NOTES Rav Yosef said to Abaye: Th is is not so; rather, both according to me ֲ אַמר ֵל ּיה: ֵּבין ְלִד ִ ידי ֵּבין ְלַר ָּבה ִאית ָלן Apparently, the : ֶּׁשַיְּחפוֹר ְּבֶדֶקר – and according to Rabba we are of the opinion that the ruling is in Then he digs with a shovel conclusion is that Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel disagree ְּדַר ִּבי זֵ ָ ירא, ְוָהָכא ְּבָהא ָקא ַּ ִמפְלִגינַן: accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Zeira, and here we disagree over whether regular earth in a courtyard is muktze or ַר ָּבה ָסַבר, ִאי ִא ָ ּיכא ָﬠָפר ָּ ְלַמטה – with regard to this matt er: Rabba holds that if there is prepared whether it is considered prepared and may be carried and ִאין, ִאי ָלא – ָלא, ָחְי ׁ ִישינַן ִּדְלָמא earth beneath, yes, in that case one may slaughter an animal, but if used for covering (Rid). It is permitted to use the earth after there is no earth prepared beneath, no, he may not slaughter it at all. the fact, as the positive mitzva by Torah law to cover the ִמְמִל ְיך ְוָלא ָׁשֵחיט. ּוְלִד ִ ידי ( ַאְּדַר ָּבה), Why not? Rabba says: We are concerned that perhaps one will blood overrides the rabbinic prohibition against moving ָהא ֲﬠִד ָ יפא, ְּדִאי ָלא ָׁשֵרית ֵל ּיה ָאֵתי .(reconsider and not slaughter it at all, and he will have dug a hole on muktze objects (Shitta Mekubbetzet ְלִאְמ ּ נוֵﬠי ִּׂ ִמשְמַחת יוֹם טוֹב. וְ הוּא – a Festival unnecessarily. And according to my opinion, on the con- And that is when one has a shovel embedded The mishna alludes to this halakha, as it : ֶׁשֵיּׁש לוֹ ֶּדֶקר נָעוּץ -trary: Th is situation, in which he is permitt ed to dig fi rst, is prefer able, since if you do not permit him to dig in all cases for the pur- does not simply state: He digs and covers the blood, but pose of slaughter, he will be unable to eat meat and will refrain from rather: He digs with a shovel, which indicates that there is a shovel ready for this purpose (Ĥatam Sofer, 2nd ed.). rejoicing on the Festival. An embedded shovel is permitted because to a certain Th at mishna states: And Beit Hillel concede that if one trans- extent it can be considered prepared for this purpose § ּ״ו ִמוֹדים ֶׁשִאם ָׁשַחט ֶּׁשַיְּחפוֹר ְּבֶדֶקר N (Rabbi Aharon HaLevi). gressed and slaughtered an animal, then he digs with a shovel and וִ ַ יכֶּסה״. ָאַמר ַר ִּבי ְזִר ָ יקא ָאַמר ַרב :ְוָהא ָקא ָﬠֵביד ְ ּכִת ׁ ָ ישה – covers the blood. Rabbi Zerika said that Rav Yehuda said: And that But doesn’t he perform crushing יְ ּ הוָדה: וְ הוּא ֶׁשֵיּׁש לוֹ ֶּדֶקר נָעוּץ is the halakha specifi cally when one has a shovel already embeddedN Some commentaries explain that this does not refer to ִמ ְּבעוֹד יוֹם. ְוָהא ָקא ָﬠֵביד ְ ּכִת ׁ ָ ישה! in the ground while it was still day, before the onset of the Festival. the crushing performed afterward, but to the crushing of the earth that occurs when one removes the shovel from ָאַמר ַרב ִחָיּיא ַּבר ַא ִׁשי ָאַמר ַרב: Th e Gemara asks: But what purpose does an embedded shovel serve; the ground (Rabbeinu Ĥananel; see Meiri). doesn’t he still perform the act of crushing,N as one must crush the lumps of earth to make the soil fi t for covering? Rav Ĥiyya bar Ashi said that Rav said: Perek I Daf 8 Amud a HALAKHA Here it is referring to loose earth that does not require further ְּבָﬠָפר ִּת ּ יחוח. crushing. One who digs a hole…but he needs only its earth – One who digs a hole on : ַה ֵ חוֹפר ּג ָּ וּמא…ְוֵאינוֹ ָצִר ְיך ָ ֶּאלא ַּלֲﬠָפָרה Th e Gemara challenges this: But even in the case of loose earth, one Shabbat only for its earth is exempt by Torah law, as he is ְוָהא ָקא ָﬠֵביד ּג ָּ וּמא! ִ ּכְדַר ִּבי ַא ָּבא, N makes a hole by the very act of removing the earth or the shovel considered to have committed a destructive act (Rambam ְּדָאַמר ַר ִּבי ַא ָּבא: ַה ֵ חוֹפר ּג ָּ וּמא Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 1:17). from that place. Th e Gemara answers: Th is ruling is in accordance ְּב ַׁש ָּבת ְוֵאינוֹ ָצִר ְיך ָ ֶּאלא ַּלֲﬠָפָרה – The : ֵאֶפר ִ ּכָירה ּמוָכן הוּא – with the opinion of Rabbi Abba, as Rabbi Abba said: One who digs The ashes of a stove are prepared H N ָּפטוּר ָﬠֶל ָיה. a hole on Shabbat, but he needs only its earth and has no interest ashes from a stove that was ignited on the eve of a Festival in forming a pit, is exempt for that act. Since he has no interest in the are considered prepared for covering the blood, and it is hole, he is considered to have performed a destructive act, and the permitted to rely on them