Gemara Clarity

Beitzah 11b

ביצה י״א ע״ב

Learn Beitzah 11b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Beitzah 11b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Salting on יום טוב, 'התירו סופן משום תחלתן' (permitting the end because of the beginning), and the dispute over store shutters (תריסין)

Overview

This amud opens by finishing an earlier discussion. Spreading out a hide on יום טוב is allowed, because a hide can be used to lie on. Spreading out fats is not allowed, because a person might reason his way into salting them. שמואל rules that one may salt several pieces of meat at once even if only one is needed, and רב אדא בר אהבה used a clever method to salt piece after piece. Then a new משנה begins: בית שמאי forbid removing shop shutters on יום טוב, while בית הלל permit removing them and even putting them back. עולא explains that these are shop shutters. He teaches that in three cases the Sages 'permitted the end because of the beginning': the hide, the shutters, and a bandage in the מקדש. רחבא adds a fourth case, following רבי יהודה. The גמרא shows that each case teaches a new limit, and explains that עולא lists only cases with no live dispute. Finally, a ברייתא of רבי שמעון בן אלעזר disagrees with our משנה, a second ברייתא contradicts it, and אביי resolves the contradiction by dividing shutters into three kinds of hinges.

Opening lines

הָתָם לָא מוֹכְחָא מִלְּתָא,

There (with the hide), the matter is not evident,

מִשּׁוּם דַּחֲזֵי לְמִזְגֵּא עֲלֵיהּ.

because it is fit to recline on.

הָכָא אָתֵי לְמֵימַר:

Here (with fats), he will come to say:

מַאי טַעְמָא שָׁרוּ לִי רַבָּנַן —

What is the reason the Sages permitted it to me?

The steps (24)

  1. ResolutionWhy spreading a hide is allowed but spreading fats is not
  2. StatementSalting several pieces of meat at once
  3. Statementרב אדא בר אהבה's clever method of salting piece by piece
  4. StatementThe משנה about removing and replacing shutters on יום טוב
  5. QuestionWhat shutters is the משנה talking about?
  6. Responseעולא: they are the shutters of shops
  7. Statementעולא's list: three cases where the end was permitted because of the beginning
  8. Statementרחבא adds a fourth case: opening a barrel or starting dough for the רגל
  9. StatementThis fourth case follows רבי יהודה, who says he may finish
  10. ChallengeWhy teach the hide case if we already learned it?
  11. Resolutionעולא's rule limits the hide case to animals slaughtered on יום טוב
  12. ChallengeWhy teach the shop shutters case if we already learned it?
  13. Resolutionעולא's rule limits the shutters case to shops, not houses
  14. ChallengeWhy teach the bandage case if we already learned it?
  15. Resolutionעולא's rule limits the bandage case to a כהן who can serve
  16. ChallengeWhy add the wine barrel case if we already learned it?
  17. ResolutionWhy רחבא's case still needed to be said
  18. QuestionWhy did עולא leave out this case?
  19. Responseעולא only lists cases without a dispute
  20. ChallengeBut עולא's own cases are also disputed
  21. Resolutionבית שמאי against בית הלל does not count
  22. StatementA ברייתא that disagrees with our משנה about shutters
  23. ChallengeA second ברייתא says the reverse about hinges
  24. Resolutionאביי: three kinds of shutters