Beitzah 40b — the Talmud in English

He said to him

Rabbi to his son:

There is no muktzeh according to Rabbi Shimon! ![](pamud.bmp "

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except dried figs and raisins,

which from the outset are fit for eating, but he set them aside with his hands in order to put them up to dry, and thereafter they are no longer fit until they dry. Therefore, even if they returned and became fit on Shabbat, they continue to be muktzeh, because their setting aside, which was done with his hands, is absolute setting aside; and with absolute setting aside Rabbi Shimon also concedes that something fit for eating is muktzeh.

But he did not set aside these date shoots with his hands, and there is one who eats them as they are.

Behold, we learned from Rabbi’s words, who carried on a discussion concerning Rabbi Shimon’s words, that his view is like Rabbi Shimon’s view: that one must not prohibit muktzeh with regard to something fit for eating, except for dried figs and raisins, which he sets aside from himself with his hands by absolute setting aside, but not desert animals, which are fit for eating and which he did not set aside with his hands from using them?!

The Gemara gives three answers to this difficulty:

A.

If you wish, say

I can tell you to resolve it:

these too,

even the desert animals that do not enter settled areas at all,

are like dried figs and raisins,

for he sets them aside from himself with his hands by absolute setting aside when he sends them to the desert, and even Rabbi Shimon concedes regarding them.

B.

And if you wish, say:

Rabbi himself does not hold like Rabbi Shimon, and therefore he prohibits the desert animals. And his discussion and debate concerning Rabbi Shimon’s view

is according to Rabbi Shimon’s words

that he

says,

but

as for him,

Rabbi himself,

he does not hold

like him.

C.

And if you wish, say:

Indeed, Rabbi himself does not hold that muktzeh is to be prohibited even with regard to desert animals. And his dispute with the Rabbis concerning the nature of the desert animals

is according to the words of the Rabbis

that he

says to them.

And this is what he said to them:

For me, there is no muktzeh

at all except for dried figs and raisins, and even completely desert animals are not prohibited.

But as for you,

who hold that muktzeh is prohibited,

at least concede to me

that the animals are not prohibited

where they go out and graze on Passover and enter at the first rainfall,

since

these

animals

are domestic,

and there is no reason to prohibit them according to everyone.

And the Rabbis said to him: No

not as you said. Rather, even those that enter at the first rainfall

are desert animals,

and they are prohibited according to our method.

We have returned to you, chapter “One may spread out produce,” and the tractate Beitza is concluded