Beitzah 19

ואיבעית אימא רבנן וכולה מתניתין בשבת

And if you wish, say instead that the mishna is in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis, and on a Festival one is permitted even to immerse an impure vessel on account of its water in order to purify the vessel. And the entire mishna is referring to Shabbat, when it is prohibited to immerse an impure vessel, but it is permitted to purify impure water by bringing it into contact with pure water in a stone vessel.

תנו רבנן כלי שנטמא מערב יום טוב אין מטבילין אותו בין השמשות

§ The Sages taught in a baraita: With regard to a vessel that became ritually impure on the eve of a Festival, one may not immerse it during twilight, a time period of doubtful status whether it is a weekday or a Festival, due to the possibility of violating the prohibition against immersing vessels on a Festival.

רבי שמעון שזורי אומר אף בחול אין מטבילין אותו מפני שצריך הערב שמש

Rabbi Shimon Shezuri says: Even on a weekday one may not immerse an impure vessel during twilight because the vessel requires sunset. After an impure vessel is immersed, it remains ritually impure for certain purposes until the sun has set and the stars have come out. If one immerses an impure vessel during the twilight period, thenowing to the uncertainty as to whether it is day or night, he must wait another full day, until the next sunset, before using the vessel. It is therefore preferable not to put oneself in a situation where one might come to use a vessel before its purification process has been completed.

ותנא קמא לא בעי הערב שמש אמר רבא אשכחתינהו לרבנן דבי רב דיתבי וקא אמרי במחשבתו נכרת מתוך מעשיו קמפלגי והיכי דמי כגון דנקיט מנא בידיה ורהיט ואזיל בין השמשות לאטבוליה

The Gemara asks: And does the first tanna not require sunset? It is clear that this is required. Rava said: I found the Sages of the school of Rav sitting and saying with regard to this issue that they disagree about whether or not to accept the principle that one’s intention is evident from his actions. And what are the circumstances of this dispute? They are, for example, a case where one was holding a vessel in his hand and running along at the time of twilight to immerse it.

מר סבר האי דקא רהיט ואזיל מידע ידע דבעי הערב שמש

This Sage, i.e., the Rabbis, holds that the fact that he is running along indicates that he knows that the vessel requires sunset. If he arrives at the ritual bath late, he will realize that he must wait another day, and there is no concern that he might come to use the vessel on the same day. Consequently, it is prohibited to immerse the vessel during twilight on the eve of a Festival, as, since it may already be night and he will be unable to use the vessel until the next evening, immersing the vessel would be considered to be preparing something on a Festival for a weekday, which is prohibited. However, it is permitted to immerse a vessel during twilight on an ordinary weekday evening.

ומר סבר מחמת מלאכתו הוא דקרהיט

And this Sage, Rabbi Shimon Shezuri, holds that perhaps he is running due to his work that he has not finished on time, and not necessarily because he knows that the purification of his vessel requires sunset. He believes that he may use the vessel immediately upon immersion; therefore, the Sages decreed that one should never immerse vessels during twilight.

ואמינא להו אנא במחשבתו נכרת מתוך מעשיו דכולי עלמא לא פליגי כי פליגי כגון דאיטמי בפחות מכעדשה ואתא לקמיה דרבנן לשיולי בפחות מכעדשה איטמי אי לא מר סבר מדהא לא גמיר הערב שמש נמי לא גמיר ומר סבר הא הוא דלא גמיר הא הערב שמש גמיר

Rava continues: And I said to them: With regard to the principle that one’s intention is evident from his actions, everyone agrees that this is accepted. Where they disagree is, for example, in a case where a vessel became impure through contact with a creeping animal less than a lentil-bulk in size, and the vessel’s owner came before the Sages to ask whether a vessel becomes impure through contact with less than a lentil-bulk or not. One Sage, Rabbi Shimon Shezuri, holds that since he does not know this matter that a creeping animal smaller than a lentil-bulk does not impart impurity, it stands to reason that he also does not know the halakha of sunset; therefore, there is reason to prohibit him from immersing vessels during twilight even on a weekday. And one Sage, the Rabbis, who permit such immersion on a weekday, hold that it is only this halakha with regard to the size of a creeping animal that he does not know, but the requirement of sunset he does know, as it is stated explicitly in the Torah.

