Beitzah 28a — the Talmud in English

Mishna:

Rabbi Judah says: A person may weigh

a butcher who sells on a Festival without fixing the price

meat

on scales, but he may not place opposite it on the other pan of the scales a standard weight, as he does on a weekday; rather, he must make a change and weigh it

opposite a vessel

whose weight he knows, and place it on the other pan of the scales

or opposite a cleaver,

which is a large knife, whose weight he knows, and he places it on the other pan of the scales.

And the Sages say: One does not inspect

or examine

a scale pan at all.

That is, one does not weigh at all with scales on a Festival.

Gemara:

We raise it

what

is this that the tanna said: “One does not inspect a scale pan

at all”?

Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel:

One may not place the meat in scale pans suspended above

even

not for the sake of

guarding it

there

from mice,

so that it will not appear as though he is weighing it.

Rav Idi bar Avin said:

This that they prohibited placing the meat in a scale pan even to guard it applies only when there is room for suspicion

and that is, when it is suspended

the scale pan

in the ring,

in the ring from which it is suspended when one comes to use it for weighing. But when the scale pan is not placed in the ring, it is evident to everyone that the meat was not placed in it for weighing, but only for guarding.

And Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: An expert butcher

who is thoroughly familiar with the weight of every piece through the feel of his hand

is forbidden to weigh meat in his hand.

For this too is a manner of weighing.

And Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: An expert butcher is forbidden to weigh meat in water.

He places water in a vessel marked according to the height of the water, and places pieces of meat into the vessel; according to the height of the water that remains, in accordance with the markings on the vessel, he knows the weight of the meat placed into the vessel.

And Rav Hiyya bar Ashi said: It is forbidden to make

by piercing on a Festival a hole that will serve as

a “handle” in meat,

so that it will be possible to carry it, since this is a weekday practice: such is the custom, that the seller makes a handle for the buyer so that he can carry it. And the purchase is prohibited on a Festival; therefore, one who makes a handle in the manner in which it is made for a purchase is found to be performing a “weekday act” on a Festival.

Ravina said: And

to pierce the handle

by hand

and not with a knife

is permitted.

Rav Huna said: It is permitted to make

on a Festival

a mark of the letter bet on meat.

As in the case of Rabba bar Rav Huna,

when he sent meat from the market to his house, he would

cut it

the piece of meat

with three corners,

in the shape of a triangle, so that they would not exchange it.

Rabbi Hiyya and Rabbi Shimon, son of Rabbi,

when they divided between themselves on a Festival the meat of an animal that they had purchased jointly, would

weigh a maneh against a maneh,

they would equalize their portions by weight, but they would not weigh against a particular standard weight

on a Festival.

We raise it

in accordance with whom

did they act in this way

not in accordance with Rabbi Judah and not in accordance with the Rabbis!

If in accordance with Rabbi Judah -

he says: A person may weigh meat opposite a vessel or opposite a cleaver,

because this is not the way of weighing on a weekday.

Therefore, only

opposite a vessel -

yes,

but

opposite something else -

no.

But weighing a maneh against a maneh is the way all those who divide something purchased jointly divide it!

If in accordance with the Rabbis -

they say: One does not inspect a scale pan at all,

and not even to place meat there in order to guard it from mice!?

And we answer:

They -

acted in accordance with Rabbi Joshua.

For it was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Joshua says: One weighs a maneh against a maneh on a Festival.

Rav Joseph said: The halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Joshua, since we learned

in an anonymous Mishna

regarding

the matter of weighing

firstborn animals, in accordance with him,

for weighing a maneh against a maneh is not considered ordinary weighing.

For we learned

in tractate Bekhorot [31a]:

Sacred animals in which a blemish occurred are redeemed, and the redemption money belongs to the Sanctuary. Except for two offerings concerning which the Torah said that they are not redeemed and are not released, but are eaten by their owners without redemption: the firstborn, which is eaten by its owner, the kohen, and the tithe, which is eaten by its owner, the Israelite.

And there is an additional distinction between sacred animals in which a blemish occurred, after they have been redeemed, and a firstborn and tithe in which a blemish occurred, with regard to preserving the honor of some of their sanctity.

With regard to

“animals disqualified from consecrated status,”

since

their benefit,

that is, their redemption, is

for the Sanctuary,

the Sages were lenient concerning them, permitting them to be sold even in a butcher’s shop, and they also permitted selling them by weight, despite the fact that this entails some belittling of their sanctity, so that the Sanctuary would receive a higher price for their redemption.

