beitza 26

something that started the day permitted and then become untouchable
the fruit drying on the roof
and the animal in the pit

beitza 25

it's terrifying being in the crowd, especially if they are all dogs

this page discusses about being carried in a chair on poles in a different way on a festival to a regular day, not on the shoulders, but on lower in the hands. But R. Nahman allowed his wife Yalta to be carried high up as she was afraid of the crowd. also on this page is a comment by Resh Lakish that there are 3 impudent/fierce entities - Israel among the nations, dogs among the animals and a cock among the birds.

beitza 24

some birds are always free

discussion about trapping animals, fish and birds on the Festival. even if undomesticated birds, like a sparrow, is found inside a house it is still considered free and not enclosed.

beitza 23

two rabbis allowed controversial practices,

the old one allowed a whole goat to be roasted on pesach
and the young one allowed a cow to wear a bell on shabbat

but the cow was her cow
and the goat was roasted in Rome

(two different discussions. one about the various things that Rabban Gamliel permitted but the Rabbis prohibited, including this allowance of having a whole roasted goat on pesach. the rabbis prohibited as it may look like people were eating the pesach sacrifice that could only be eaten in the Temple during temple times. The other discussion is about things that R. Elazar b Azarya permitted but the Rabbis forbade. Including the case of his cow wearing a bell between it's horns on Shabbat. But the discussion that he had many cows, that this particular cow belonged to his neighbour and by his not rebuking her it becomes his cow as it looks like he permits this. what is interesting about these 2 seperate discussions is that R. Elazar b Azarya replaced Rabban Gamliel as the head after he was deposed in a rebellion in the study hall.)

beitza 22

filling the room with smoke or incense.

(on this page the case of being permitted to extinguish a smoking piece of wood as it will cause the room to fill with smoke, is brought as a counter argument to disallowing extinguishing lamps. also on this page is discussed adding incense to coals on a festival, deliberately to fill the room with perfumed smoke)

beitza 21

the distracting raven

odd story that begins the discussion on a jew and a gentile having shared ownership of an animal, if it can be slaughtered on chag. R. Huna is asked the question about this and answers by saying: oh look! a raven has just flown past! distracting R. Aryva the Elder and leaves his question unanswered. the Talmud is not so easily distracted as the older rabbi and it continues to discuss about what can and cannot be done for a gentile on shabbat and festivals.

beitza 20

raising a hand in the temple
to lay on the offering,
to raise an objection,
or to move the tail and cover the sex

just don't be silent

beitza 19

uncertain times & rituals
immersing at twilight
and laying hands on the offering

beitza 18

immersing with clothes

beitza 17

 the baker can only heat water and cannot bake in large batches

but the housewife can bake a whole oven load on chag
lucky her.....

beitza 16

revealed and concealed gifts & food

who needs to know? the donor or the recipient?

(can a gift be anonymous? the example of shabbat as a known gift from God is compared to Moses not knowing his God-given gift of a radiant face. the secret gift will eventually be revealed. also discussed is the case of gifting a small child with food and then daubing blue on the the child's eye so the mother will ask who has given to her child - it's a little creepy. the talmud says: Witchcraft! to paint eyes. I think it is creepy in other ways - later in the page the case of eruv tavshilin is discussed, if the person who makes the eruv if they need to know who they are preparing this for)

beitza 15

celebrating on a festival with decreasing vessels of wine to correspond with increasing love of torah. wine or torah? can be sustained with both?

and the mighty tree in the field that will ensure the field will never be taken.

beitza 14

how to grind salt on shabbat
even mattresses cannot cover mixed
loose threads

beitza 13

can use the whole plant
but only calculate the grains

beitza 12

not moving stones and only winnowing in small batches

beitza 11

allowing what could be prohibited so people can eat meat on festival.

happy days!

beitza 10

comparing birds found inside nest and hidden money.
but only one can hop away

beitza 9

how to prepare for enjoying the festival:
with ladders,
shovels in ground,
and shaking birds

beitza 8

cannot cover the doubtful blood with ash or earth
even if prepared earlier.
after all, who can prepare for the uncertain?

beitza 7

man - part chicken, part bat (depending on his sex life)

and the things that are fathered by the ground and not a male and the blood that absorbs into the ground.

(chickens have sex by day. bats at night. humans either night or day. depending on the time of copulation - so is the time of birth... apparently. and deciding if an egg has been fertilised by a cockerel or 'by the ground' and at the end of the page, this is compared to prepping earth to cover the blood of a slaughtered animal.

beitza 6

the egg and the chick within

beitza 5

after the destruction the fruit will also disappear from jerusalem.
but the eggs status remain the same.

everyone who lives within 1 day walk of Jerusalem had to bring their 4th year fruit had to Jerusalem, to keep the markets stocked with fruit. after the destruction this no longer happened. Rabban Yochanan b. Zakkai did not revoke the decree about eggs laid on rosh hashana, but kept it in place, as the Temple might be rebuilt and not confuse as the egg was eaten last year.

beitza 4

the branch that fell from the tree
that turned into piece of coal
that fuel the beacons' fires.

this page compares an egg that was laid on festival to a branch falling from the tree. if it fell on one day, could it be used on the second day of the festival. are two-day festivals, outside of Israel, considered two separate days or one continuous day. Festivals are two days outside of Israel due to the system of beacons being disrupted by the Samaritans.

beitza 3

like fruit falling from a tree
or
juice from the fruit

either way, can't hide in a crowd

beitza 2

status of the egg depends on the ultimate purpose of the chicken.

goodbye succah

succah 56

the priestly daughter who cried "wolf!"
and caused her family to be sealed up, locked away from feeding the altar,
- but what made her cry wolf....

succah 55

70 bulls & 1 bull
70 nations & 1 nation
7 days & the 8th day

succah 54

sounding the trumpets during the filling, during the pouring
or
while standing on the steps

succah 53

while the men juggle fire, eggs and wine
the women can sort the wheat by the light of the party

succah 52

shatter it, dissolve it, either way when the evil inclination will eventually be destroyed it will need to be mourned and eulogised.

succah 51

all rise!
the children who climb with basins of oil to the candles
and the women who need to be lifted out of the way of the party

succah 50

the voice or the instrument - what is the essence of music?