Beitzah 10 - September 10, 4 Tishrei

Study Guide Beitzah 10

Today’s daf is sponsored by Lydia Medwin in memory of her grandmother Helen Bloom. "We never met, but as I carry your name, I like to think that you'd be proud of how I carry our tradition and my new-found love of Talmud as well. I always think of you when I pull out your china for the holidays. May your soul be in perfect rest." And “A shout out to all the Daf Yomi learners in Santa Barbara, CA from Hazzan Mark Childs.”

The Gemara mentions a few more mishnayot in which Beit Shamai is stricter and Beit Hillel is lenient regarding Simchat Yom Tov and raises the contradiction from the first mishna where Beit Shamai is lenient and Beit Hillel is stricter (covering the blood). The structure of the answer is similar to the structure of the answers given earlier when asked the same question about other mishnayot. Beit Shamai and Beit Hillel disagree about designation of the chicks beforehand - should they be taken in hand when summoned or it is sufficient to just point with one’s finger. Is the controversy in the first brood of birds or the second? What is the basis of the controversy? Why does Beit Hillel not think it is sufficient to say, “I will take birds from here tomorrow” and based on laws of retroactive designation, it should work. The Gemara rejects the possibility that Beit Hillel does not hold by retroactive designation. So how can his opinion be explained? If one designated birds and when one returned to take them, he/she found a different situation than was before, what is the law? If they were black and there were white ones or there were three and now only two or vice versa, is one permitted to take them? If there were three and now only two, it is permissible to assume that one flew and the two remained. Does this only correspond to the opinion of Rebbi and not the rabbis that disagree in the case of money from the second tithe that one placed aside and when he/she returned there was less money than he/she remembered leaving? The Gemara explains how the rabbis would still agree with our mishna, despite their opinion regarding the second tithe as the cases aren’t comparable.