Siman - Beitzah Daf 16
- A person’s income is fixed on Rosh Hashanah with some exceptions
Rav Tachlifa, the brother of Ravnai Choza’ah, taught the following Baraisa: כל מזונותיו של אדם קצובים לו מראש השנה ועד יום הכפורים חוץ מהוצאת שבתות והוצאת י''ט והוצאת בניו לתלמוד תורה – All of a person’s income is fixed each year, from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur, with the exception of expenditures for the Shabbosim and Yomim Tovim, and for the expenditures for teaching one’s children Torah, שאם פחת פוחתין לו ואם הוסיף מוסיפין לו – for in regard to these expenditures, if one spends less, he receives less; and if he spends more, he receives more. Rebbe Abahu asked what passuk this is derived from and brought the passuk "תקעו בחודש שופר בכסה ליום חגנו" – Blow a shofar at the moon’s renewal, at the time appointed for our festive day, which refers to Rosh Hashana since it is the only holiday that the moon is covered . The word כסה also means covered. And it says in the next passuk, "כי חק לישראל הוא משפט לאלקי יעקב" – Because it is a decree for Yisroel, a judgment day unto the G-d of Yaakov. The word used for decree is חק, which can also mean sustenance.
- The different approaches of Shammai Hazakein and Hillel Hazakein for preparing for Shabbos
It was taught in a Baraisa: They said about Shammai Hazakein, כל ימיו היה אוכל לכבוד שבת – that every day he would eat in honor of Shabbos. מצא בהמה נאה אומר זו לשבת – If he came across a superior animal anytime during the week, he would say: This should be set aside for Shabbos. If he then came across a more superior animal, he would set that aside for Shabbos and eat the first one. Thus, Shammai’s weekday meals were deemed to be in honor of Shabbos since the inferior animal was eaten so that the superior one could be reserved for Shabbos. But Hillel Hazakein had a different standard, שכל מעשיו לשם שמים – for all of his actions were done for the sake of Heaven, and he was sure that he would find a fitting animal for Shabbos when the need arose, as it says: "ברוך ה' יום יום" – Blessed be my G-d, day by day. This was also taught in another Baraisa: Beis Shammai say: מחד שביך לשבתיך – from the first day of your week, prepare for your Shabbos, but Beis Hillel say: "ברוך ה' יום יום" – Blessed be my G-d, day by day.
- Relying on the Rav’s communal eruvei tavshilin
Rav Huna said in the name of Rav: ערובי תבשילין צריכין דעת – Eruvei tavshilin requires knowledge that it has been established. The Gemara seeks to clarify that while it is obvious דעת מניח בעינן – that we require the knowledge of the one who establishes it, that he must have in mind that it should be effective for others who will rely on it, do we also require the knowledge of the person for whom it was established or not? The Gemara answers that we can learn from the following, that Shmuel’s father would establish an eruv for the entire city of Nehardea in which he lived, and Rebbe Ami and Rebbe Assi would establish an eruv for the entire city of Tiverya in which they lived, and Rebbe Yaakov bar Idi would announce on Yom Tov, מי שלא הניח ערובי תבשילין יבא ויסמך על שלי – “Whoever did not set up his own eruvei tavshilin may come and rely on mine.” The Gemara brings an incident where Shmuel told a blind man who had forgotten to make an eruvei tavshilin, that he could rely on his. The next year, the blind man had forgotten again, and Shmuel told him: פושע את – “You are negligent, and therefore, while everyone is permitted to rely on the eruvei tavshilin that I established for the community, for you it is prohibited, because I did not intend to establish an eruv for those who are negligent about keeping d’Rabbanons."
