One may not break a shard or cut paper [on which oil is put, so that it is fire-resistant] to roast a salted (fish), and an oven or a stove may not be scraped [If some of the plaster or lime of the stove fell into it, it may not be scraped, this being "amending a vessel." This ruling is in accordance with the rabbis, who say that "enabling labors" for eating are forbidden.], but it [the ash and the residue] may be leveled, [and if baking is impossible unless it is scraped, it is permitted.] And two barrels may not be put close together to place a pot upon them [with the fire between the two barrels, this being forbidden because it looks like "building"]. And a pot may not be supported with pieces of wood, [wood being used only for kindling]. And so with a door, [it may not be steadied with a piece of wood, wood being muktzeh for all uses except kindling.] And a beast may not be led with a stick on yom tov, [for the impression is given that it is being led to market to be sold]. R. Elazar b. R. Shimon permits it.
Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
אין חותכין את הנייר – that they place on it oil, and it stands in the midst of the fire, all o fthis when the oil is within it and it doesn’t burn.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
Introduction
This mishnah deals with certain preparations made in order to facilitate cooking.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
One may not break up a potsherd or cut paper in order to roast on it a salty fish. When grilling a fish it would often be put on a broken shard of a pottery or on a piece of paper in order to prevent it from being burned. The mishnah considers breaking some pottery or cutting a piece of paper to be used as such to be “making a vessel” which is not permitted on Yom Tov.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
אין גורפין תנור וכירים – if there fell into them (i.e., the oven and/or the stove) from the paste of the oven and from the plaster , they don’t remove the ashes and coal from the oven for it is like repairing a thing, and it comes like the Rabbis who say that acts that are preliminary to the preparation (as grinding the slaughtering knife) are forbidden.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
And one may not rake out an oven or a range, but one may press [the ashes] down. One should not rake out the ashes and dirt from an oven or a range. This is also considered to be “making a vessel” because it makes the oven usable. However, it is permitted to “press down” the ashes, which seems to be a means of getting them out of the way in order to facilitate cooking. The Rambam notes that if one cannot cook unless the ashes are raked out, he may do so because one is allowed to cook on Yom Tov.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
מכבשין – lie on the dust and dirt in order that it would be smooth, for if it is impossible for him to bake other than if he removes the ashes and coal form the oven, it is permitted.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
And one may not place two jars side by side in order to balance upon them saucepan. Putting two jars next to each other so that there is a fire in between them and then balancing a pan upon them is like building a makeshift range. This is prohibited because it is forbidden to build on Yom Tov.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
מקיפין – bring them close to each other, like we don’t bring close a creation.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
And one may not prop up a pot with a wooden wedge and the same applies to a door. One may not use small pieces of wood to prop things up on Yom Tov because the wood was intended to be used as kindling. All other uses are prohibited.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
לשפות – to arrange and to place upon them a pot and the flame is between the two pots but he forbid it because it is similar to “building.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Beitzah
And one may not drive cattle with a staff on a festival. But Rabbi Elazar the son of Rabbi Shimon permits it. According to the Talmud, one may not drive cattle with a stick because it looks like he is bringing them to the marketplace to sell. Rabbi Elazar disagrees.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
[ואין סומכין] את הקדרה בבקעה – and they do not place wood other than for burning, and chips, wood that been split.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
וכן הדלת – they do not support it on chips, for wood is forbidden for use and handling on the Festival regarding all usage outside of burning.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ואין מנהיגים את הבהמה במקל – because it appears like he leads it (i.e, the animal) to be sold in the marketplace.
