Was auch immer man aufgrund von Shvuth ("Ruhe") haftet [dh was auch immer die Weisen aufgrund von Shvuth verboten haben, am Schabbat zu handeln] oder Reshuth (eine erlaubte Aktivität) [wo es "etwas" von einer Mizwa gibt , aber keine bestimmte Mizwa, so dass es den Anschein von "Reshuth" hat (und was von den Schriftgelehrten verboten ist)] oder Mizwa [dh wo es eine bestimmte Mizwa gibt, die die Rabbiner jedoch am Schabbat verboten haben], ( Was auch immer man wegen shvuth haftet), man haftet für [dh er darf es nicht tun] auf yom tov. Shvuth: [jene Dinge, von denen die Weisen einen aufforderten, sich "auszuruhen", und bei denen es keine Mizwa gibt]: Man darf nicht auf einen Baum klettern [ein Dekret, damit er nicht reißt (etwas davon)] und eins darf nicht auf einem Tier reiten [ein Dekret, damit er nicht einen Weinstock schneidet, um es zu führen], und man darf nicht schwimmen [ein Dekret, damit er nicht "eine Schwimmerflasche" macht], und man darf nicht [in die Hand klatschen zur Hand], und man darf nicht [Hand zum Oberschenkel] schlagen, und man darf nicht tanzen, [alle Dekrete, damit man keine Musikinstrumente herstellt]. Reshuth: Man darf keine (halachische) Entscheidung treffen. [Manchmal ist dies (vollständig) reshuth, wie wenn es eine höhere Autorität in der Stadt gibt, in welchem Fall es nicht seine Pflicht ist (ein geringerer Weiser), zu regieren.], Und man darf nicht verloben. [Manchmal ist es keine eindeutige Mizwa, sondern eine Reshuth, wie wenn man eine Frau und Kinder hat.] Und man darf weder Chalitzah noch Yibum durchführen. [Wenn man einen älteren Bruder hat, ist dies auch eine Reshuth, da es eine Mizwa für den ältesten Bruder ist, Yibum auszuführen. Der Grund für all dies—ein Dekret, damit er nicht schreibt.] Mizwa: Man darf nicht (dem Tempel) widmen, und man darf nicht beurteilen, [z. B. "Der Wert dieses Mannes liegt bei mir" (um dem Tempel zu geben), und er gibt je nach Alter, wie im Abschnitt über Einschätzungen (3. Mose 27: 1-8) erläutert], und man darf keine Andachten (Charamin) machen [z. B. "Dieses Tier ist ergeben". Unqualifizierte Andachten dienen der Tempelpflege. Die Rabbiner verboten all dies (auf yom tov), weil sie dem Kaufen und Verkaufen ähnlich sind, etwas, das von seiner Domäne zu der von hekdesh (dem Tempel) übergeht], und man darf terumah und ma'aser (auf yom tov) nicht trennen. [sogar um es dem Cohein an diesem Tag zu geben, wo es offensichtlich ist, dass er sie für die Festfreude des Cohein trennt—dennoch ist es verboten, denn er "bessert" damit (das Erzeugnis) aus. Dies, mit dem, was am Tag zuvor Tevel war (vorbehaltlich des Zehnten), aber mit dem, was heute Tevel geworden war, wie Teig, von dem Challah genommen werden muss, trennt er es auf Jom Tov und gibt es dem Cohein.] All of diese wurden in Bezug auf yom tov angegeben—a fortiori in Bezug auf den Schabbat. Es gibt keinen Unterschied zwischen yom tov und Shabbath, sondern nur Essen (Zubereitung) (am Shabbath verboten, aber auf yom tov erlaubt). [Diese anonyme Mischna entspricht Beth Shammai, die sagt (1: 5): "Weder a Moll, weder ein Lulav noch eine Thora-Schriftrolle dürfen gemeinfrei ausgeführt werden (auf yom tov), "nur das, was zum Essen notwendig ist, ist erlaubt worden. Aber wir regieren in Übereinstimmung mit Beth Hillel, die sagt, dass das Tragen zu Esszwecken erlaubt war, aber auch zu anderen Zwecken. (Ein weiterer Unterschied ist das Fallenlassen von Früchten durch die Öffnung (5: 1), was am Schabbat verboten und auf Jom Tov erlaubt ist.)]
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
כל שחייבין עליו – that the Sages forbade to do on Shabbat because of Rabbinic decrees to enhance the character of the Shabbat/Festivals as a day of rest.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
Introduction
This long mishnah deals with three categories of acts that are prohibited by the rabbis on Shabbat and on Yom Tov. They are all considered to be prohibited “derabbanan”, by the rabbis and not by the Torah. The three categories are:
Shevut mandated rest on Shabbat. These are activities that are prohibited because they are generally not in the spirit of the day or because by doing one of them one might come to transgress a biblical prohibition.
Reshut optional activities. These have some aspect of mitzvah in them but can be done on other days. Therefore one doesn’t do them on Yom Tov or Shabbat.
Mitzvah these are commandments that can be performed on other days and therefore shouldn’t be done on Shabbat.
