Beitzah 23a — the Talmud in English

But placing frankincense for smoking fruits

on pottery

that has been heated

is permitted,

since there is no extinguishing here at all.

The ignition of the frankincense from the heat of the heated pottery is an altered form of ignition, considered ignition performed kelaḥar yad—indirectly—which is prohibited by Torah law only when performed in the usual manner, while this is prohibited only by rabbinic decree. It was permitted for the sake of enjoyment on a Festival, even though it is an enjoyment indulged in only by the pampered.

And Rabba said:

Igniting the frankincense

on pottery is also prohibited, because one is “creating” a fragrance.

The prohibition of “creating” a fragrance on a Festival is because “creating” something is close to making a new act of labor.

Rabba and Rav Yosef both said: Placing a cup

containing a fragrant perfume

on silk garments

on the garments

on a Festival—

is prohibited.

What is the reason?

Because he creates a fragrance

in the silk garments.

And we raise an objection:

And what is the difference

between creating a fragrance in garments by placing a cup upon them

and

creating a perfume fragrance by

rubbing

a branch of spices

and smelling it, and

also

cutting it and smelling it?

And we answer:

There,

when one rubs a branch of spices,

the fragrance is present in any event;

the fragrance itself is already present in the branch of spices,

and

by rubbing or cutting it,

he merely adds to the fragrance.

Here,

when one places the fragrant cup on the silk garments, -

he is creating it, as he creates a fragrance.

Rava said: On a coal as well it is permitted

to smoke fruits,

just as it is with meat,

which is permitted to roast

on embers,

on top of coals, since smoking fruits is something that benefits everyone, and the act of extinguishing or igniting is permitted for this purpose.

Rav Geḥiya of Bei Katil expounded at the entrance to the house of the Exilarch: “Katura”

is permitted!”

He expounded this but did not explain his words.

Ameimar said to him: What is “Katura”?

?

you mean

katura,

the pleats that are pressed

by hand,

in the sleeves of garments—

it cannot be that this is permitted on a Festival, since

it is the work of a craftsman,

and every repair that is the work of a craftsman is prohibited on a Festival because of the labor of “striking with a hammer.”

And if

you mean that it is permitted

to smoke

fruits on a Festival—then it is

prohibited

:

as he extinguishes

the fire of the coals by placing the frankincense upon them.

Rav Ashi said

to Ameimar:

In fact,

he intended to permit

smoking

fruits on a Festival, because he holds that smoking fruits is something that benefits everyone,

just

as

it is with meat on embers,

the placing of meat upon coals, which is permitted.

Some say:

Ameimar said to him: What is “Katura”?

?

it is the work of a craftsman.

If it means smoking—

it is prohibited, since he creates a fragrance.

Rav Ashi said: I told him this statement

to Rav Geḥiya.

And I told it to him in the name of a great man

.

And

in fact,

its meaning is permission

to smoke

fruits,

just as it is with meat on embers.

We learned in the Mishna:

And one may prepare a kid as a mekullas.

It was taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yosei says: Thodוס the Roman led the Romans to eat a kid prepared as a mekullas on the nights of Passover.

The Sages sent word to him,

:

Were you not Thodוס,

a great and distinguished sage,

we would decree ostracism upon you,

because

you are feeding the Children of Israel sacrificial meat outside

the Temple. And we raise an objection: Is he really feeding

sacrificial meat

outside?

Could it enter your mind

that Thodוס was doing this?

And we answer:

Rather, say:

You are feeding them

something resembling sacrificial meat,

and those who see this may come to err and eat sacrificial meat outside.

Mishna:

Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya permits three matters, while the Sages prohibit them:

1.

His cow may go out

on Shabbat into the public domain

with a strap between its horns.

In his view, this is an adornment for it, whereas the Sages do not consider the strap an adornment but rather a burden.

2.

And one may curry

the animal, scraping

the animal

with an iron currycomb having fine teeth,

on a Festival,

even though this involves making a wound in the animal.

3.

And one may grind

on a Festival

peppers in their mill,

because in his view even the labor of grinding is permitted on a Festival.

Rabbi Yehuda says: One may not curry the animal

with an iron currycomb

on a Festival, because he makes

in it

a wound.

However, one may scrape

it with a wooden currycomb whose teeth are coarse, which does not make a wound.

And the Sages say: One may not curry

with an iron currycomb having fine teeth,

nor may one scrape

with a wooden currycomb having coarse teeth. Their reason will be explained in the Gemara.

Gemara:

And we inquire: Did the tanna of the Mishna intend

to say

that

Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya

had only

one cow?

But Rav said—and some say that Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: Thirteen

thousand

calves he would tithe, “animal tithe,”

from the herd of

Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya every year,

year

after year!

And we answer:

The tanna taught: It was not

his

cow. Rather,

it was the

cow of his neighbor.

And because he did not protest against her,

when she went out with the strap on her head,

it was called by his name.

We learned in the Mishna:

And one may curry the animal on a Festival.

The Sages taught: What is currying, and what is scraping?

Currying

is done with a currycomb whose teeth are

small,

fine,

and they make

in the animal

a wound.

Scraping

is done with a wooden currycomb whose teeth are

large

and thick,

and they do not make

in the animal

a wound.

And there are three disputes concerning this matter:

1.

Rabbi Yehuda holds: An unintentional act

is prohibited.

However, currying—

the teeth are small and make a wound.

Therefore, he prohibited it even though he does not intend to make a wound, but only to clean the animal.

Scraping—

the teeth are large, and they do not make a wound.

Therefore, he permitted it.

And we do not decree

prohibiting

scraping due to currying.

2.

And the Rabbis also hold in accordance with Rabbi Yehuda,

,

an unintentional act is prohibited.

And we decree that scraping is prohibited due to currying.

3.

And Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya holds in accordance with Rabbi Shimon, who says that an unintentional act is permitted.

And

therefore,

both currying and scraping are permitted,

since he does not intend to make a wound.

Rava said in the name of Rav Naḥman in the name of Shmuel—and some say that Rav Naḥman said this on his own: The halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Shimon,

who said that an unintentional act is permitted,

since Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya agrees with him.

Rava said to Rav Naḥman: Let the Master say that the halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Yehuda, since the Sages agree with him!

He said to him: I hold in accordance with Rabbi Shimon,

and therefore I ruled in accordance with him.

And furthermore, Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya agrees with him.