Beitzah 31a (לא.) — the Talmud in English

Mishna:

One may bring wood

that is detached on Yom Tov

from the field

within the Shabbat boundary

from wood that has been gathered,

as they gathered the wood on the eve of Yom Tov in order to use it, for he thereby demonstrated that he relies on it, and it is not muktzeh.

However, one may not bring wood from wood scattered in the fields, since it is muktzeh, as he had not formed an intention concerning it on the eve of Yom Tov, and it is not “prepared.”

And from the karpef,

which is an area outside the city enclosed by a fence, where all kinds of objects, including wood, are stored, one may bring wood from it

even from wood that is scattered

there. Since the area is enclosed and protected, he did not remove from his mind even the wood scattered within it.

What is the karpef

that we said one may bring wood from, even wood scattered within it?

Any area that

is

immediately adjacent to the city

alone,

the statement of Rabbi Yehuda.

Rabbi Yosei says: Any area that one enters with a key

and is thereby protected,

even

if the karpef was far from the city, provided that the karpef was

within the Shabbat boundary.

Gemara:

Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: One may bring wood only from wood that has been gathered in a karpef.

The Gemara raises an objection to him from our Mishna:

But didn’t we learn in the Mishna: “From the karpef, and even from wood that is scattered”?

Why, then, did Shmuel require that even wood in a karpef be gathered?!

And we resolve:

The Mishna

that permits taking wood scattered in a karpef is the view of

an individual,

namely, Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar, according to the opinion of Beit Hillel, as will be explained in the beraita that the Gemara cites shortly. But the Sages disagree with him, and Shmuel stated the opinion of the Sages.

As it was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel did not disagree with regard to wood scattered in the fields, that one may not bring it, or with regard to wood gathered in a karpef, that one may bring it.

With regard to what did

Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel disagree?

With regard to wood scattered in a karpef,

and with regard to wood gathered in the fields.

For Beit Shammai say: One may not bring it,

unless it was in a karpef and had been gathered.

And Beit Hillel say: One may bring it

even from these categories, and this is also the opinion of the tanna of our Mishna. However, the Sages disagree with him, and Shmuel follows their opinion.

Rava said:

Although it is permitted to bring wood that has been gathered, nevertheless:

As for reed leaves and vine leaves, even though they have been gathered and placed together,

even though they had been gathered and laid down,

since, if the wind rises, it will scatter them,

if the wind lifts them, the leaves will be scattered, already now

they are considered like scattered wood, and are prohibited.

For he certainly did not rely on them, since he had assumed that the wind would scatter them.

But

nevertheless,

if he placed a utensil over them on the previous day

if he placed a utensil over the leaves on the eve of Yom Tov to weigh them down,

it is well,

for the utensil prevents the wind from scattering them, and he relies on them.

We learned in the Mishna:

What is the karpef,

any area immediately adjacent to the city, the statement of Rabbi Yehuda; Rabbi Yosei says, any area that one enters with a key, and even if it is within the Shabbat boundary:

The dispute between them can be explained in two ways:

One way: Rabbi Yehuda requires two conditions: both that it have a key and that it be adjacent to the city.

And Rabbi Yosei is lenient with regard to one of the two conditions, as will be explained below.

The second way: Rabbi Yehuda bases the law solely on proximity to the city, without considering whether it has an opening.

And Rabbi Yosei bases the law solely on the presence of a key, without considering proximity to the city.

The members of the academy were uncertain about this matter, and the Gemara explains the statements of the tannaim according to both possibilities.

They raised a dilemma: What is Rabbi Yehuda saying

?

“Any area adjacent to the city”

is a karpef from which it is permitted to take wood,

provided that it has a key,

for an ordinary karpef has a key, and Rabbi Yehuda is speaking about such an area. It follows that Rabbi Yehuda is stringent, requiring both conditions [proximity to the city and a key] in order for it to be considered a karpef from which it is permitted to take wood.

And Rabbi Yosei came to say

that

since it has a key,

that alone suffices, and it need not be adjacent to the city; rather,

even

if it is far from the city, but

within the Shabbat boundary—

also

it is considered a karpef, because in his opinion one condition alone suffices: either having a key or being adjacent to the city.

Or perhaps, this is what Rabbi Yehuda is saying

:

Any area adjacent to the city, whether it has a key or does not have a key,

is considered a karpef, and the law depends solely on proximity to the city.

And

Rabbi Yosei came—

who said: “Any area that one enters with a key”—to innovate that the law governing a karpef depends solely on the presence of a key, and

to say:

the law does not depend at all on proximity to the city; rather,

even within the Shabbat boundary. But specifically if it has a key

is it called a karpef;

but if it does not have a key, even if it is adjacent to the city, it is not.

Come and hear: From the fact that it is taught

in our Mishna:

Rabbi Yosei says: “Any area that one enters with a key, and even within the Shabbat boundary.”

Conclude from it: Rabbi Yosei stated two leniencies:

a. If it has a key, even though it is far from the city, it is permitted.

b. If it is adjacent to the city, even though it does not have a key, it is permitted.

And we conclude:

Conclude from it!

Rav Sala said that Rabbi Yirmeya said: The halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Yosei—

to be lenient.

Mishna:

a.

One may not split wood

for kindling on Yom Tov,

neither from beams,

nor from a beam

of the house

that broke on Yom Tov,

as the reason will be explained in the Gemara.

b.

And one may not split

detached wood that is permitted for kindling on Yom Tov,

neither with a hatchet

a craftsman’s tool, resembling the tool used to make saddles for animals,

nor with a saw

a knife full of teeth, which cuts wood quickly, and which is a craftsman’s tool,

nor with a sickle

a type of craftsman’s tool, since all these are craftsmen’s tools for splitting wood, and using them appears like performing skilled labor.

Rather, with a cleaver

a butcher’s knife, since it is not a craftsman’s tool.