Translation:Talmud/Seder Moed/Tractate Beitzah/2a

Mishnah

[IF] AN EGG IS LAID ON A FESTIVAL-DAY, BETH SHAMMAI1 SAY: IT MAY BE EATEN [ON THE SAME DAY], BUT BETH HILLEL1 MAINTAIN: IT MAY NOT BE EATEN [UNTIL THE DAY IS OVER]. BETH SHAMMAI SAY: [THE QUANTITY OF] LEAVEN2 IS OF THE SIZE OF AN OLIVE3 AND LEAVENED BREAD IS OF THE SIZE OF A DATE,4 BUT BETH HILLEL MAINTAIN: BOTH5 ARE OF THE SIZE OF AN OLIVE. HE WHO SLAUGHTERS GAME ON POULTRY ON A FESTIVAL-DAY, BETH SHAMMAI SAY: HE MAY DIG UP [EARTH] WITH A SHOVEL6 AND COVER [THE BLOOD],7 BUT BETH HILLEL MAINTAIN: ONE MAY NOT SLAUGHTER8 UNLESS HE HAS [LOOSE] EARTH PREPARED FROM THE DAY BEFORE [THE FESTIVAL];9 BUT THEY AGREE THAT IF HE HAS [ALREADY] SLAUGHTERED, HE MAY DIG UP [EARTH] WITH A SHOVEL AND COVER [THE BLOOD], BECAUSE10 THE ASHES OF THE HEARTH ARE MUKAN [CONSIDERED AS HAVING BEEN PREPARED].11

Gemarah

What12 are we discussing? If one should say about a hen kept13 for food, what is the reason of Beth Hillel,14 [seeing that] it is food which has been separated;15 and [if] about a hen kept for laying eggs, what is the reason of Beth Shammai,16 [seeing that] it is mukzeh?17 — But what objection is this? Perhaps Beth Shammai do not accept [the prohibition of] Mukzeh? (We are of the opinion that even he who permits mukzeh forbids nolad;18 what then is the reason of Beth Shammai?) — R. Nahman replied: In table [we are debating] about a hen kept for laying eggs; but he who accepts [the prohibition of] mukzeh accepts [the prohibition of] nolad, and he who rejects [the prohibition of] mukzeh rejects [the prohibition of] nolad:19 Beth Shammai is [of the same opinion] as R. Simeon20 and Beth Hillel is [of the same opinion] as R. Judah.21 But did R. Nahman say thus? Surely we have learnt: Beth Shammai say: One may remove22 [on the Sabbath] from the table [with the hand] bones and nutshells;23 but Beth Hillel maintain: One lifts off the whole table-top and shakes it.24 And R. Nahman25 said: As for us, we only hold that Beth Shammai [follow the view] of R. Simeon! — R. Nahman can reply to you: With reference to the Sabbath where the Tanna teaches anonymously26 according to [the opinion of] R. Simeon as we have learnt: You may cut up gourds27 for cattle and a carcass28 for dogs29 Beth Hillel is made to represent the opinion of R. Simeon; but