ומטבילין מגב לגב תנו רבנן כיצד מגב לגב הרוצה לעשות גתו על גב כדו

It was taught in the mishna that one may immerse on a Festival from one principle to another and from one group to another. The Gemara attempts to clarify the meaning of this statement: The Sages taught in a baraita: How does one immerse from one principle to another? One who wishes to make his winepress, meaning to immerse and purify vessels for the sake of his winepress, in addition to the purification of his ritually impure pitcher, may do so. In other words, if at first he merely intended to immerse his impure pitcher, but subsequently changed his mind and decided to use it for his winepress, and he wishes to immerse the pitcher a second time for the sake of the winepress, it is permitted to do so.

וכדו על גב גתו עושה

Similarly, one who wishes to make his pitcher in addition to the purification of his vessels for the sake of his winepress may do so. That is to say, if he originally intended to use the pitcher for his winepress, and after immersing it he decided not to use it for that purpose, and now he wishes to immerse his pitcher a second time, it is permitted to do so. Since the second immersion does not purify the vessel or fulfill any obligation, it is not considered a proper immersion and is not prohibited on a Festival.

כיצד מחבורה לחבורה היה אוכל בחבורה זו ורוצה לאכול בחבורה אחרת הרשות בידו

Similarly, how does one immerse from one group to another? If one was planning to eat the Paschal offering with this group, and he immersed himself or his ritually impure vessels for that purpose; and now he has reconsidered and wishes to eat the offering with a different group, and he wants to immerse himself or his vessels a second time for the second group, in such a case he has permission to do so even on a Festival, for the same reason: Since this immersion is not obligatory, it is not viewed as an immersion at all.

מתני׳ בית שמאי אומרים מביאין שלמים ואין סומכין עליהן אבל לא עולות ובית הלל אומרים מביאין שלמים ועולות וסומכין עליהן

MISHNA: Beit Shammai say: One may bring peace-offerings on a Festival, but one may not place his hands on them, as this is considered using animals, which is prohibited on a Festival by rabbinic decree. However, one may not bring burnt-offerings, apart from the obligatory daily and additional offerings of the day, because burnt-offerings are consumed entirely on the altar and not by people, and slaughter is permitted on a Festival only for the purpose of human consumption. And Beit Hillel say: One may bring both peace-offerings and burnt-offerings, and one may even place his hands on them.

גמ׳ אמר עולא מחלוקת בשלמי חגיגה לסמוך ועולת ראייה ליקרב דבית שמאי סברי וחגתם אותו חג לה׳ חגיגה אין עולת ראייה לא ובית הלל סברי לה׳ כל דלה׳

GEMARA: Ulla said: The dispute applies only to Festival peace-offerings, an obligation of the Festival, with respect to placing hands on them, and to burnt-offerings of appearance, which must be brought over the course of the Festival, with respect to sacrificing them. As Beit Shammai hold that the verse “You shall observe [vaḥaggotem] it as a Festival to the Lord seven days in the year” (Leviticus 23:41) indicates: Festival peace-offerings [ḥagiga], yes, they may be sacrificed even on a Festival day, but burnt-offerings of appearance, no, they may not. And Beit Hillel hold: “To the Lord” means that anything brought as an offering to the Lord may be sacrificed throughout the seven days of the holiday, even on the actual Festival day.

אבל נדרים ונדבות דברי הכל אין קריבין ביום טוב וכן אמר רב אדא בר אהבה נדרים ונדבות אין קריבין ביום טוב

But with regard to vow-offerings and gift-offerings, which are not part of the obligations of the day, all agree, even Beit Hillel, that they may not be sacrificed on a Festival. And likewise, Rav Adda bar Ahava said: Vow-offerings and gift-offerings may not be sacrificed on a Festival.

מתיבי אמר רבי שמעון בן אלעזר לא נחלקו בית שמאי ובית הלל על עולה שאינה של יום טוב שאינה קרבה ביום טוב ועל שלמים שהן של יום טוב שקריבין ביום טוב

The Gemara raises an objection against Ulla’s statement from the following baraita: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel did not disagree with regard to a burnt-offering that is not part of the requirements of the Festival, such as a vow-offering or a gift-offering, that it may not be sacrificed on a Festival, or with regard to peace-offerings that are part of the Festival obligations, such as Festival peace-offerings or peace-offerings of rejoicing, that they may be sacrificed on a Festival, as the Festival is their designated time, and if one fails to bring them then he will be unable to sacrifice them later.

