Cualquier cosa de la que uno sea responsable en razón de shvuth ("descanso") [es decir, lo que los sabios le prohibieron a uno hacer en Shabat por razón de shvuth], o reshuth (una actividad permitida), [donde hay "algo" de una mitzvá , pero no una mitzvá distinta, de modo que tiene una apariencia de "reshuth" (y que está prohibido por los escribas)], o mitzvá [es decir, donde hay una mitzvá distinta, pero que los rabinos prohibieron en Shabat], ( Cualquiera que sea el responsable por razón de shvuth), uno es responsable [es decir, no puede hacerlo] en yom tov. Shvuth: [aquellas cosas de las cuales los sabios le dijeron a uno que "descansara", y en las cuales no hay mitzvá]: Uno no puede trepar a un árbol [un decreto, para que no se rasgue (algo de él)], y uno no puede cabalgar sobre un animal [un decreto, para que no corte una varilla de vid para conducirlo], y uno no puede nadar [un decreto, para que no haga "una botella de nadador"], y uno no puede aplaudir [mano a la mano], y uno no puede abofetear [mano al muslo], y uno no puede bailar, [todos los decretos no sea que uno haga instrumentos musicales]. Reshuth: No se puede emitir un fallo (halájico). [A veces, esto es (enteramente) reshuth, como cuando hay una autoridad superior en la ciudad en cuyo caso no le corresponde a él (un sabio menor) gobernar.], Y uno no puede desposarse. [A veces no es una mitzvá distinta, sino reshuth, como cuando uno tiene esposa e hijos.], Y uno no puede realizar jalá ni jibum. [Cuando uno tiene un hermano mayor, esto también es reshuth, ya que es una mitzvá para que el hermano mayor realice yibum. La razón de todo esto—un decreto, para que no escriba.] Mitzvá: No se puede dedicar (al Templo), y no se puede evaluar, [por ejemplo, "El valor de ese hombre está sobre mí" (dar al Templo), y él da según la edad como se explica en la sección de evaluaciones (Levítico 27: 1-8)], y uno no puede hacer devociones (charamin) [por ejemplo, "Esta bestia es devota". Las devociones, no calificadas, son para el mantenimiento del Templo. Los rabinos prohibieron todo esto (en yom tov) porque son similares a comprar y vender, algo que pasa de su dominio al de hekdesh (el Templo)], y uno no puede separar terumah y ma'aser (en yom tov) [incluso para dárselo al Cohein ese día, donde es evidente que los está separando para la alegría del festival de Cohein—aún así, está prohibido, porque él "enmenda" (el producto). Esto, con lo que era tevel (sujeto al diezmo) el día anterior, pero con lo que se había convertido en tevel hoy, como la masa, de la cual se debe tomar jalá, lo separa en yom tov y se lo da al Cohein.] Todo estos fueron declarados con respecto a iom tov—a fortiori, con respecto al Shabat. No hay diferencia entre yom tov y Shabbath, sino solo comida (preparación), (está prohibido en Shabbath pero permitido en yom tov.) [Esta Mishnah anónima está de acuerdo con Beth Shammai, quien dice (1: 5): "Ni un menor, ni un lulav, ni un pergamino de la Torá pueden llevarse al dominio público (en yom tov), "solo lo que es necesario para comer ha sido permitido. Pero dictaminamos de acuerdo con Beth Hillel, quien dice que, dado que el transporte se permitía para comer, también se permitía para otros fines. (Otra diferencia es la caída de frutas a través de la abertura (5: 1), que está prohibido en Shabat y permitido en iom tov.)]
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
או משום מצוה – or there is within an actual Mitzvah/commandment, and the Sages prohibited doing it on the Sabbath.
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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.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
וחייבין עליו – not to do it on the Festival.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
לא עולין באילן – a decree lest he tear off [a branch].
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Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ולא רוכבין על גבי בהמה – a decree lest he cut a vine-shoot to drive the animal.
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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).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ולא מטפחין – hand upon hand.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ולא מספקין – hand upon the leg.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Beitzah
ולא מרקדין – on the Festival, and all of them are a decree lest he repair a musical instrument.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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].
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
