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Moed Katan 12a

מועד קטן י״ב ע״א

Learn Moed Katan 12a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Moed Katan 12a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Work on חול המועד: contractors, animals and fields, preventing a loss, and the nature of the laws of the מועד

Overview

The amud opens with שמואל's rule that non-Jewish contractors may not do a Jew's job inside the תחום on forbidden days, but may do it outside. רב פפא and רב משרשיא narrow this: it is allowed only where no town is nearby, and only on שבת and יום טוב, not on חול המועד. The גמרא tells of a mansion built for מר זוטרא that the rabbis would not enter, and explains why: either an important person is stricter, or he helped the workers with straw. Next come rulings and ברייתות about work on חול המועד: unpaid bath attendants, taking on contract work for after the festival, breeding animals, and penning a flock to fertilize a field. On the flock question, רב יוסף rules like רבי's three levels of favor, food, and pay. A new משנה follows about wine in the pit. There רבי יוסי lets the owner finish the job as usual to prevent a loss, while רבי יהודה allows only covering the pit. רב יוסף rules like רבי יוסי, and the גמרא extends this to sealing a beer barrel. Finally רב compares the laws of חול המועד to the laws of כותים, since you cannot learn one ruling from another. אביי begins a comparison to the laws of שבת, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל:

Shmuel said:

מְקַבְּלֵי קִיבּוֹלֶת,

Contractors (who take on a job for a set price),

בְּתוֹךְ הַתְּחוּם — אָסוּר.

within the limit, it is forbidden.

חוּץ לַתְּחוּם — מוּתָּר.

Outside the limit, it is permitted.

The steps (31)

  1. Statementשמואל's basic rule for contractors
  2. Statementרב פפא: only if no town is nearby
  3. Statementרב משרשיא: only on שבת and יום טוב
  4. StatementThe mansion built for מר זוטרא
  5. StatementSome say מר זוטרא himself never entered
  6. ChallengeWhy avoid the mansion if שמואל permits it?
  7. ResolutionAn important person is different
  8. ResolutionHe helped them with straw
  9. StatementUnpaid bath attendants on חול המועד
  10. StatementTaking on contract work during the מועד
  11. StatementNo weekday-style measuring when taking the job
  12. StatementNo breeding animals on חול המועד
  13. StatementAnother teaching on breeding, with an exception for a she-donkey
  14. StatementKeeping flocks on a field to fertilize it is forbidden on holy days
  15. StatementNo helping the shepherds, unless they were hired long-term
  16. Statementרבי's three levels: favor, food, or pay
  17. Conclusionרב יוסף rules like רבי
  18. StatementNew משנה: wine in the pit when something unexpected happened
  19. StatementWhy both the oil case and the wine case are needed
  20. StatementRequiring a change in loss cases is not רבי יוסי's view
  21. ConclusionThe הלכה follows רבי יוסי
  22. QuestionMay a beer barrel be sealed on חול המועד?
  23. Responseרב נחמן בר יצחק answers: the הלכה follows רבי יוסי
  24. ChallengeMaybe רבי יוסי was lenient only with wine
  25. ResolutionBeer also involves a real loss
  26. Proofאביי's foster mother: a small sealed barrel beats a big unsealed one
  27. StatementThe laws of חול המועד are like the laws of כותים
  28. QuestionIn what way are they alike?
  29. ResponseBoth sets of laws stand alone, and you can't learn one from another
  30. ProofAn example: sealing a jug versus sealing a barrel
  31. Statementאביי: the laws of חול המועד are like the laws of שבת