## Beitzah Daf 4b

###### Beitzah 4b:1
[Beitzah 4b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Beitzah/r/4b:1)

אֵיכוּ הַשְׁתָּא, אִשְׁתְּלַאי וַאֲמַרִי לְךָ: רַב וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן — הֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן. הָא אָמַר רָבָא: הִלְכְתָא כְּוָתֵיהּ דְּרַב בְּהָנֵי תְּלָת, בֵּין לְקוּלָּא בֵּין לְחוּמְרָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Had** I issued a ruling for you **then, I would have forgotten** the correct response, **and I would have said to you,** based on the accepted principle that in the case of a dispute between **Rav and Rabbi Yoḥanan, the *halakha* is in accordance with** the opinion of **Rabbi Yoḥanan,** that the eggs are permitted. However, **Rava said: The *halakha* is in accordance with** the opinion of **Rav with regard to these three** issues, in connection to the sanctity of Festivals and Shabbat, **whether** his ruling is **lenient, or whether** it is **stringent.** This is one of those three cases in which the *halakha* is in accordance with the opinion of Rav.


###### Beitzah 4b:2
[Beitzah 4b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Beitzah/r/4b:2)

אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: עֵצִים שֶׁנָּשְׁרוּ מִן הַדֶּקֶל בְּשַׁבָּת — אָסוּר לְהַסִּיקָן בְּיוֹם טוֹב. וְאַל תְּשִׁיבֵנִי בֵּיצָה, מַאי טַעְמָא? בֵּיצָה מִשּׁוּם דִּבְיוֹמָא נָמֵי חַזְיָא לְגוֹמְעָהּ וְלָא קָא שָׁרֵי לַהּ עַד לִמְחַר — מִידָּע יְדִיעַ דְּבַת יוֹמָא אַסְרוּהָ. עֵצִים דְּלָא חָזוּ לְיוֹמַיְיהוּ, אִי שָׁרֵי לְהוּ לִמְחַר — אָתֵי לְמֵימַר: בְּיוֹמַיְיהוּ נָמֵי שְׁרוּ, וְאֶתְמוֹל מִשּׁוּם שַׁבָּת הוּא דְּלָא חָזוּ לְהַסָּקָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **Rabbi Yoḥanan said:** With regard to **branches that fell from a palm tree on Shabbat, it is prohibited to kindle them on a Festival** that occurs the next day. **And do not reply to me** by asking why I permit **an egg** to be eaten on the following day. **What is the reason** for the distinction between the two cases? In the case of **an egg, because on** the **day** of Shabbat **itself it is also fit to be swallowed** raw **and** nevertheless **it is permitted** to be eaten **only the following day, one knows** that an egg **is prohibited on the day** it was laid. In contrast, with regard to **branches, which are not fit** for kindling **on** the **day** of Shabbat, as kindling a fire is prohibited, **if you permit them** to kindle the wood on the Festival that occurs on **the following day they will** mistakenly **come to say** that **on** the **day** that **they** fell off the tree **they are also permitted. And** as for the reason the branches were not kindled **yesterday** when they fell from the tree, **it was due** only **to Shabbat, as they were not fit for kindling** then.


###### Beitzah 4b:3
[Beitzah 4b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Beitzah/r/4b:3)

אָמַר רַב מַתְנָה: עֵצִים שֶׁנָּשְׁרוּ מִן הַדֶּקֶל לְתוֹךְ הַתַּנּוּר בְּיוֹם טוֹב — מַרְבֶּה עֲלֵיהֶם עֵצִים מוּכָנִים, וּמַסִּיקָן: וְהָא קָא מְהַפֵּךְ בְּאִיסּוּרָא! כֵּיוָן דְּרוּבָּא דְּהֶיתֵּרָא נִינְהוּ, כִּי קָא מְהַפֵּךְ — בְּהֶיתֵּרָא קָא מְהַפֵּךְ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Mattana said:** With regard to **branches that fell from a palm tree** directly **into an oven on a Festival, one** may **add to** those branches **wood prepared** from the previous day, which may be used for kindling, **and kindle them** all together. The Gemara asks: **But doesn’t he turn over** and move **the prohibited** wood in the course of the cooking process? The Gemara answers: **Since most** of the wood **is permitted, when he turns** it **over, he turns over permitted** wood, as the prohibited part is nullified by the majority.


