Pesachim 55b — the Talmud in English

And further we resolve it:

Come and hear: Rabbi Meir says: Any labor that is for the need of the festival, ![](pamud.bmp "

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he completes it on the fourteenth.

And when

does he complete it? —

When he began it before the fourteenth.

But if he did not begin it before the fourteenth, he may not begin it on the fourteenth.

And even a small bell, and even a small couch,

he may not begin them on the fourteenth.

And we infer precisely:

specifically for the need of the festival, there is no

Rabbi Meir permitted him to complete it]. But

when it is not for the need of the festival, he did not

permit even completing it.

And we reject this:

No,

it is not a proof. For it can still be said that

the same law applies even

to labor

not for the need, as well. We complete it.

And the fact that it teaches “for the need,” it states this for the novelty.

And it teaches us this: even for the need

of the festival, specifically

completing it, yes.

But beginning

it, no,

we do not begin.

And further we resolve it:

Come and hear: Rabbi Meir says: Any labor that is for the need of the festival, he completes it on the fourteenth. And that which is not for the need of the festival is forbidden

even to complete it.

And one performs labor on the eves of Passover until midday,

in a place where they are accustomed to perform it.

And we infer precisely: specifically in

a place where they are accustomed, yes

indeed they perform it]. But in a place where they

are not accustomed

to perform it,

no,

they do not perform even the completion of the labor. For we are dealing with the completion of labor.

And infer from this,

specifically

for the need of the festival, there is no

we complete it]. But

when it is not for the need of the festival,

even

not

do we complete the labor. And this is like the first side of the earlier question.

And we conclude:

Infer from this!

We learned in the Mishna: And the Sages say: Three crafts

may perform labor on the eves of Passover until midday!

The tanna taught: The tailors

are permitted to perform labor on the eves of Passover—

since

the

unskilled person

one who is not a craftsman]

sews in his ordinary manner during the intermediate days of the festival.

And although many labors were forbidden during the intermediate days of the festival, the sewing of an unskilled person was not forbidden. And since for an unskilled person it is permitted during the intermediate days of the festival, on the eves of Passover they permitted it even for a craftsman. For they are more lenient than the prohibition of labor on the intermediate days of the festival.

And the barbers and the launderers

are permitted to perform labor on the eves of Passover—

since one who comes from overseas and one who leaves the prison

during the intermediate days of the festival

may have their hair cut and may launder during the intermediate days of the festival.

And although laundering and haircutting are forbidden during the intermediate days of the festival, these people are permitted. Because they had no possibility of having their hair cut or laundering before the festival.

And since we find an aspect of permission with laundering and haircutting even during the intermediate days of the festival, they were permitted entirely on the eves of Passover. Because they are more lenient than the intermediate days of the festival.

Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda, says: Even the shoemakers—

since pilgrims repair their shoes during the intermediate days of the festival.

And since we find an aspect of permission in this labor during the intermediate days of the festival, on the eves of Passover it was permitted entirely.

And we inquire about it:

With regard to what do Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda, and the Sages differ

[who did not permit the shoemakers]?

And we explain:

One master

[Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda]

holds: We derive

permission

for the beginning of labor

of making shoes on the eves of Passover,

from

repairing shoes, which is

the end of labor,

which was permitted during the intermediate days of the festival.

And one master

[the Sages]

holds: We do not derive

to permit

the beginning of labor

on the eves of Passover

from what we find: during the intermediate days of the festival,

where

the end of labor was permitted.

Therefore, the shoemakers are forbidden in their labor on the eves of Passover. For we do not find permission for the beginning of the labor of making shoes anywhere.

Mishna:

a.

One may place nesting boxes for chickens on the fourteenth

of Nisan. For it is permitted to place eggs beneath hens to warm them so that chicks will hatch from them. And this is not among the labors forbidden on the eves of Passover.

And

likewise

a hen

that is brooding over eggs,

which fled

from above them,

one returns it

on the eves of Passover

to its place

upon the eggs.

And if

the brooding hen

died, one seats another beneath it.

b.

One scrapes

the dung

from beneath the feet of

the

animal on the fourteenth

of Nisan. And it is also permitted to throw it outside the stable.

