Beitzah 31 - October 1, 25 Tishrei

Today's daf is sponsored by Gitta Neufeld in memory of Ha'Chaver Menachem ben Ha'Chaver Avraham and Chava a"h. 

The Mishnah states that one is allowed to bring wood for kindling on Yom Tov from a pile of wood that was gathered in the fields or gathered or scattered wood from a karpaf, enclosure used for storage.  Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yosi disagree about whether the karpaf needs to be close to the city or can be farther away (within techum Shabbat) but in a locked space. Rav Yehuda in the name of Shmuel only permitted bringing from a pile of wood in a karpaf. Since this contradicts the Mishnah, the Gemara concludes that the Mishnah must be an individual's opinion, Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar's, and the rabbis disagree. Was Rabbi Yosi ruling leniently that one can collect wood from near the city from an unlocked space and farther away only if it is locked and Rabbi Yehuda requires a locked space near the city only? Or does Rabbi Yehuda not require a locked space and Rabbi Yosi is being stringent in requiring a locked space, even though he permits it further away from the city? The Gemara accepts the first interpretation. One cannot chop wood from beams set aside for use for building, nor from a beam that broke on Yom Tov. But if one has wood that can be chopped, one must chop with a cleaver, not with an ax, saw or sickle which are normally used for chopping. According to Rav Yehuda in the name of Shmuel, the issue of the beams is because they are muktze, set aside. Is there a side of the ax that can be used or a side of the cleaver that cannot be used? There are two different versions of a statement of Rav Chinina regarding this. In one he limits the prohibition of using an ax, in the other, he limits the permissibility of a cleaver. If a house is filled with produce and there is no access to get in, one cannot take produce from there on Yom Tov but the wall broke and there was an access route, one could take from there. According to Rabbi Meir, one can even break the wall. Why is Rabbi Meir not concerned about breaking apart a structure, which is a melacha (soter)? It must be that they were not cemented together and the rabbis were more lenient on this issue for Yom Tov. Regarding the prohibition to break apart a structure, Shmuel rules on undoing ropes that are fastened to the ground or to an object. He differentiates between the two regarding how one can do it, however, he does not distinguish between Shabbat and Yom Tov. The Gemara raises a difficulty against him from the braita where a distinction between Shabbat and Yom Tov is made regarding this issue. The Gemara suggests that perhaps it is connected to the debate between Rabbi Meir and the rabbis in our Mishnah, however, the suggestion is rejected.