Beitza 15 a, b

The rabbis are deeply immersed in a conversation about what we can send or bring as a gift on a Festival.  They discuss garments, including shoes of different colours and fabrics.  It is interesting to note that while we are told not to wear linen and wool together, many other combinations of fabrics are permitted.  Some thoughts about felt are shared: is this permitted?  There is no sewing involved!  Just fibres mashed together by force.  We learn that people may have worn felt insoles for comfort.  And the maintenance of both black shoes and white shoes was cumbersome.  Spiked shoes, those with nails, had caused a tragedy in the past - we learn that while hiding from anti-semites, one person tapped such a shoe and the sound created panic for it sounded like a group approaching.  Thus spiked sandals were forbidden, possibly just to keep the memory of that experience alive.

We return to a discussion from Eiruvin where the rabbis whether found tefillin should be carried on a Festival.  They look to the days of the week to help determine whether or not a particular item might be appropriate to send on a Festival.  Weekdays are fine. The rabbis use this information to round out their stories about a person who finds tefillin.  We learn in Steinsaltz's notes that beit sefarim were often built far from the centre of town.  They were placed between towns to use the funds of multiple communities and to draw more attendees.

Amud (b) also begins Perek II.  A new Mishna tells us that food for a Festival may be prepared for that day; if the Festival falls on a Friday, we may prepare food for Shabbat on the Festival.  However, we must first create an eiruv tashlishin between the two days so that the food can be thought of a one meal, carrying over from the Festival to Shabbat.  Beit Shammai say that this eiruv requires two dishes while Beit Hillel say that only one dish is required.  We can eat what is left over from the Festival on Shabbat, but the rabbis want to encourage people to prepare in advance and so other restrictions are introduced.

The Gemara looks more carefully at the eiruv tashlishin.  The word eiruv is meant in the form of 'connection' or 'continuation' rather than referring to a physical joining, like that of courtyards.  The rabbis note that Shabbat is to be held sacred; different from all other days.  How can we treat Shabbat with such disrespect?  In response, the rabbis find proof texts that teach us to prepare our food for Shabbat in advance of the day of rest.

We are told a fascinating story about Rabbi Eliezer the Great, who watched groups of students leave as he lectured on the halachot of Festivals.  As each group left, he became more angry and called to the departing group that they must have a pittas, a barrel, a jug, a jar, a cup waiting for them - they must be hungry and are compelled to leave.  When the sixth group left, he told them that only a curse was waiting for them as they did not value learning Torah over the call of sustenance. Finally, the remaining students were afraid of Rabbi Eliezer.  He reassured them, giving them a blessing (including giving food to the poor) going forward to enjoy their meals.

Our Sages debate what is important in celebrating a Festival: devotion to G-d (through Torah study) or physical pleasure (through eating and drinking).  When Eliezer became upset, he was adhering to the notion that his students were not devoting themselves completely to the pleasure derived through study. Some rabbis agree that we should choose one of these two forms of celebration on the Festivals.  Others believe that we should give half of our celebration to G-d (through Torah study) and half to ourselves (through eating and drinking).  Although Eliezer was stringent on these - and many other - points, he was famous for such opinions.  

A note teaches us that the one or two most prominent families in each town would make the eiruv itself.  In so doing, people without enough to prepare for Shabbat would be able to enjoy their Shabbat meal following the Festival.  It was frowned upon to rely on such gestures, however.  People were expected to create their own eiruvin whenever possible.

As we are about to enter the Festival of Pesach and I will not be blogging for two nights, I am pleased that the chag did not fall just before Shabbat this year so that I was able to avoid the degree of planning discussed in today's daf.