But

during the festival, which is more stringent than the eves of Passover, it is forbidden to take the dung outside. Rather, one scrapes it, and

which is more stringent than the day before Passover, it is prohibited to take the refuse outside. Rather, one scrapes it away and

moves

it

to the sides.

c.

One leads vessels

on the eves of Passover to the craftsman’s house.

And

likewise

one brings

them back then

from the craftsman’s house.

And even though they are not for the need of the festival.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna: And a hen that fled, one returns it to its place.

And we raise an objection:

Now,

even initially

we seat

the hen upon the eggs—as it teaches in the first clause, “One places nesting boxes for chickens”— —

to return

the hen to its place after it had already begun to brood upon them,

is it necessary

for the tanna to permit it?! It is obvious.

Abaye said: The latter clause

which teaches “one returns,”

comes to the intermediate days of the festival, which are more stringent than the eves of Passover, and during which it is forbidden initially to seat the hen upon the eggs. Rather, only if it had already sat upon them and fled is it permitted to return it. And the first clause, which teaches that one seats it initially, speaks specifically of the eves of Passover.

Rav Huna said: They taught

that one returns it during the festival

only within three

first

days of its rebellion

[its fleeing from the eggs], because

its warmth has not yet departed from it

[its warmth for brooding has not yet faded], and it is still easy to return it upon them.

And

likewise, one does not return it except

after

there have passed

three

days

of its sitting

upon the eggs.

For

since it already brooded upon them for three days, the eggs have already changed. And if they do not return it,

the eggs will be ruined

[the eggs]

completely,

and furthermore they will no longer be fit for anything.

But after

there have passed

three days of its rebellion,

one no longer returns it. Because

it

has already

lost its warmth

[its warmth for brooding has faded]

from it, and it forcefully resists returning to the eggs. And since returning it is a great exertion, it is forbidden during the festival.

And

likewise, if it fled

within three

first

days of its sitting

upon the eggs,

for it has not yet

changed the eggs,

and the eggs have not been ruined for it completely

by its stopping to brood upon them, but they are still fit to eat,

we do not return

it to its place. Therefore, they did not permit exertion on its behalf during the festival.

Rabbi Ami said: Even within three

first days

of its sitting,

as well,

we return

the hen to its place, since the eggs have already changed somewhat. And they are no longer fit for every person to eat, but only for one who is not fastidious. Therefore, they are sold cheaply. And if he does not return it, there is financial loss in this.

And we inquire about it:

With regard to what do they differ?

And we explain:

One master

[Rav Huna]

holds: They were concerned for substantial loss.

But

they were not concerned for minor loss!

And since with eggs within three days of its sitting there is only minor loss, they did not permit exertion on its account during the festival.

And one master

[Rav Ami]

holds: They were also concerned for minor loss!

And even within three days of its sitting, the eggs will suffer minor loss if it stops brooding. And for this reason as well they permitted exertion on the Festival day.

We learned in the Mishna:

One scrapes from beneath

the feet of an animal!

The Sages taught: The dung that is in the courtyard, one moves it to the sides.

And the dung

that is in the stable and in the courtyard, one takes it out to the refuse heap.

And we raise an objection:

This itself,

of the

beraita,

contradicts itself.

This

you said

in the first clause,

“The dung that is in the courtyard, one moves it to the sides.”

And it implies that one does not take it out to the refuse heap.

And afterward it teaches

in the latter clause,

“That which is in the stable and in the courtyard, one takes it out to the refuse heap.”

Abaye said: It is not difficult.

Here

[in the latter clause], it speaks

of the fourteenth

of Nisan. On it they permitted even taking it out to the refuse heap.

Here

[in the first clause], it speaks

of the intermediate days of the festival. During them they permitted only moving it to the sides, and not removing it.

Rava said: Both this and that are during the intermediate days of the festival.

And they never permitted during them anything but moving it to the sides.

And

the latter clause

means this: If

the dung is so abundant that it

makes the courtyard like a stable,

and there is already no room in it to move it to the sides,

one takes it out to the refuse heap

even during the intermediate days of the festival.

