Torah Community Connections

Week 38 - Sunday- 13 August 2000

BETZAH: CHAPTER 2: MISHNAH 6

In three matters Rabban Gamliel is more stringent, following the view of Bet Shammai: One may not cover up hot food from Yom Tov for the Sabbath, and one may not assemble a candelabrum on Yom Tov, and one may not bake bread in large loaves but only in thin cakes. Rabban Gamliel said: Never in my father's house did they bake bread in large loaves but only in thin cakes. They said to him: What should we do about your father's house, who applied the stringent ruling to themselves, but the lenient ruling to all Israel so that they might bake bread in large and thick cakes.

Kehati

In three matters - regarding Yom Tov, Rabban Gamliel is more stringentM - adopts the more stringent ruling, following the view of Bet Shammai - even though he himself was a descendent of Hillel the Elder.

A. One may not cover up hot water from Yom Tov for the Sabbath - In a baraita in the Gemara (17b; 22a), we are told: "Bet Shammai say, One may not bake (from Yom Tov for the Sabbath) unless he makes an eruv (i.e., an eruv tavshilin) with bread, and one may not cook unless he makes an eruv with a cooked dish, and one may not cover up hot food unless he had it stored from before Yom Tov. But Bet Hillel say, A person makes an eruv with one dish and does everything he needs." This means that according to Bet Hillel an eruv tavshilin with bread and a cooked dish is enough to enable him to bake, cook and store hot food from Yom Tov for the Sabbath. According to Bet Shammai, however, each type of work that one wishes to perform from Yom Tov for the Sabbath requires a separate eruv, and an eruv consisting of bread and a cooked dish only enables one to bake and cook, but not to store hot food. Rabban Gamliel, too, adopts the stringent view of Bet Shammai, that an eruv tavshilin of bread and a cooked dish does not permit one to cover up hot food from Yom Tov for the Sabbath, unless one has hot food covered up from before Yom Tov.

B. And one may not assemble a candelabrum on Yom Tov - The Gemara explains that this refers to a candelabrum made up of various parts which came apart on Yom Tov, and Bet Shammai hold that it is forbidden to put together the candelabrum on Yom Tov, because it resembles the act of building. Bet Hillel, however, hold that the term "building" does not apply to utensils. Here, too, Rabban Gamliel adopts the stringent ruling of Bet Shammai.

C. And one may not bake - on Yom Tov, bread in large loaves - but only in thin cakes - for Bet Shammai hold that one is not permitted to bake a large quantity of bread on Yom Tov, because it entails a great deal of work. Bet Hillel, however, permit to bake a large quantity of bread on Yom Tov, because bread bakes better when the oven is full. Here too, Rabban Gamliel adopts the more stringent view of Bet Shammai.

Rabban Gamliel said: Never in my father's house did they bake bread in large loaves but only in thin cakes - to support his view, Rabban Gamliel testified that in the home of his father, Rabban b. Gamliel the Elder, they also adopted the more stringent view, not to bake thick, but only thin loaves. They - the Sages, said to him - to Rabban Gamliel, What should we do about your father's house, who applied the stringent ruling to themselves, but the lenient ruling to all Israel so that they might bake bread in large loaves and thick cakes - though they were stringent in regard to themselves, they ruled leniently for others, that one is permitted to bake thick loaves on Yom Tov, and even large cakes which are baked on coals, and entail a great deal of work. The halakhah in all three cases is in accordance with Bet Hillel and not Rabban Gamliel. (Bartenura; and see Tosefot Yom Tov).

BETZAH: CHAPTER 2: MISHNAH 7

He also said three things applying to a lenient ruling: One may sweep between the couches, and one may put the spices on the fire on Yom Tov, and one may prepare a kid mekulas on the eve of Passover. But the Sages forbid.

Kehati

As the previous mishnah taught that Rabban Gamliel issued three stringent rulings, in accordance with Bet Shammai, the present mishnah brings three cases in which Rabban Gamliel ruled more leniently than the Sages.

He - Rabban Gamliel, also said three things applying a lenient ruling - which are the following:

A. One may sweep between the couches - in those days, they would eat their meals reclining on couches. Rabban Gamliel holds that on Yom Tov one may sweep up the food crumbs that fell between the couches. This is differing from the Sages, who forbade to sweep up the house on the Sabbath and Yom Tov, lest he fill in holes in the earthen floor which resembles the act of building. Rabban Gamliel, however, holds that only sweeping the entire house is forbidden, but between the couches, which is a small area, and which is swept daily to ensure that the dust will not rise during the meal, there are presumably no holes, and one may therefore sweep there in honor of the festive meal (Hameiri). The Sages, though, forbid sweeping between the couches, lest on come to sweep the entire house.

B. And one may put spices on the fire on Yom Tov - it was the custom to place frankincense on burning embers, in order to perfume the home; Rabban Gamliel permitted to do this on Yom Tov, because it affords physical pleasure, and is thus like something needed for food purposes, which is permitted on Yom Tov. The Sages, however, forbid the putting of spices on embers on Yom Tov, because it is not a general practice, but only used by the wealthy and the pampered, or by people with a bad body odor.

C. And one may prepare a kid mekulas on the eve of Passover - a kid roasted whole, including the head, with its legs and with its entrails, with the innards suspended outside the kid, the way the Passover sacrifice was roasted in Jerusalem (Rambam explains the term mekulas as "presentable," while others explain it as meaning a helmet, because the innards were suspended like a type of hat on the carcass, so that it looked like a mighty warrior carrying his weapons, as, for example, in regard to Goliath, who wore a copper helmet - the Targum of Goliath's "copper helmet" (I Samuel 17:5) is kulas dinhash); and Rabban Gamliel holds that even in our times one roasts a kid in this manner, as a reminder of the Passover sacrifice. But the Sages forbid - in all three of these instances: in the first two for the reasons given above, and in the case of the kid mekulas, because it appears as if the person were eating the Passover sacrifice outside its appointed place. The halakhah follows the Sages.

Return to Mishna Yomit Index

Visit the Mishna Yomit Archives