The main point of the mishnah is that the only actions which are allowed on Yom Tov but prohibited on Shabbat those done while preparing food. All of the other Shabbat prohibitions still hold true.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
או משום רשות – that there is in a bit of a Mitzvah, but not a large Mitzvah, but it is near to being an optional act, but there is within it a prohibition from the words of the Scribes.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
Every [act] for which one is liable on Shabbat because of mandated rest [shevut], [or] because it is only optional [reshut], [or] even though it is a religious act [mitzvah], he is also liable on Yom Tov. For the following acts he is liable because of shevut: One may not climb a tree, And one may not ride on an animal. And one may not swim in water. And one may not clap hands, nor slap [thighs], nor dance. Climbing a tree is forbidden lest one breaks a branch, which is forbidden to do on Shabbat. Riding an animal is considered prohibited lest one while riding break a branch to use as a switch in guiding an animal. It seems that a deeper reason for why the rabbis prohibited this was that they did not believe that riding an animal was in the spirit of Shabbat. Swimming was prohibited lest while swimming one makes a raft on which to float. Finally, certain types of clapping, slapping of thighs and dancing were prohibited on Shabbat lest one begin to make music and then come to make a musical instrument. We should note that some of these activities are no longer generally prohibited because the likelihood that by doing one of them one will come to transgress a more serious commandment is minimal. In my mind the most important thing to remember is that while one follows the minutiae of Shabbat, one should also be mindful of the spirit of Shabbat. Even things that are permitted should not always be done.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
או משום מצוה – or there is within an actual Mitzvah/commandment, and the Sages prohibited doing it on the Sabbath.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
For the following acts he is liable because they are only optional: One may not judge; And one may not betroth a wife, nor perform halizah, nor perform yibbum [consumate a levirate marriage]. This section contains activities that have some aspect of “commandment” to them but can be done on other days. Judging, betrothing and other legal aspects of arranging various types of marriages can be done any day of the week, therefore one should not do them on Shabbat. In my opinion, this is again because these activities are not in the “spirit of Shabbat.” They might detract from the special sanctity of Shabbat, a day set aside. A more technical reason why these things are prohibited is that by doing one of them one might come to write.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
וחייבין עליו – not to do it on the Festival.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
And for the following acts one is liable even though it is a religious act [mitzvah]: One may not dedicate [anything to the Temple], nor vow a personal valuation, nor make a vow of herem, nor set aside terumah or tithes. These acts are actually mitzvot, but still one may not perform them on Shabbat or Yom Tov because they can all be done with as much ease on other days. The Rambam explains that donating something to the Temple is similar to engaging in business and hence one does not do so on Shabbat. One does not separate tithes or terumah on Yom Tov or Shabbat because by doing so one “fixes” something to make it usable. Also, this could have just as easily been done the day before.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ואלו הן משום שבות – that the Sages placed upon him to abstain from doing but there isn’t in their performance any kind of Mitzvah.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
All these things they [the rabbis said that they are forbidden] on Yom Tov, how much more so [are they forbidden] on Shabbat. There is no difference between Yom Tov and Shabbat except for the preparation of food alone. In conclusion the mishnah notes that when discussing the laws of Yom Tov the rabbis prohibited these activities, but they are nevertheless even more prohibited on Shabbat. The mishnah reminds us that the only type of activity which is permitted on Yom Tov but not on Shabbat is something done while preparing food.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
לא עולין באילן – a decree lest he tear off [a branch].
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ולא רוכבין על גבי בהמה – a decree lest he cut a vine-shoot to drive the animal.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ולא שטין על פני המים – a decree lest he make a swimmer’s bottle (see Tractate Kelim, Chapter 2, Mishnah 3 – used for practicing).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ולא מטפחין – hand upon hand.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ולא מספקין – hand upon the leg.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ולא מרקדין – on the Festival, and all of them are a decree lest he repair a musical instrument.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ואלו הן משום רשות – because oof those of the ending section of the Mishnah which are a complete Mitzvah, regarding them we call these “optional.”
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
לא דנין – a judgement, and sometimes it is optional, such as when there is a larger city than this one, and it is not upon him to judge.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ולא מקדשין – the betrothal of a woman. For sometimes, it is not a complete commandment but rather optional, such as when he has a wife and children.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ולא חולצין ולא מיבמין – also at the time when he has an older brother than him, it is option, but it is a great Mitzvah to perform a levirate marriage and the reason for all of them is lest he write [documents].
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ולא מעריכין – the value of this thing is upon me, and he gives according to the years, as it is written in the portion of valuations (Leviticus 27:1-8).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ולא מחרימין – behold this animal is devoted to God. And a mere devotion of an animal is for the treasury of the Temple. And all of them, the Rabbis forbad because they are similar to business transactions where one removes it from his domain to the domain of the Sanctified.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ולא מגביהין תרומות ומעשרות – and even in order to give them to the Kohen on the same day that is appropriate, for because of the Rejoicing on the Festival that the Kohen who needs them, he separates them (i.e., the tithes), and nevertheless, it is prohibited, for it is considered like repairing. And these words concerning produce that yesterday were eatables forbidden prior to the separation of sacred gifts, that currently such as dough one has to separate Hallah from, we separate it on the Festival and give them to the Kohen.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
אין בין יו"ט לשבת אלא אוכל נפש בלבד (this part of the Mishnah is also found in Tractate Megillah, Chapter 1, Mishnah 5) – this anonymous teaching is according to the School of Shammai which states that we do not take out the minor nor the Lulav nor a Torah scroll into the public domain, for taking out was only permitted for the purpose of the preparation of food. But we hold like the School of Hillel which states that since removal was permitted for the purposes of the preparation of food, it is also permitted for that which is not needed [for food preparation]. And there are those who state that we let down pieces of fruit through an aperture in the roof looking to the ground floor at the beginning of our Chapter (Mishnah 1), that it is prohibited on the Sabbath, but that is permitted on the Festival.