But a firstborn or tithe in which a blemish occurred, from which the Sanctuary has no benefit, may be sold only at home, and may be sold only by estimation and not by weight, in order not to belittle their sanctity.

But -

one weighs a maneh against a maneh in the case of a firstborn,

for this is not considered weighing, and such weighing does not entail belittling the sanctity of a firstborn.

Abaye said to him,

to Rav Joseph:

Perhaps it is not so!

The Sages in the anonymous Mishna in Bekhorot may not hold in accordance with Rabbi Joshua’s view concerning a Festival, and perhaps Rabbi Joshua does not hold in accordance with them. For perhaps:

Rabbi Joshua said this only here,

that it is permitted on a Festival to weigh a maneh against a maneh,

because there is no disgrace of sacred things. But there, where there is disgrace of

sacred things -

no,

he would not say as the Sages did.

Alternatively, the Rabbis said this only there -

because it does not appear

that weighing a maneh against a maneh

is like weekday activity. But here, where it appears like weekday activity

of a weekday -

no.

For this is indeed the way of those who divide meat that they purchased jointly.

And now the Gemara explains what we said: Rabbi Hiyya and Rabbi Shimon, son of Rabbi, divided a maneh against a maneh between themselves on a Festival by weight.

Does this imply that they were particular with one another,

and divided between themselves only by a maneh against a maneh!?

But there were those seven fish,

seven fish,

that came to Rabbi’s house,

which were brought to Rabbi’s house,

and it was found

after the seven fish had been divided among the members of Rabbi’s household

that five of them were in

the portion of the household of

Rabbi Hiyya, and Rabbi Shimon, son of Rabbi, was not particular

about this

!?

Rav Pappa said: Add a person between them,

add the name of another person to this case. That is, the incident did not occur between them, but

either

there were

Rabbi Hiyya and Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosei.

Or

there were

Rabbi Shimon, son of Rabbi, and bar Kappara.

Mishna:

One may not sharpen a knife on a Festival

in the manner in which it is sharpened on a weekday, because by doing so one repairs it; and only work for the sake of food is permitted, but not instruments for the sake of food.

But one may smooth it

smooth the knife

on another one,

for this involves a change from the weekday manner.

Gemara:

Rav Huna said: They taught

that it is forbidden to sharpen the knife on a Festival

only with a stone sharpener,

which properly repairs the knife, in the manner in which it is done on a weekday.

But with a wooden sharpener,

which does not completely repair the knife

it is permitted.

Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: This that you said

that with a stone it is forbidden -

we said this only

when he does it in order

to sharpen it,

which appears to be a repair.

But

if he does it in order

to remove its grease

from it

it is permitted.

And the Gemara infers:

By implication, with a wooden one -

even to sharpen it also -

it is permitted.

There are those who teach it

the statement of Rav Judah in the name of Shmuel

on the latter clause,

on the end of Rav Huna’s statement, who said

“with a wooden one it is permitted.”

And concerning this

Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: This that you said, with a wooden one it is permitted -

we said this only to remove its grease, but to sharpen it -

it is forbidden.

And the Gemara infers

by implication, with a stone -

even to remove its grease it is forbidden.

There are those who teach it

the statement of Rav Judah in the name of Shmuel not concerning Rav Huna’s statement, but

on the Mishna,

concerning the Mishna itself, where we learned

“One may not sharpen a knife on a Festival.”

And concerning the words of the Mishna

Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel

:

They taught this only to sharpen it, but to remove its grease -

it is permitted.

By implication, on another one -

even to sharpen it also is permitted.

And there are those who teach it

the statement of Rav Judah in the name of Shmuel

on the latter clause

of the Mishna:

But one may smooth it on another one:

Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: They taught this only to remove its grease, but to sharpen it -

it is forbidden.

By implication, with a sharpener -

even to remove its grease it is forbidden.

And now the Gemara explains:

Who is the tanna who says that with a sharpener it is forbidden?

Rav Hisda said: It is not in accordance with Rabbi Judah!

For it was taught: There is no difference between a Festival and Shabbat except only food preparation,

Rabbi Judah permits even instruments for the sake of food.

Rava said to Rav Hisda: We may expound in your name -

may we expound in your name that

the halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Judah,

that instruments for the sake of food are permitted on a Festival?

He said to him: May it be the will

may it be the will

that all such excellent matters you should expound in my name.

May all the things that you expound in my name be as excellent as this matter.