eating consecrated meat outside the Temple.

Gemara:

Rav Asi said: The dispute concerns burning incense

for clothing, when one places the frankincense on the fire so that its scent enters the garments. Since this is not for bodily enjoyment, the Sages prohibited it.

But

burning incense in order

to smell it,

which is bodily enjoyment—

everyone agrees that it is permitted.

The Gemara raises an objection

from what we learned in a beraita:

a.

One may not sweep

the

house of the beds on Yom Tov.

But

the members of the household

of Rabban Gamliel’s house

would

sweep.

Rabbi Eliezer bar Tzadok said: Many times I entered behind my father into Rabban Gamliel’s house, and they did not sweep the house of the beds on Yom Tov.

Rather,

they would

sweep them

[the bed-houses]

on the eve of Yom Tov, and

they would

spread over them,

over their floors,

sheets.

The next day, when guests entered,

they would

remove the sheets, and the house would thereby be swept on its own.

They said to him: If so,

according to your statement—

it should likewise be permitted to do this on Shabbat.

If the Sages disputed this ruling with him on Yom Tov, this is proof that Rabban Gamliel permitted actual sweeping on Yom Tov itself.

b.

And one may not place the incense on Yom Tov.

But those of Rabban Gamliel’s house

would

place it.

Rabbi Eliezer bar Tzadok said: Many times I entered behind my father into Rabban Gamliel’s house, and they did not place the incense on Yom Tov.

Rather,

they would

bring perforated vessels

made of iron

and smoke them,

putting the scent of frankincense inside them,

on the eve of Yom Tov. And they would stop up

their

openings on the eve of

Yom Tov

so that the smoke, together with the pleasant scent, would remain preserved inside the vessels.

The next day, when guests entered,—

they would open the openings, and the house would be perfumed on its own.

They said to him: If so,

according to your statement—

it should likewise be permitted to do this on Shabbat!

Rather, this is proof that Rabban Gamliel permitted burning incense on Yom Tov itself, and therefore the Sages disputed his ruling.

It is thus demonstrated from the beraita contrary to what Rav Asi said: that the Sages agree with Rabban Gamliel that burning incense is permitted!

Rather, if Rav Asi’s statement was indeed said,

his statement—

this is what was said:

Rav Asi said: The dispute

concerns burning incense in order

to smell it.

But burning incense

so that its scent enters the garments—

is prohibited

according to everyone.

A question was raised before them: What is the ruling with regard to smoking

fruits with the scent of frankincense? Is it permitted to place frankincense on coals for the purpose of smoking the fruits?

Rav Yirmeya bar Abba said that Rav said: It is prohibited,

because placing the frankincense on the coals involves extinguishing, for the sake of an enjoyment that is not common to everyone.

And Shmuel said: It is permitted,

since it is suitable for everyone, and it is merely not practiced by the poor because they do not have the money to purchase it.

Rav Huna said,

to explain the reasoning of Rav, who said

it is prohibited—

because it extinguishes,

as placing the frankincense on the coals extinguishes part of the fire burning in them. The labor of extinguishing was permitted only for the sake of food preparation or for an enjoyment common to everyone; this, however, is a particular luxury and is not common to everyone.

Rav Naḥman said to Rav Huna,

to Rav Huna:

Let the Master say

that it is prohibited to place the frankincense on the fire

because it kindles

the frankincense?!

He said to him: At first it extinguishes

the fire of the coals,

and

only

at the end does it kindle

the frankincense; therefore I stated the first prohibition.

Rav Yehuda said:

Only

when placed on a burning coal is it prohibited

to place the frankincense in order to smoke fruits, because it extinguishes and kindles for the sake of something that is not common to everyone.