Beitza 20a.

1- We continued the discussion of last week concerning Maa’ser money.

We learned the Ramo, Shach and Taz.

See here

The final conclusion is that for items that one is obligated to do, Maa’ser money cannot be used. On the other hand items which are elective, such as buying an Aliya,  for this one may use Maa’ser money.

Education for children is one item that a father is obligated to provide for (he can teach them himself if he so chooses). Thus Maa’ser money can not be used for tuition payments.

Yet, the cost of the food and dormitory is not something that a father is obligated to provide for above the age of 13. So this cost can indeed be paid for from Maa’ser money.’

See here at length an article that discusses these issues and more. Such as using Maa’ser money to buy a ticket to visit your Rebbe.

2- We tried to decipher a rather difficult piece of Gemara regarding the argument between Bais Shamai and Beis Hillel about the Semicha on animals.

The Gemara records two different traditions among the Tana’im with regard to the dispute between Beis Shamai and Beis Hillel about Semichah. Some Tana’im explain that the dispute is whether Semichah is permitted on Yom Tov or whether it is prohibited on Yom Tov because it involves a transgression of the prohibition against using a live animal (“Mishtamesh b’Ba’alei Chayim”). Others say that the dispute is whether or not there is an obligation to perform Semichah altogether for Korbanos of Shalmei Chovah (obligatory Korbenos Shelamim, as opposed to voluntary ones) even on a weekday.

3- Next we moved on to the story of Hillel ha’Zaken who was approached by a large group of disciples of Shamai, who demanded to know what sort of animal he was bringing (they suspected that it was an Olah, and wanted to stop him from making Semichah on Yom Tov).

He replied that the animal was a female (and must therefore be a Shelamim, and not an Olah); to prove his point (and put them off), he swished its tail. From this it seemed that Hillel seemed to have changed his mind. The students of Shamai seized upon this opportunity to establish the Halachah like Beis Shamai that day in the Beis Hamedrash, Ultimately, due to the intervention of one of the students of Shamai, Bava b.Buta, who crossed the aisle and cornered the market on Keidar meat, and then offering them to all to be used as offerings, thus assuring that the Halachah was fixed like Beis Hillel.

 

~ Short anecdote regarding Bava B Buta:

כאשר הרג הורדוס את החכמים, השאיר את בבא בן בוטא, כדי להתייעץ בו, אבל ניקר את עיניו. פעם בא אליו מחופש, ישב לפניו, החל לדבר רעות בהורדוס, וביקש ממנו שיקלל את העבד הרע הזה… בבא בן בוטא ניזהר מלהוציא דבר רע מפיו. לבסוף גילה שהוא הורדוס, שבא לנסותו, והביע לפניו את חרטתו על מעשיו. כששאל את בבא בן בוטא אם יש לו תקנה, הציע להורדוס לבנות מחדש את בית המקדש

ב”ב ג:ב-ד:א