על מה נחלקו על עולה שהיא של יום טוב ועל שלמים שאינן של יום טוב שבית שמאי אומרים לא יביא ובית הלל אומרים יביא

The baraita continues: With regard to what, then, did they disagree? It is with regard to a burnt-offering that is part of the Festival requirements, such as the burnt-offering of appearance, and with regard to peace-offerings that are not part of the Festival obligations, such as vow-offerings and gift-offerings. As Beit Shammai say: He may not bring them, and Beit Hillel say: He may bring them. This baraita contradicts Ulla’s opinion that all agree that vow-offerings and gift-offerings may not be sacrificed on a Festival.

תריץ ואימא הכי אמר רבי שמעון בן אלעזר לא נחלקו בית שמאי ובית הלל על עולה ושלמים שאינן של יום טוב שאין קריבין ביום טוב ועל שלמים שהן של יום טוב שקריבין ביום טוב על מה נחלקו על עולה שהיא של יום טוב שבית שמאי אומרים לא יביא ובית הלל אומרים יביא

The Gemara answers: Resolve the contradiction by emending the text, and say as follows: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel did not disagree with regard to burnt-offerings and peace-offerings that are not part of the requirements of the Festival, such as vow-offerings and gift-offerings, that they are certainly not sacrificed on a Festival, or with regard to peace-offerings that are part of the Festival obligations, such as Festival peace-offerings or peace-offerings of rejoicing, that they may be sacrificed on a Festival. With regard to what did they disagree? It is with regard to a burnt-offering that is part of the Festival requirements, such as the burnt-offering of appearance, as Beit Shammai say: He may not bring it, and Beit Hillel say: He may bring it.

רב יוסף אמר תנאי שקלת מעלמא תנאי היא דתניא שלמים הבאים מחמת יום טוב ביום טוב בית שמאי אומרים סומך עליהן מערב יום טוב ושוחטן ביום טוב ובית הלל אומרים סומך עליהן ביום טוב ושוחטן ביום טוב

Rav Yosef said: There were never any grounds for objection from the outset, as have you removed all the tanna’im from the world? This is the subject of a dispute among tanna’im, and Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar’s opinion was not unanimously accepted. As it is taught in a different baraita: With regard to peace-offerings that come on account of a Festival on the Festival, e.g., Festival peace-offerings or peace-offerings of rejoicing, Beit Shammai say: One places his hands on them on the eve of the Festival and slaughters them on the Festival, and Beit Hillel say: One places his hands on them on the Festival itself and slaughters them on the Festival.

אבל נדרים ונדבות דברי הכל אין קריבין ביום טוב

However, with regard to vow-offerings and gift-offerings, all agree that they may not be sacrificed on the actual Festival day, as stated by Ulla and Rav Adda bar Ahava.

והני תנאי כי הני תנאי דתניא אין מביאין תודה בחג המצות מפני חמץ שבה ולא בעצרת מפני שהוא יום טוב אבל מביא אדם תודתו בחג הסוכות

§ The Gemara comments that in this matter, these tanna’im are like those tanna’im, who also disagreed about the same issue, as it is taught in a baraita: One may not bring a thanks-offering on the festival of Matzot due to the leavened bread included with it, as a thanks-offering must be accompanied by a meal-offering of forty loaves, ten of which are leavened bread, which may not be eaten on Passover. Nor may one bring this offering on Shavuot because it is a Festival, on which one may not bring any offering, even one that is eaten, if it is not part of the Festival obligations. However, a person may bring his thanks-offering on the festival of Sukkot.

רבי שמעון אומר הרי הוא אומר בחג המצות ובחג השבועות ובחג הסכות כל שבא בחג המצות בא בחג השבועות ובחג הסוכות וכל שלא בא בחג המצות אינו בא בחג השבועות ובחג הסוכות רבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון אומר מביא אדם תודתו בחג הסוכות ויוצא בה ידי חובתו משום שמחה ואין יוצא בה משום חגיגה

The baraita continues: Rabbi Shimon says: But it says: “On the festival of Matzot, on the festival of Shavuot, and on the festival of Sukkot” (Deuteronomy 16:16), to teach: Any offering that comes on the festival of Matzot may come on the festival of Shavuot and on the festival of Sukkot, and any offering that does not come on the festival of Matzot may not come on the festival of Shavuot or on the festival of Sukkot. Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, says: A person may bring his thanks-offering on the festival of Sukkot and fulfill with it his obligation to bring peace-offerings of rejoicing. One fulfills the mitzva to rejoice on a Festival by eating the meat of offerings, and this obligation can be fulfilled with the meat of a thanks-offering. But he does not fulfill with it the obligation to bring a Festival peace-offering.