###### Beitzah 4b:4
[Beitzah 4b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Beitzah/r/4b:4)

וְהָא קָא מְבַטֵּל אִיסּוּרָא לְכַתְּחִלָּה, וּתְנַן: אֵין מְבַטְּלִין אָסוּר לְכַתְּחִלָּה! הָנֵי מִילֵּי בִּדְאוֹרָיְיתָא, אֲבָל בִּדְרַבָּנַן מְבַטְּלִין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara challenges this: **But doesn’t he** thereby **nullify a prohibited** item ***ab initio*,** by adding permitted wood to the pieces of wood that fell into the oven, which are prohibited? **And we learned** in a mishna (see *Terumot* 5:9): **One may not nullify a prohibited** item ***ab initio*.** The Gemara answers: **That** principle **applies only to** items prohibited **by Torah law; but with regard to** items prohibited **by rabbinic law,** as in this case involving the prohibition of *muktze*, **one** may **nullify** the prohibition *ab initio*.


###### Beitzah 4b:5
[Beitzah 4b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Beitzah/r/4b:5)

וּלְרַב אָשֵׁי דְּאָמַר: כׇּל דָּבָר שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מַתִּירִין אֲפִילּוּ בִּדְרַבָּנַן לֹא בָּטֵיל, מַאי אִיכָּא לְמֵימַר? הָנֵי מִילֵּי הֵיכָא דְּאִיתֵיהּ לְאִיסּוּרָא בְּעֵינֵיהּ, הָכָא — מִקְלָא קָלִי אִיסּוּרָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And according to** the opinion of **Rav Ashi, who said: Any object whose prohibition is temporary, even** if the prohibition applies **by rabbinic law,** it **cannot be nullified, what is there to say?** Doesn’t Rav Ashi agree that it is permitted to kindle the wood after the Festival? The Gemara answers: **That** principle **applies only where the prohibited** item **remains intact; here,** however, **the prohibited** item **is burned,** as the wood is turned over when it has already become charcoal. Therefore, one does not perform any action with prohibited items.


###### Beitzah 4b:6
[Beitzah 4b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Beitzah/r/4b:6)

אִתְּמַר: שְׁנֵי יָמִים טוֹבִים שֶׁל גָּלִיּוֹת, רַב אָמַר: נוֹלְדָה בָּזֶה — מוּתֶּרֶת בָּזֶה, וְרַב אַסִּי אָמַר: נוֹלְדָה בָּזֶה — אֲסוּרָה בָּזֶה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **It was stated** that there is a dispute between *amora’im* with regard to the *halakha* for the **two Festival days** observed **in** the **Diaspora. Rav said:** An egg that **was laid on this** day **is permitted on that** one, **and Rav Asi said:** An egg that **was laid on this** day **is prohibited on that** one.


###### Beitzah 4b:7
[Beitzah 4b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Beitzah/r/4b:7)

לֵימָא קָא סָבַר רַב אַסִּי קְדוּשָּׁה אַחַת הִיא? וְהָא רַב אַסִּי מַבְדֵּיל מִיּוֹמָא טָבָא לְחַבְרֵיהּ!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **Let us say that Rav Asi holds** that the two days **are one sanctity. But didn’t Rav Asi** himself **recite *havdala*,** the prayer of distinction at the end of a holy day, **from** one **Festival** day of the Diaspora **to the other?** This shows that, in his opinion, the first day is the true Festival, while the second day is considered a weekday. In earlier generations, they observed the second day of the Diaspora because they were unaware when the court sanctified the New Moon to mark the beginning of the month. Today, that determination is accomplished by means of calculations known to all, and the second day is observed as the custom of our fathers, not due to any uncertainty.


###### Beitzah 4b:8
[Beitzah 4b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Beitzah/r/4b:8)

רַב אַסִּי סַפּוֹקֵי מְסַפְּקָא לֵיהּ, וְעָבֵיד הָכָא לְחוּמְרָא וְהָכָא לְחוּמְרָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: **Rav Asi was uncertain** whether the Sages’ ordinance that the second day is to be observed as a Festival was a fixed ordinance that applies even when the calculations determining the New Moon are known to all; or whether the ordinance was based strictly on the uncertainty stemming from their lack of awareness. Today, when everyone is aware of the beginning of the month, the second day is a weekday. **And** therefore **he acted stringently here,** and prohibited eating an egg on the second day that had been laid on the first day. **And** he also acted **stringently here,** and recited *havdala* between the two days.


###### Beitzah 4b:9
[Beitzah 4b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Beitzah/r/4b:9)

אָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא: כְּוָתֵיהּ דְּרַב אַסִּי מִסְתַּבְּרָא, דְּהָאִידָּנָא יָדְעִינַן בִּקְבִיעָא דְיַרְחָא, וְקָא עָבְדִינַן תְּרֵי יוֹמֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Zeira said:** It is **reasonable** to say **in accordance with** the opinion of **Rav Asi** that the Sages considered the two days as one and it is not a practice instituted due to uncertainty, **as today we know the determination of the** first day of the new **month** based on a fixed calendar and the precise dates of the Festivals are known by all, **and** nevertheless **we observe** the **two** Festival **days** of the Diaspora.


