(With) snares for animals, birds, or fish, which were set before yom tov — one may not take from them on yom tov (what is caught in them), unless he knows that it was caught before yom tov. And once a certain gentile brought fish (on yom tov) to R. Gamliel, who said: "It is permitted, but I do not want to take it from him." [The Mishnah is defective. It was taught thus: "Something that was 'possibly' ready for use (on yom tov eve) is forbidden. R. Gamliel permits it. And once a certain gentile, etc." The halachah is not in accordance with R. Gamliel. But fruits and fish that were brought on yom tov, "possibly" having been picked or caught (respectively) today or the day before, are forbidden And whatever it is forbidden to eat, it is forbidden to move. And if their appearance "speaks for them," e.g., if the fruits are so shriveled that they could not have been picked today, or if the fish were brought from such a distance that they could not have been caught today, they are permitted. And something ready for use, which was brought from outside the (permitted) bound for a Jew is forbidden to that Jew and to all the members of his household, but permitted to other Jews. And fruits or fish that were picked or caught on the first day of the festival are permitted in the evening, bichdei sheya'asu, for the second day (except for the two days of Rosh Hashanah, where they are forbidden until the end of the second day bichdei sheya'asu. "kedei sheya'asu" = "the amount of time it takes" from the time of the picking of the fruits until their being brought whence they were brought. With a city whose gates are locked at night, one must wait until morning bichdei sheya'asu.] [("but I do not want to take it from him":) because I hate him.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ומעשה בנכרי – The Mishnah is deficient and should be read as follows: If it was doubtfully ready, it is prohibited, but Rabban Gamaliel permits it, and there was a story about one heathen, etc. But the Halakha is not according to Rabban Gamaliel, but rather, fruit and fish that were brought on Yom Tov/The Festival day, which was a doubt if they had been collected today or yesterday, [or] there was a doubt if they had been hunted today or yesterday, they are forbidden. And whatever is forbidden to eat is forbidden to carry. But if their form proves about them such as withered fruit that it is impossible that they were gathered today, and similarly, fish that were brought from a distant place that it is impossible that they had been hunted today, are permitted. And something that is prepared/ready that comes from outside the [Sabbath] limits (i.e., the marked off area around a town or place within which it is permitted to move on the Sabbath two-thousand cubits in every direction) for an Israelite, it is forbidden for that Israelite to be brought for him and for his household, but it is permitted for another Israelite. But fruit that had been plucked and fish that had been hunted on the first day of the Festival, are permitted for the evening of the Second Day of the Festival in order that they are made, except for the two days of the holiday of Rosh Hashanah in which they are prohibited until the conclusion of the Second Day of the Holiday in order that they are made. And the explanation of [the term] in order that they are made, in order that the fruit can be plucked/detached from the place where they are detached and are brought from the place that they are brought from. But a cities whose doors are locked at night must wait until they are made.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
Introduction
In yesterday’s mishnah we learned that one may not hunt (trap) animals on Yom Tov because he could do it the day before. Today we learn about taking animals out of traps on Yom Tov when the traps were set before Yom Tov.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
אלא שאין רצונו לקבל ממנו – that I hate him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
Traps for wild animals, birds or fish which were set on the eve of Yom Tov, one may not take from them on Yom Tov unless he knows that they were [already] caught on the eve of Yom Tov. If the animals, birds or fish were caught in the traps the day before Yom Tov it would be permitted to take them out and slaughter them on Yom Tov. However, if they were trapped on Yom Tov then they are muktzeh because they could not have been used when Yom Tov began. When Yom Tov began he would have still had to trap them and trapping is prohibited on Yom Tov. If he finds them in the traps on Yom Tov he cannot use them unless he knows for certain that they were caught before Yom Tov. According to this opinion, something that is “doubtful muktzeh”, meaning it might or might not be muktzeh, it is prohibited.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
It once happened that a certain non-Jew brought fish to Rabban Gamaliel [on Yom Tov] and he said: they are permitted, but I have no wish to accept [them] from him. In this story we see that Rabban Gamaliel disagrees with the previous clause. The non-Jew brings him a fish as a gift and we don’t know whether he caught the fish the day before or today. Rabban Gamaliel states that the fish is permitted because he holds that doubtful muktzeh is permitted. However, he adds that he himself acts more stringently and therefore he refuses to accept the fish. Note that we also saw in the previous chapter that Rabban Gamaliel acted strictly with regard to himself.