and slaughter animals on the Festival. If the stove was ignited on the Festival itself, its halakha is that one who commits a destructive act is not liable for the ashes are prohibited, unless they are warm enough to be performance of prohibited labor on Shabbat and Festivals. used for minimal cooking, e.g., to roast an egg with them, or even to take the chill off a cold drink (Peri Megadim). If Th e mishna states: Th at the ashes of a stove are prepared. Th e ׁ ֶ ״שֵאֶפר ִכ ָ ירה מוָּכן ּהוא״. ֵאֶפר ִכ ָ ירה one transgresses and slaughters an animal, it is permitted § ּ ּ ,Gemara express puzzlement at this statement: Th e ashes of a stove ַמאן ְּדַכר ְׁשֵמ ּיה? ֲאַמר ַר ָּבה: ָהִכי N to cover its blood with these ashes even if they have cooled who mentioned anything about it? Why does the mishna suddenly off completely. Some authorities, such as the Rema and ָקָאַמר: ְוֵאֶפר ִּכ ָ ירה ּ מוָכן הוּא. speak about the ashes of a stove when it had not previously discussed the Taz, maintain that in that case it is preferable to use an or even mentioned them? Rabba said: Th is is what the tanna said: embedded shovel, if one is available. Others, such as the And the ashesN of a stove are prepared. H N In other words, everyone Magen Avraham and the Vilna Gaon, disagree (Shulĥan agrees that in addition to prepared earth, the ashes of a stove are also Arukh, Oraĥ Ĥayyim 498:15). considered prepared, and one may cover the blood with them. It is not necessary to prepare these ashes especially for this purpose the day before. NOTES Digging a hole sake and it is also a destructive act, which is permitted when it explanation should not be understood as a proposed change to :ְוָהא ָקא ָﬠֵביד ּג ָּ וּמא – But one makes a hole inside a house constitutes the prohibited labor of building; is for the purpose of fulfi lling a mitzva (Tziyyun LeNefesh Ĥayya). the text of the mishna. Rather, Rabba is saying that sometimes doing so in a field constitutes the prohibited labor of plowing Tosafot claim that even according to Rabbi Yehuda, it is permit- the term: That, i.e., the prefix letter shin, does not signify an (Meiri). ted in this case, due to the mitzva of rejoicing on the Festival. explanation, but adds to the previous statement, like a vav, Others explain that the ruling here is exempt and permitted which means: And (see Etz Yosef ). -This halakha con : ֵאינוֹ ָצִר ְיך ָ ֶּאלא ַּלֲﬠָפָרה – Needs only its earth because there is a shovel already embedded in the ground (Rid). :ְוֵאֶפר ִ ּכָירה ּמוָכן הוּא – cerning digging a hole is an example of the broader topic of And the ashes of a stove are prepared Some commentaries combine these arguments. prohibited labor performed not for its own sake, which is a case Tosafot ask: But according to the opinion of Beit Shammai, one -Some may not cover blood with ashes even on a weekday. Conse : ַמאן ְּדַכר ְׁשֵמ ּיה – where one performs a prohibited labor for a purpose other than Who mentioned anything about it its primary objective. In that case, Rabbi Shimon rules that one commentaries explain that this cannot refer back to the mish- quently, they explain that the statement that the ashes of a is exempt, and Rabbi Yehuda deems him liable. However, in this na’s earlier statement, as it was already stated that everyone stove are considered prepared for all of one’s needs means that case Rabbi Yehuda would agree that he is exempt because he agrees that one who slaughtered an animal should cover its the ashes do not have the status of muktze; it does not refer to performed a destructive act. blood. Since no previous dispute was recorded with regard to the mitzva of the covering of the blood at all. The Piskei HaRid Although the principle with regard to the prohibitions of the ashes of a stove, the Gemara asks how it can be said that states likewise. Others, however, explain this statement as fol- Shabbat is that exempt means exempt by Torah law but the Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel agree in that case as well (Rav lows: Beit Hillel agree that the ashes of a stove are considered act is prohibited by rabbinic law, according to Rabbi Shimon Yitzĥak Abuhav). prepared for covering blood, and therefore if one has ashes this would be permitted because it is a prohibition based on of a stove available he may slaughter an animal even ab initio .(This (Rashba : ָהִכי ָקָאַמר, ְוֵאֶפר – two rabbinic decrees, as it is a labor performed not for its own This is what he said, and the ashes Beitza · Perek I .