Pesachim 55b (נה:) — the Talmud in English

And furthermore, we resolve it:

Come and hear: Rabbi Meir says: Any labor that is for the sake of the Festival,

may be completed 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 curtain,

he may not begin making them on the fourteenth.

And we infer: Only

for the sake of the Festival, he may not

[Rabbi Meir permit him to complete it]. But

when it is not for the sake of the Festival, he may not

permit even completing it.

And we reject this:

No,

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

the same law applies even

to labor

that is not for the sake of the Festival: we may complete it.

And the fact that the tanna teaches “for the sake of the Festival” is stated to teach a greater novelty.

And this teaches us that even for the sake of

the Festival, only

completion, but not

beginning:

we may not

begin it.

And furthermore, we resolve it:

Come and hear: Rabbi Meir says: Any labor that is for the sake of the Festival may be completed on the fourteenth; but labor that is not for the sake of the Festival is prohibited

even to complete it.

And one may perform labor on the eve of Passover until midday

in a place where the practice is to perform labor.

And we infer: Only in

a place where the practice is so, he may

[indeed perform labor]. But in a place where they

do not practice

performing labor,

they may not

even complete the labor, for we are dealing with completion of labor.

And infer from this that only

for the sake of

the Festival, he may

[complete it]. But

when it is not for the sake of the Festival,

even

not

do they complete the labor. And this is in accordance with the first side of the earlier dilemma.

And we conclude:

Infer from this!

We learned in the Mishna: And the Sages say: There are three crafts

in which one may perform labor on the eve of Passover until midday!

The tanna taught: Tailors

are permitted to perform labor on the eve of Passover—

because

the

ordinary person

[one who is not a craftsman]

may sew in his usual manner during the intermediate days of the Festival.

Although many labors are prohibited during the intermediate days of the Festival, sewing by an ordinary person is not prohibited. And since it is permitted for an ordinary person during the intermediate days of the Festival, on the eve of Passover they permitted it even for a craftsman, because the restrictions on the eve of Passover are more lenient than the prohibition of labor during the intermediate days of the Festival.

And barbers and launderers

are permitted to perform labor on the eve of Passover—

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

during the intermediate days of the Festival

may have their hair cut and their clothes laundered during the intermediate days of the Festival.

Although laundering and haircuts are prohibited during the intermediate days of the Festival, these people are permitted to do so, because they had no opportunity to cut their hair or launder their clothes before the Festival.

And since we find a basis for permitting laundering and haircuts even during the intermediate days of the Festival, they were permitted entirely on the eve of Passover, because the restrictions then are more lenient than those of the intermediate days of the Festival.

Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda says: The shoemakers as well—

because pilgrims repair their shoes during the intermediate days of the Festival.

And since we find a basis for permitting this labor during the intermediate days of the Festival, it was permitted entirely on the eve of Passover.

And we inquire:

With regard to what do Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda and the Sages disagree

[who did not permit shoemakers]?

And we explain:

One

[Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Yehuda]

holds that we derive

permission

for beginning a labor

of making shoes on the eve of Passover

from

repairing shoes, which is

the completion of a labor,

and was permitted during the intermediate days of the Festival.

And the other

[the Sages]

holds that we do not derive

permission to perform

the beginning of a labor

on the eve of Passover

from

what we find permitted during the intermediate days of the Festival, namely

the completion of a labor.

Therefore, shoemakers are prohibited from performing their craft on the eve of Passover, since we find no permission anywhere for beginning the manufacture of shoes.

Mishna:

a.

One may set up nesting places for chickens on the fourteenth

of Nisan. That is, one may place eggs beneath hens to warm them so that chicks will hatch from them. This is not included among the labors prohibited on the eve of Passover.

And

likewise, a

hen

that is brooding over eggs

that fled

from them,

one may return it

on the eve of Passover

to its place

on the eggs.

And if

the brooding hen

died, one seats another beneath it.

b.

One may remove

the dung

from beneath the feet of

the

animal on the fourteenth

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

But

during the intermediate days of the Festival, which are more stringent than the eve of Passover, it is prohibited to take the dung outside. Rather, one removes 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 may take vessels

on the eve of Passover to the craftsman’s workshop.

And

likewise

one may bring

them back at that time

from the craftsman’s workshop.

And even though they are not needed for the Festival.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna: And if a hen fled, one may return it to its place.

And we wonder:

Now,

even initially

we seat

the hen on the eggs—as it teaches in the first clause: “One may set up nesting places for chickens”— why would

returning

the hen to its place after it had already begun brooding over the eggs

be a question

for the tanna requiring him to permit it? It is obvious.

Abaye said: The latter clause,

which teaches “one may return it,”

comes to the intermediate days of the Festival, when it is more stringent than the eve of Passover and it is initially prohibited to seat the hen on the eggs. Rather, only if it had already sat on them and fled is it permitted to return it. And the first clause, which teaches that one may seat it initially, refers specifically to the eve of Passover.

Rav Huna said: They taught

that one may return it during the intermediate days

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 dissipated], and it is still easy to return it to them.

And

likewise, one does not return it except

after

the passage of

three

days

from its sitting

on the eggs.

For

once it has brooded over them for three days, the eggs have already changed. And if it is not returned,

the eggs will be ruined

[the eggs]

completely,

and thereafter they will no longer be fit for anything.

But after

the passage of

three days from its rebellion,

one no longer returns it, because

its

warmth has already

departed from it

[its warmth for brooding has dissipated]

from it,

and it strongly resists being returned to the eggs. And since returning it involves great exertion, it is prohibited during the intermediate days of the Festival.

And

likewise, if it fled

within three

first days

of its sitting

on the eggs,

as yet

the eggs have not changed

and the eggs will not be ruined completely

by its having ceased to brood over them; rather, they are still fit for eating,

we do not return

it to its place. Therefore, they did not permit the exertion involved in doing so during the intermediate days of the Festival.

