Masechet Beitzah 1

In the mishna, Beis Hillel

• permits eating an egg laid on Yom tov

• forbids eating an egg laid on Yom tov

• expresses no opinion regarding an egg laid on Yom tov

Answer explanation

ביצה שנולדה ביום טוב בית הלל אומרין לא תאכל

Beis Shammai says:

• לא תאכל

• תאכל

Answer explanation

תאכל means you may eat it.

The Gemara asks the question: במאי עסקינן? This means:

• What specific scenario are we dealing with?

• What is the source in the Torah for the law in the mishna?

• Neither of the two answers given here

Answer explanation

במאי עסקינן = במה אנחנו עוסקים Regarding what situation are we dealing?

The Gemara begins then says....אילימא

This term means:

• some people say

• this contradicts a baraita

• if you want to say

Answer explanation

אילימא = אי=אם

לימא =תאמר

If you want to say/suggest...

The Gemara suggests that the case is one of a תרנגלת העומדת לאכילה. This kind of chicken...

• is set aside for eating

• is set aside for raising

• is set aside for laying eggs

Answer explanation

עומדת means set aside for

לאכילה means for eating

The Gemara rejects this suggestion for the following reason:

• If that's the situation, then Beis Shammai should never have forbidden the egg

• If that's the situation, then Beis Hillel should never have forbidden the egg

• If that's the situation, then Beis Shammai should never have allowed the egg

Answer explanation

Beis Hillel is the one who forbade eating the egg. If the chicken was set aside for eating, the egg should be allowed to eat too once laid on Yom tov

The reason that Beis Hillel should have permitted the egg if the chicken was set aside for eating is that

• there is a long-standing tradition that Beis Hillel is lenient in the laws of Yom Tov

• Rava and Reish Lakish say he was lenient

• if the chicken was set aside for eating, then he could have slaughtered it on Yom tov and eaten eggs found inside of it

So the Gemara then suggests that the chicken was set aside for laying eggs. The Hebrew term for this is

• לגדל ביצים

• לאכול ביצים

By saying the chicken was set aside for egg-laying, we can understand ...

• Beis Hillel now, who forbids the egg

• Beis Shammai, who allows the egg

Answer explanation

We understand Beis Hillel, because since the egg is not viewed as part of the chicken, to be able to eat the egg, your mind would have to be on the egg. But it cannot have been, because the egg didn't exist before Yom tov

By saying the chicken was set aside for egg-laying, we CANNOT understand ...

• why the Gemara would suggest this case in the first place

• Beis Shammai, who allows the egg

Answer explanation

We CANNOT understand Beis Shammai, because since the egg is not viewed as part of the chicken, to be able to eat the egg, your mind would have to be on the egg. But it cannot have been, because the egg didn't exist before Yom tov. So, even Beis Shammai should have forbidden the egg!