אמר מר אין מביאין תודה בחג המצות מפני חמץ שבה פשיטא אמר רב אדא בריה דרב יצחק ואמרי לה רב שמואל בר אבא הכא בארבעה עשר עסקינן וקסבר אין מביאין קדשים לבית הפסול

The Gemara analyzes the baraita cited above. The Master said in the baraita that one may not bring a thanks-offering on the festival of Matzot due to the leavened bread included with it. The Gemara expresses surprise: It is obvious that one may not bring this offering on Passover, as it contains leavened bread. Rav Adda, son of Rav Yitzḥak, said, and some say it was Rav Shmuel bar Abba who said: Here, this baraita is not discussing Passover itself; rather, we are dealing with a thanks-offering sacrificed on the fourteenth of Nisan, i.e., on Passover eve, and this tanna holds that one may not bring consecrated offerings to a situation where the time that they may be eaten is restricted, thereby increasing the likelihood of disqualification. Although it is permitted to eat leavened bread until the sixth hour of the fourteenth of Nisan, one may not bring a thanks-offering on Passover eve. The reason is that a thanks-offering may usually be eaten for one full day and the following night, and if it is brought on the eve of Passover, the time available before disqualification is reduced.

ולא בעצרת מפני שהוא יום טוב קסבר נדרים ונדבות אין קריבין ביום טוב

It was further taught in the baraita: Nor may one bring a thanks-offering on Shavuot because it is a Festival. The Gemara explains: This tanna holds that vow-offerings and gift-offerings may not be sacrificed on a Festival.

אבל מביא אדם תודתו בחג הסוכות אימת אילימא ביום טוב עצמו והא אמרת ולא בעצרת מפני שהוא יום טוב אלא בחולו של מועד

The baraita continues: However, a person may bring his thanks-offering on the festival of Sukkot. The Gemara asks: When? If we say he may bring it on the Festival day of Sukkot itself, this is difficult, as didn’t you say: Nor may one bring a thanks-offering on Shavuot because it is a Festival, indicating that a thanks-offering may not be brought on an actual Festival day? The same should apply to Sukkot. Rather, it means that one may bring it on the intermediate days of the Festival.

רבי שמעון אומר הרי הוא אומר בחג המצות ובחג השבועות ובחג הסוכות כל שבא בחג המצות בא בחג השבועות ובחג הסוכות וכל שלא בא בחג המצות אינו בא בחג השבועות ובחג הסוכות מתקיף לה רבי זירא השתא סלותי מסלתינן נדרים ונדבות מבעיא

The baraita further taught that Rabbi Shimon says: But it says: “On the festival of Matzot, on the festival of Shavuot, and on the festival of Sukkot,” to teach: Any offering that comes on the festival of Matzot may come on the festival of Matzot and on the festival of Sukkot, and any offering that does not come on the festival of Matzot may not come on the festival of Shavuot or on the festival of Sukkot. This seems to indicate that thanks-offerings may not be brought on any Festival. Rabbi Zeira strongly objects to this: Now, if we may chop kindling wood on the intermediate days of the Festival for the sake of the Festival, is it necessary to state that it is permitted to sacrifice vow-offerings and gift-offerings on the intermediate Festival days? How can it be suggested that Rabbi Shimon prohibits bringing thanks-offerings on the intermediate days of the festival of Sukkot?

אמר אביי בהקרבה כולי עלמא לא פליגי דשרי כי פליגי למיקם עליה בבל תאחר

Abaye said: With regard to sacrificing these offerings on the intermediate days of a Festival, everyone agrees that it is permitted. When they disagree, it is not with regard to the halakhot of a Festival but with respect to determining when one is liable for violating the prohibition: You must not delay. If one vows to bring an offering but fails to fulfill his pledge, how much time must pass before he transgresses the prohibition: “You shall not delay to pay it” (Deuteronomy 23:22)?