Rabbi Ami said: Even within three

first days

of its sitting,

also

we return

the hen to its place, since the eggs have already changed somewhat. They are no longer fit for everyone to eat, but only for one who is not finicky. Therefore, they are sold cheaply, and if it is not returned, there is financial loss.

And we inquire:

With regard to what do they disagree?

And we explain:

One

[Rav Huna]

holds that they were concerned about substantial loss.

But

they were not concerned about minor loss!

And since with eggs within three days of the hen’s sitting there is only minor loss, they did not permit exertion during the intermediate days of the Festival on account of it.

And the other

[Rav Ami]

holds that they were concerned even about minor loss!

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

We learned in the Mishna:

One may remove the dung from beneath

the feet of an animal!

The Sages taught: Dung in a courtyard may be moved to the sides.

And dung

in a stable and in a courtyard may be taken out to the refuse heap.

And we wonder:

This itself,

the beraita,

is difficult,

contradicting itself.

This

you said

in the first clause:

“Dung in a courtyard may be moved to the sides.”

And this implies that it may not be taken out to the refuse heap.

And then it teaches

in the latter clause:

“Dung in a stable and in a courtyard may be taken out to the refuse heap.”

Abaye said: It is not difficult.

Here,

in the latter clause, it is referring

to the fourteenth

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

Here,

in the first clause, it is referring

to the intermediate days of the Festival, when they permitted only moving it to the sides, but not clearing it away.

Rava said: Both this and that refer to the intermediate days of the Festival.

And they never permitted on those days anything except moving it to the sides.

And

the latter clause

means this: If

the dung is so abundant that

the courtyard has become like a stable,

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

they may take it out to the refuse heap

even during the intermediate days of the Festival.

We learned in the Mishna:

One may take vessels to the craftsman and bring them back from the craftsman’s workshop!

Rav Pappa said: Rava examined us

[he tested us]

Rava.

And this is what we asked him:

We learned: One may take vessels to the craftsman and bring them back from the craftsman’s workshop, even though they are not needed for the Festival.

And we raise a contradiction:

But it was taught

in a beraita: One may not bring vessels from the craftsman’s workshop. And if he is concerned that they may be stolen

from the craftsman’s workshop, he

may move them to another courtyard

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

Thus, the Mishna and the beraita contradict one another.

And we answered,

resolving the contradiction for him:

It is not difficult.

Here,

[in the Mishna],

we are dealing with the fourteenth

of Nisan.

And here,

[in the beraita],

we are dealing with the intermediate days of the Festival,

which are more stringent than the eve of Passover, and on which this exertion was prohibited.

And if you wish, say: Both this and that refer to the intermediate days of the Festival. And it is not difficult. Here,

[in the beraita], it is referring

to one who trusts him,

the craftsman, not to sell them in the meantime to someone else. Therefore, they did not permit him to take his vessels back.

And here,

[in the Mishna], it is referring

to one who does not trust him,

the craftsman, and suspects that he may sell his vessels to someone else. Therefore, they permitted him to take them even during the intermediate days of the Festival.

And we support this:

And was it not taught

[as an affirmative proof]:

One may bring

during the intermediate days of the Festival

vessels from the craftsman’s workshop, such as

the

jug from the jug-maker’s workshop

[one who makes jugs],

and

the

cup from the glassmaker’s workshop,

because they are needed for the Festival.

But one may not

bring

the wool from the dyer’s workshop, nor

the

vessels from the craftsman’s workshop,

because they are not needed for the Festival.

And if he has no

food,

that

he can

eat,

and he needs his wages,

he gives him

his

wages and leaves it

with the

vessel

by him until after the Festival.

And if he does not trust him,

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

leaves them in the house adjacent to his.

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

And if

he

is concerned that they may be stolen

from there, he

brings them discreetly inside

[into]

his home.

It is evident, then, that where he does not trust the craftsman, they permitted him to take his vessels, so that he would not come to suffer a loss.

And we ask again: You

have not resolved

by this the matter of the clause that teaches

“one may bring

vessels from the craftsman’s workshop.” But the clause that teaches

“one may take

vessels to the craftsman’s workshop” still

is difficult, for

in the beraita

it teaches

“one may not bring them”

[where there is no loss],

and all the more so one may not take

vessels to the craftsman’s workshop.

And we conclude:

Rather, it is clear as we answered initially,

that the Mishna refers to the eve of Passover, while the beraita refers to the intermediate days of the Festival.

Mishna:

The inhabitants of Jericho performed six things. With regard to three

of those things,

the Sages protested

against them. And with regard to three

of them,

And these are

they did not protest against them.

And these are

the three things

against which

the Sages

did not protest:

a. They

grafted palm trees all day

on the eve of Passover, because they held that this was not significant labor and should not be prohibited.

b.

And

they

recited the Shema with a particular cadence.

The Gemara explains this.

c.

And

they

harvested and piled up

[formed into stacks] the new grain

before

the offering of

the omer,

and they were not concerned that people might come to eat from it and thereby violate the prohibition against eating new grain.

[Rashi did not read the word “harvested.” For there is obviously no possible concern here regarding a prohibition. Although it is prohibited 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 grows in the valleys and is not fit for meal offerings.]

And these

are the three things

that

the inhabitants of Jericho did, and

the Sages protested

against them

for them:

a. They

permitted people to derive benefit from

the

young branches

[branches]

of

the trees of

consecrated property.

It was customary to cut the carob and sycamore trees once every seven years. Their ancestors had consecrated these trees when they had been cut of their branches. Afterwards, branches grew upon them, and the inhabitants of Jericho would cut them and derive benefit from them.