Gemara Clarity

Beitzah 10a

ביצה י׳ ע״א

Learn Beitzah 10a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Beitzah 10a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

רבי יוחנן's מוחלפת השיטה tested against several משניות, then preparing young doves before יום טוב and the question of בְּרֵירָה

Overview

The amud first tests whether רבי יוחנן was right that the names of בית שמאי and בית הלל are switched (מוחלפת השיטה) in the משנה about covering the blood (כיסוי הדם). The גמרא brings three cases where בית שמאי are strict and בית הלל are lenient: the pestle (עלי), the raw hide (עור), and the shop shutters (תריסין). Each one seems to clash with the blood משנה. The pestle and hide cases are each pushed aside by showing that the cases are different. With the shutters, בית שמאי can be explained, but בית הלל remain a problem. רבי יוחנן solves that problem by swapping the names, or else the shutters are special because there is no building or taking apart with כלים. Then a new משנה begins about preparing young doves before יום טוב. רב חנן בר אמי limits the dispute to the first brood. The גמרא then asks why בית הלל require naming specific doves, which leads to a discussion of בְּרֵירָה using a case of a corpse in a house with many doorways. רבא explains that the real worry is handling מוקצה birds, and the answer to the final challenge continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

אֲבָל הֵיכָא דְּלֵיכָּא דָּקָר נָעוּץ — לָא.

But where there is no embedded shovel — no.

אִי נָמֵי:

Alternatively:

עַד כָּאן לָא קָאָמְרִי בֵּית הִלֵּל הָכָא,

Beit Hillel only said their ruling here,

אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן דְּמוּקְצֶה הוּא,

because it is a matter of muktze,

The steps (24)

  1. RejectionFinishing the rejection of the dove contradiction
  2. ChallengeBringing the pestle case as a new source
  3. ChallengeThe pestle contradicts the covering-the-blood case
  4. Resolutionרבי יוחנן: the opinions are switched
  5. RejectionRejecting the pestle proof as well
  6. ChallengeBringing the hide case as a third attempt
  7. ChallengeThe hide case seems to contradict the covering-the-blood case
  8. Resolutionרבי יוחנן again says the names are swapped
  9. RejectionAgain, the two cases might just be different
  10. ChallengeThe real difficulty comes from the shop shutters
  11. Challengeבית שמאי can be explained, but בית הלל remain a problem
  12. Resolutionרבי יוחנן swaps the opinions
  13. ResolutionSecond answer: no building or taking apart with vessels
  14. StatementNew משנה: preparing young doves before יום טוב
  15. StatementThe dispute is only about the first brood
  16. StatementSecond brood: everyone agrees saying is enough
  17. ChallengeWhy must בית הלל name specific doves?
  18. ChallengeBlocking the escape: a משנה about a corpse in a house with many doorways
  19. StatementOne open doorway, or a plan to use one, keeps the others טהור
  20. Proofבית הלל: a plan made even after death works
  21. RejectionThe doorway case only works from now on, not retroactively
  22. Resolutionרבא: בית הלל do accept retroactive choice, but worry about handling the birds
  23. ChallengeChallenge: saying 'this one and that one' still leaves room to handle others
  24. ResolutionAnswer begins: naming works when it is done before יום טוב