Gemara Clarity

Beitzah 34a

ביצה ל״ד ע״א

Learn Beitzah 34a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Beitzah 34a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Preparing food, fire and new vessels on יום טוב: testing versus hardening, and what counts as forbidden work

Overview

The amud opens with two reasons why new tiles may not be heated on יום טוב: the heating either 'tests' them or 'hardens' them. Next the גמרא quotes a משנה about a crushed bird that lived twenty-four hours, and רבי אלעזר בר ינאי adds that it still needs checking. רבי ירמיה asks רבי זירא whether such a doubtful bird may be slaughtered on יום טוב. רבי זירא tries to prove from the tiles that we do not do work on something that might turn out flawed. The reply is that the tile rule is about hardening, not testing, so the proof falls away. A ברייתא about several people cooking together on שבת leads ריש לקיש to explain that setting down a new pot is like heating new tiles. Then a series of ברייתות lists what may and may not be done on יום טוב with new ovens, meat, vegetables, fires, skewers, reeds and nuts. The amud ends as a new משנה of רבי אליעזר about מוקצה begins, continuing on the next amud.

Opening lines

שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְבׇדְקָן.

because it is necessary to test them.

וְאָמְרִי לַהּ:

And some say:

מִפְּנֵי שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְחׇסְמָן.

because it is necessary to harden them.

תְּנַן הָתָם:

We learned in a משנה there:

The steps (17)

  1. StatementTwo reasons why new tiles may not be heated on יום טוב
  2. StatementThe משנה of the crushed bird that survived a full day
  3. StatementThe bird still needs to be checked
  4. QuestionMay this doubtful bird be slaughtered on יום טוב?
  5. Responseרבי זירא answers from the case of the new tiles
  6. RejectionThe tile rule is about hardening, not testing
  7. StatementSeveral people cooking together are all liable
  8. ChallengeAnother ברייתא says only the last one is liable
  9. ResolutionIt depends on when the fire was brought
  10. ChallengeWhat did the pot-setter actually do?
  11. ResolutionA new pot is like heating new tiles
  12. StatementWhat may be done to new ovens and stoves on יום טוב
  13. StatementRemoving hair from the head and feet of an animal
  14. StatementVegetables, bitter greens and baking ovens
  15. StatementBlowing on a fire and fixing a skewer
  16. StatementSplitting a reed and cracking a nut
  17. StatementNew משנה: רבי אליעזר on standing by set-aside produce