Gemara Clarity

Beitzah 14a

ביצה י״ד ע״א

Learn Beitzah 14a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Beitzah 14a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

How much of a שינוי is needed for food preparation on יום טוב: blowing chaff, crushing spices and salt, and pounding in a mortar

Overview

This amud opens with the end of an earlier view: on שבת one may blow chaff off kernels only while holding them on the fingers. The scholars of ארץ ישראל mock this, and רבי אלעזר's ruling replaces it: blow with one hand, even with full strength. A new משנה then brings a מחלוקת between בית שמאי and בית הלל about crushing spices and salt on יום טוב. The גמרא notes that both sides require a שינוי for salt. רב הונא and רב חסדא give two reasons why, and the גמרא shows where those reasons differ: when the cook knew his dish in advance, and in the case of saffron. שמואל allows even salt to be crushed normally. The גמרא explains that he follows רבי מאיר, who says salt crushed together with spices needs no change, while salt crushed alone still needs one. Stories about רב אחא ברדלא tilting the pestle and רב ששת recognizing the sound of a pestle show this rule in practice. Finally, a ברייתא about טיסני and the mortar is analyzed. אביי concludes that טיסני is forbidden even in a small mortar, while ordinary pounding is forbidden only in a large one.

Opening lines

מִקִּשְׁרֵי אֶצְבְּעוֹתָיו וּלְמַעְלָה.

from the joints of his fingers and above.

מַחֲכוּ עֲלַהּ בְּמַעְרְבָא:

They laughed at it in the West:

כֵּיוָן דִּמְשַׁנֵּי —

since he is making a change,

אֲפִילּוּ בְּכוּלַּהּ יְדָא נָמֵי.

even with the whole hand should also be allowed.

The steps (30)

  1. StatementBlowing chaff using only the upper finger joints
  2. ChallengeThe scholars of the West mock the finger-joint rule
  3. Conclusionרבי אלעזר: blow with one hand, with full strength
  4. Statementבית שמאי: spices with a wooden pestle, salt with a flask or ladle
  5. Statementבית הלל: spices the normal way, salt with a wooden pestle
  6. StatementEveryone agrees that salt needs a change
  7. QuestionWhy does salt need a change?
  8. ResponseFirst answer: every pot needs salt, so prepare it beforehand
  9. ResponseSecond reason: spices lose flavor, salt does not
  10. QuestionWhat is the practical difference between the two reasons?
  11. ResponseThe difference: knowing the dish ahead of time, or saffron
  12. Statementשמואל: everything may be crushed normally, even salt
  13. ChallengeBut we said salt needs a change
  14. Resolutionשמואל follows רבי מאיר: salt crushed with spices needs no change
  15. StatementThe real dispute: crushing salt by itself
  16. ChallengeCould בית הלל really allow any tool?
  17. ResolutionCorrect the reading: 'for anything'
  18. Statementרב אחא ברדלא tells his son to tilt the pestle
  19. Statementרב ששת hears a pestle and says it is not from his house
  20. ChallengeMaybe they were tilting the pestle
  21. ResolutionThe sound was clear, so it was not tilted
  22. ChallengeMaybe they were crushing spices
  23. ResolutionSpices make a barking sound
  24. StatementA ברייתא forbids making groats and pounding in a mortar
  25. ChallengeWhy are two rulings listed
  26. ResolutionThe second ruling is the reason for the first
  27. ChallengeThen just say no pounding in a mortar
  28. ResolutionMentioning groats teaches that even a small mortar is forbidden
  29. ChallengeAnother teaching permits a small mortar
  30. Resolutionאביי: the mortar ruling refers to a large mortar