Gemara Clarity

Beitzah 39a

ביצה ל״ט ע״א

Learn Beitzah 39a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Beitzah 39a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Borrowed ingredients and ביטול, coal versus flame, and the תחום of water drawn from cisterns

Overview

The amud opens with רב אשי's reason why borrowed spices, water and salt are not cancelled out in someone else's food: they are a דבר שיש לו מתירין. Two ברייתות about רבי יהודה seem to contradict the משנה. Each one is solved by splitting the cases: coarse salt versus fine salt, and a thick dish versus a thin, saucy one. Next, a new משנה and ברייתא teach that a coal is a real object and a flame is not, and they show how this matters for תחומין, הקדש, עבודה זרה, carrying on שבת, and vows. The גמרא explains that a הקדש flame is forbidden only by a rabbinic גזירה, because people do not naturally keep away from הקדש. רב ששת and אביי explain when carrying a flame does make one חייב: when it sits on a chip or shard too small to count by itself. Then the גמרא finds the case where one is פטור: a flame fanned outside by hand. A third משנה ties water drawn from a בור to the walking limits of the בור's owners. רב נחמן and רב ששת then argue whether a public cistern is ownerless or owned by partners, and רבא begins a challenge to רב נחמן that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְרַב אָשֵׁי אָמַר:

And Rav Ashi said:

מִשּׁוּם דְּהָוֵי לֵיהּ

Because it is

דָּבָר שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מַתִּירִין,

a thing that will become permitted,

וְכׇל דָּבָר שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מַתִּירִין

and anything that will become permitted

The steps (31)

  1. Statementרב אשי: something that will become permitted is never cancelled out
  2. ChallengeDoes רבי יהודה cancel out only water, or salt too?
  3. ResolutionCoarse salt versus fine salt
  4. ChallengeA ברייתא says water is not cancelled out in a pot
  5. ResolutionThick dish versus thin dish
  6. Statementמשנה: a coal follows its owner, a flame goes anywhere
  7. StatementCoal and flame of הקדש
  8. StatementCarrying a coal or a flame on שבת
  9. StatementFive differences between a coal and a flame
  10. QuestionWhy is a flame of עבודה זרה permitted but a flame of הקדש forbidden?
  11. ResponsePeople already avoid idol worship, so no extra decree was needed
  12. ChallengeAnother ברייתא says carrying a flame makes one liable
  13. Resolutionרב ששת: the flame was on a wood chip
  14. ChallengeThen the chip itself should make him liable
  15. ResolutionThe chip is too small to count on its own
  16. Resolutionאביי: A Flame Burning on an Oiled Vessel
  17. ChallengeWhy Not Be Liable for the Vessel?
  18. ResolutionIt Is a Piece of Earthenware
  19. ChallengeWhy Not Be Liable for the Shard?
  20. ResolutionThe Shard Is Below the Minimum Size
  21. ChallengeThen When Is Carrying a Flame Exempt?
  22. ResolutionHe Fanned the Fire Outside with His Hand
  23. StatementNew משנה: Water from a Cistern Follows Its Owners
  24. ChallengePrivate cistern versus flowing rivers and springs
  25. ResolutionThe משנה is talking about collected water
  26. Proofשמואל says the same thing
  27. StatementQuoting the משנה about the public cistern
  28. StatementWater drawn for someone else
  29. QuestionWhat is the root of their argument?
  30. ResponseOwnerless cistern or jointly owned cistern
  31. Challengeרבא begins a challenge from a חרם vow