Beitza 35 a-b

1- We concluded our Sugya of שבת קובעת למעשר, and made a Siyum on Perek המביא.

הדרן עלך

We see that Hillel, against all his contemporaries, is of the opinion that שבת קובעת למעשר (see last Rashi on the page).

When Ravin arrived in Bavel from Eretz Yisroel, he taught that R. Yochanan said four things do not trigger and change the status of unfinished fruit to finished. 

1- שבת – Shabbos. Unlike Hillel’s opinion above

2- תרומה – Separating Teruma before they are completed.

3- חצר –  Bringing it into the house.

4- מקח – The last point was concerning a sale, ; despite the produce being sold it does not  give the unprocessed/unfinished produce enough importance for them to become חייב במעשר.

The Gemore assumes that most ignorant people certainly give תרומה  and probably Maaser as well.

2- We began the 5th and final פרק  of Beitza.

The Mishnah discusses what type of tedious work is permitted to be performed on Shabbos and Yom Tov.

‘Work’ obviously meaning not any of the 39 מלאכות that are prohibited on Shabbos and similarly, not the corresponding מלאכות that are prohibited on Yom Tov.

As an example, the Mishnah writes about ‘lowering fruits thru a skylight into the house’.

There is no proper מלאכה involved in doing so. The issue is the טרחה יתירה on Shabbos and Yom Tov.

3- Next week we will learn about the amount of fruit one is allowed to move. The Gemarah states: 3 boxes.

How much is a box?

3 סאה.

How much is a סאה?

144 eggs.

We explained that the measurement of סאה, כזית etc are measurements of volume. Not weight.

Thus a כזית of מצה  will weigh more than a כזית   of מרור lettuce.

So the סאה  is a measurement of not the weight of 144 eggs but rather the space 144 eggs take up. Volume. נפח  in Hebrew.

4- We touched the surface on the Noda BiYehuda’s opinion that the ‘eggs of our times have been reduced in size’. נתקטנו הביצים.

5- We mentioned the Gemora in Menachos (11a, Rashi  ד”ה זו אמה  and 88a) that writes about the ‘two measuring sticks’ that were attached to the outside wall on the Beis Hamikdosh. One of an אמה plus ½ finger the other an אמה and a full finger.

• אמות גדולות היו שתים: אחת בת ששה טפחים וחצי אצבע, והיא היתה יתרה על של משה חצי אצבע; ואחת בת ששה טפחים ואצבע, והיא היתה יתרה על של משה אצבע. ושתיהן היו נתונות ב”שושן הבירה” (כלים שם; מנחות שם) שהוא חדר שהיה בנוי על שער המזרחי של העזרה ומצוייר עליו צורת שושן הבירה (רש”י מנחות צח א ד”ה בשושן).

If archaeologists were to find these two ‘rulers’ we would have much to learn from them ……