We learned in the Mishna:

One leads vessels and brings them from the craftsman’s house!

Rav Pappa said: Rava tested us

[examined us].

Rava

asked as follows:

We learned: One leads and brings vessels from the craftsman’s house, even though they are not for the need of the festival.

And we raise a contradiction:

For it was taught:

One does not bring vessels from the craftsman’s house. And if he is concerned lest they be stolen

from the craftsman’s house, he

moves them to another courtyard

adjacent to the craftsman’s location. But he may not bring them to his house, which is far from the craftsman’s house, because of the exertion.

The Mishna and the beraita are found to contradict one another.

And we answer

and resolve the contradiction for him:

It is not difficult.

Here

[in the Mishna],

on the fourteenth

of Nisan we are dealing.

And here

[in the beraita]

during the intermediate days of the festival

we are dealing. For it is more stringent than the eves of Passover, and they forbade this exertion during it.

And if you wish, say: Both this and that are during the intermediate days of the festival. And it is not difficult. Here

[in the beraita] it speaks

when he trusts him,

the craftsman, that he will not meanwhile sell them to another person. Therefore, they did not permit him to take his vessels back. And

here

[in the Mishna] it speaks

when he does not trust him,

the craftsman, and suspects that perhaps he will sell his vessels to another. Therefore, they permitted him to take them even during the intermediate days of the festival.

And we support this:

But was it not taught

[agreeably]:

One brings

during the intermediate days of the festival

vessels from the craftsman’s house, such as

the

jug from the potter’s house

[the one who makes jugs],

and

the

cup from the glassmaker’s house, because they are needed for the festival.

But one does not

bring the

wool from the dyer’s house, nor

the

vessels from the craftsman’s house, because they are not needed for the festival.

And if he has no

craftsman

what

to

eat, and he needs his wages,

and he needs his payment,

he gives him

his

wages, and leaves it

with regard to the vessel

with him

until after the festival.

And if he does not trust him,

the craftsman, and suspects that perhaps he will sell his vessels, he takes them from him, and

leaves them in the house adjacent to it.

But he may not bring them to his house, which is far from the craftsman’s house.

And if

he

is concerned lest they be stolen

from there, he

brings them discreetly inside

[into]

his house.

It follows that in a case where he does not trust him, they permitted him to take his vessels, so that he should not come to financial loss.

And we ask again:

You did not resolve

by this anything except that which it teaches,

“One brings

vessels from the craftsman’s house.” But that which it teaches,

“One leads

vessels to the craftsman’s house,” still

is difficult: for

in the beraita

it teaches

“One does not bring”

[where there is no loss],

and all the more so one does not lead

vessels to the craftsman’s house.

And we conclude:

Rather, it is clear as we answered initially,

that the Mishna speaks of the eves of Passover, and the beraita speaks of the intermediate days of the festival.

Mishna:

The people of Jericho performed six things. Regarding three

of them,

the Sages protested

against them

regarding three

of them,

they did not protest against them.

And these are

the three things

against which

the Sages

did not protest:

a. They would

graft palm trees all day

on the eves of Passover, because they held that this is not important labor and should not be forbidden.

b.

And

they would

bind the Shema.

And the Gemara explains it.

c.

And

they would

harvest and pile up

[make a pile of] the new grain,

before

the offering of

the Omer,

and they were not concerned that they might come to eat from it and stumble in the prohibition of eating new grain.

[And Rashi did not have the reading “they harvest.” For it is obvious that there is no concern for prohibition in this. And although it is forbidden to harvest before the Omer, as it is written concerning it, “the first of your harvest,” this prohibition applies only in a place from which they bring wheat for the Omer. But the produce of Jericho is produce of the valleys, which is not fit for meal-offerings.]

And these

are the three things

that

the people of Jericho did, and

the Sages protested

against them

concerning them:

a. They would

permit benefiting from

the

young shoots

[branches]

of

trees of

consecrated property.

It is customary to cut the carob and sycamore trees once every seven years. And their forefathers consecrated these trees when they were cut off from their branches. Afterward, branches were added to them. And the people of Jericho would cut them and benefit from them.