Beth Shammai say: One may not heat water for his feet (on yom tov) unless it is fit for drinking. [The Torah permitted (what is necessary for) eating, but not lighting a fire for bathing.] And Beth Hillel permit it. [For since lighting a fire was permitted for purposes of eating, it was also permitted for other purposes so long as some benefit is to be derived therefrom. And the halachah is that one may wash his face, hands, and feet with water that was heated on yom tov eve, but not his entire body, yom tov being decreed against by reason of Shabbath. And with water that was heated on yom tov eve, one may wash his entire body on yom tov.] One may make a bonfire (on yom tov) to warm himself thereby.
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
לא יחם אדם חמין לרגליו – The Torah permitted the preparation of food [on Yom Tov, for that day], but not to start a fire for bathing.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
Introduction
It is permitted to make a fire on Yom Tov in order that one can cook food. Our mishnah discusses making a fire so that one can heat up water to wash one’s feet.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
וב"ה מתירין – for such it [i.e., the Torah] permitted kindling a fire for the needs of eating, it permitted it also for things which are not for the needs of eating, when there is a need for some sort of benefit. And the Halakhic decision is that hot water that was warmed on the Festival day, a person can wash his face, hands and feet in it but not his entire body, for they decreed that the Festival day/Yom Tov is like Shabbat. But hot water that was warmed from the eve of the Festival, one can wash all of one’s body in it on Yom Tov.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
Bet Shammai says: a man may not heat water for his feet unless it is also fit for drinking. Bet Shammai holds that labors that are permitted on Yom Tov because they are necessary for preparing food are permitted only if they are done in the preparation of food. One may not heat water just to wash one’s body. The only leniency for which Bet Shammai allows is that if one heats up water that is fit for drinking, one can also use it for other purposes. This is similar to cooking on Yom Tov for the day after. If one can eat some of the food cooked on Yom Tov, one is allowed to cook, knowing that there will be leftovers.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
But Bet Hillel permits it. Bet Hillel generally holds that labors permitted in order to prepare food are permitted even if they are done not to prepare food. Hence, heating water is permitted whether one does so for drinking water or to wash one’s feet.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
A man may make a fire and warm himself at it. The final clause in the mishnah seems to also go according to Bet Hillel. It is not only permitted to heat water in order to wash one’s feet, one may even make a fire just to keep warm. The reason we might have thought that Bet Hillel prohibits this is that in this case there is no water being heated, water which one could claim one might drink in time of great thirst. This section lets us know that Bet Hillel allows one to make a fire on Yom Tov even if there is no chance that it will lead to food preparation.