תנא קמא סבר שלש רגלים אמר רחמנא אפילו שלא כסדרן

The first tanna holds that the Merciful One states three Festivals in the Torah, even not in their proper order, meaning not in accordance with the yearly cycle found in the Torah: Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot. As soon as three Festivals have passed from the day a person took his vow, if he has yet to bring his offering, he has transgressed the prohibition against delaying. Therefore, the first tanna advises a person who vowed to bring a thanks-offering to do so on Sukkot, even if it is the first Festival after his vow, and even though it is not the first Festival listed by the Torah. If he fails to do so, he will have to make a special trip to Jerusalem in order to sacrifice the offering, as he will not be able to sacrifice it on Passover due to the leavened bread it contains, or on Shavuot because it does not have intermediate Festival days.

ורבי שמעון סבר כסדרן אין שלא כסדרן לא

But Rabbi Shimon holds that if three Festivals have passed in their proper order, yes, he has violated the prohibition against delaying; but if they have passed not in their proper order, he has not violated the prohibition. If, for example, one vowed to bring an offering between Passover and Shavuot, he may put off bringing the offering until Sukkot of the following year, and therefore he would not be required to travel an extra time to Jerusalem specifically for this purpose.

רבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון אומר מביא אדם תודתו בחג הסוכות אימת אילימא בחולו של מועד היינו תנא קמא אלא ביום טוב וקסבר נדרים ונדבות קריבין ביום טוב

The baraita further taught that Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, says: A person may bring his thanks-offering on the festival of Sukkot. The Gemara asks: When? If we say that he means on the intermediate days of the Festival, this is identical to the opinion of the first tanna of the baraita. Rather, he must be referring to the Festival day itself, and he holds that vow-offerings and gift-offerings may be sacrificed on a Festival.

ומאי שנא חג הסוכות דנקט רבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון לטעמיה דתניא רבי שמעון אומר לא יאמר חג הסוכות שבו הכתוב מדבר למה נאמר לומר שזה אחרון

The Gemara asks: If so, what is different about the festival of Sukkot that he cited it specifically as an example of a Festival? The Gemara answers: Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, conforms to his standard line of reasoning, and this ruling too is related to the prohibition against delaying. As it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Shimon says: The verse did not have to say “the festival of Sukkot,” of which the immediately preceding verse was speaking; it was only necessary to add the other Festivals. Why, then, is “the festival of Sukkot” stated? It is to say that this Festival, i.e., Sukkot, must be the last one with regard to the prohibition against delaying; one transgresses the prohibition only if the three Festivals have passed in their proper order, so that Sukkot is the last of the three.

רבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון אומר לומר שזה גורם

However, Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, says: It comes to say that this Festival is what causes a person to be late in fulfilling his vow. In his view, the prohibition against delaying does not depend on the number of Festivals. Rather, it means that by the time of Sukkot, the last Festival according to the yearly cycle found in the Torah, one must have brought all of his vow-offerings of that year. Even one who vowed to bring an offering just before Sukkot must bring his offering before the Festival ends.

ויוצא בה משום שמחה ואינו יוצא בה משום חגיגה פשיטא דבר שבחובה היא וכל דבר שבחובה אינו בא אלא מן החולין

It is taught in the baraita: A person may bring his thanks-offering on the festival of Sukkot and fulfill with it his obligation to bring peace-offerings of rejoicing, but he does not fulfill with it the obligation to bring a Festival peace-offering. The Gemara expresses surprise: It is obvious that one does not fulfill his obligation to bring a Festival peace-offering with his thanks-offering. The Festival peace-offering is an obligatory matter, as everyone is obligated to bring this offering, and the principle is that anything that is an obligatory matter must come only from that which is non-sacred, meaning that one cannot bring an obligatory offering from an animal that has already been consecrated for another purpose. It follows that one cannot discharge his obligation to bring a Festival peace-offering with a thanks-offering, as he is already obligated to bring the latter and has consecrated the animal for this purpose.

לא צריכא דאף על גב דפריש

The Gemara answers: No, it is necessary to state this halakha in order to teach that even if one specified at the time of his vow that he is consecrating the animal as a thanks-offering on condition that it may be used as a Festival peace-offering as well, he nevertheless does not fulfill his obligation with it.

כדבעא מניה רבי שמעון בן לקיש מרבי יוחנן האומר הרי עלי תודה ואצא בה ידי חגיגה הריני נזיר

This teaching is similar to the question that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish asked of Rabbi Yoḥanan: With regard to one who vows and says: It is incumbent upon me to bring a thanks-offering, and I will also fulfill my obligation to bring a Festival peace-offering with it; or if he says: I am a nazirite,