Beitzah 9b

ביצה ט׳ ע״ב

Learn Beitzah 9b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Beitzah 9b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Moving a ladder to a dovecote on יום טוב, רבי חייא's sons' mistaken rulings, and whether בית שמאי and בית הלל are consistent about שמחת יום טוב

Overview

The גמרא notes that our משנה does not follow a ברייתא of רבי שמעון בן אלעזר. In that ברייתא, בית שמאי and בית הלל both allow carrying a ladder from one dovecote to another, and they argue only about bringing it back. רבי יהודה adds that this applies only to a dovecote ladder: an attic ladder is forbidden by everyone. רבי דוסא allows only tilting the ladder from window to window. Then the גמרא tells how רבי חייא's sons permitted an attic ladder (or, in another version, tilting an attic ladder) and their father made them reverse it. In both versions their mistake was reading a later sage as more lenient than the תנא קמא, when he was really explaining him or being stricter. The גמרא then learns from our משנה that on שמחת יום טוב, בית שמאי are strict and בית הלל are lenient. It contrasts this with the משנה about covering blood, where the roles look reversed, and brings רבי יוחנן's answer that the names there are switched. It then moves the whole question to the משנה about taking young doves, and the challenge to רבי יוחנן's answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. StatementOur משנה does not follow רבי שמעון בן אלעזר's version of the dispute
2. Statementרבי יהודה: this applies only to a dovecote ladder, not an attic ladder
3. Statementרבי דוסא and אחרים: smaller ways of moving the ladder
4. Statementרבי חייא's sons permit a ladder, and their father reverses it
5. ProofWhy the sons thought it was allowed
6. RejectionThe real reading: רבי יהודה explains the first opinion
7. ProofProof from the words 'from dovecote to dovecote'
8. RejectionThe sons' defense of their reading
9. StatementSecond version: the sons permitted tilting an attic ladder
10. RejectionThe sons' mistake about רבי דוסא
11. StatementOn שמחת יום טוב, בית שמאי are strict and בית הלל are lenient
12. ChallengeA contradiction from the first משנה about covering blood
13. Resolutionרבי יוחנן says the opinions are reversed
14. RejectionMaybe בית שמאי are lenient only when a shovel is already in the ground
15. RejectionOr maybe בית הלל are lenient only because the dovecote shows his intent
16. ChallengeThe real contradiction is the משנה about taking young doves
17. ChallengeThe young doves show בית שמאי are strict even when holiday joy is at stake
18. Resolutionרבי יוחנן: the names are switched
19. RejectionMaybe בית שמאי were lenient only with a shovel already in the ground