###### Beitzah 4b:10
[Beitzah 4b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Beitzah/r/4b:10)

אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: כְּוָתֵיהּ דְּרַב מִסְתַּבְּרָא, דִּתְנַן: בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה, הָיוּ מַשִּׂיאִין מַשּׂוּאוֹת. מִשֶּׁקִּלְקְלוּ הַכּוּתִים, הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁיְּהוּ שְׁלוּחִין יוֹצְאִין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Abaye said:** On the contrary, It is **reasonable** to say **in accordance with** the opinion of **Rav** that the second day is observed as a Festival due to uncertainty, **as we learned** in a mishna (*Rosh HaShana* 22b): **Initially,** after the court sanctified the new month, **they would light torches** on the mountain tops, from one peak to another, to signal that the New Moon had been sanctified. **After the Samaritans** [***Kutim***] **disrupted** this method by lighting torches at the wrong times, the Sages **instituted that messengers should depart** to inform the people of the start of the month. Since the messengers could not reach all Diaspora communities before the beginning of the Festival, the Sages instituted that an additional Festival day should be observed there, due to the resultant uncertainty with regard to which day was the actual Festival day.


###### Beitzah 4b:11
[Beitzah 4b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Beitzah/r/4b:11)

וְאִילּוּ בָּטְלוּ כּוּתִים — עָבְדִינַן חַד יוֹמָא, וְהֵיכָא דְּמָטוּ שְׁלוּחִין — עָבְדִינַן חַד יוֹמָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Abaye continues his argument: **And** this indicates that **if** the **Samaritans had desisted** from their interference, the Sages would have restored the earlier custom and **we would observe** only **one day. And,** similarly, in a place **where** the **messengers arrived** from Jerusalem on time, **we observe** only **one** Festival **day.**


###### Beitzah 4b:12
[Beitzah 4b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Beitzah/r/4b:12)

וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּיָדְעִינַן בִּקְבִיעָא דְיַרְחָא, מַאי טַעְמָא עָבְדִינַן תְּרֵי יוֹמֵי? מִשּׁוּם דִּשְׁלַחוּ מִתָּם: הִזָּהֲרוּ בְּמִנְהַג אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם בִּידֵיכֶם, זִמְנִין דְּגָזְרוּ הַמַּלְכוּת גְּזֵרָה וְאָתֵי לְאִקַּלְקוּלֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And now that we know the determination of the** first day of the new **month, what is the reason** that **we observe two** Festival **days** in the Diaspora? **Because they sent** a warning **from there,** from Eretz Yisrael: Although now there is a fixed calendar and there is no uncertainty, **be careful to** observe **the custom of your fathers** that **you received,** because **at times the monarchy** will **issue decrees** of persecution restricting Torah study and the fixed calendar may be forgotten. **And** the people will **come to** have their proper observance of the Festivals **be disrupted** again. However, the fundamental *halakha* is that the observance of two Festival days is based on uncertainty.


###### Beitzah 4b:13
[Beitzah 4b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Beitzah/r/4b:13)

אִתְּמַר, שְׁנֵי יָמִים טוֹבִים שֶׁל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה. רַב וּשְׁמוּאֵל דְּאָמְרִי תַּרְוַיְיהוּ: נוֹלְדָה בָּזֶה — אֲסוּרָה בָּזֶה, דִּתְנַן: בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה הָיוּ מְקַבְּלִין עֵדוּת הַחֹדֶשׁ כׇּל הַיּוֹם (כּוּלּוֹ). פַּעַם אַחַת נִשְׁתַּהוּ הָעֵדִים לָבֹא,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **It was** further **stated** that the *amora’im* discussed a similar problem, with regard to the **two Festival days of Rosh HaShana. Rav and Shmuel both said:** An egg **laid on this** day **is prohibited on that one,** as the two days of Rosh HaShana have a special status. **As we learned** in a mishna (*Rosh HaShana* 30b): **Initially,** the court **would accept testimony of** witnesses who saw the new moon to establish the first day of **the** new **month.** This system would also be used for the first of Tishrei, which is Rosh HaShana, and the court would accept this testimony on **the entire** thirtieth **day** of the month of Elul. **Once, the witnesses tarried** and managed **to arrive** only when the hour was late,