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Eduyos 4:10-11

Eduyos 4:10

Beis Shammai say that a man can vow against marital relations with his wife for two weeks (without having to divorce her); Beis Hillel say one week. If a woman miscarries on the night before the 81st day (when she would bring a sacrifice and be purified after giving birth to a daughter), Beis Shammai exempt her from bringing a sacrifice for the miscarriage but Beis Hillel obligate her (the difference of opinion hinging on whether or not the night after the 80th day but before the 81st is considered part of her clean period or not). Beis Shammai exempt a (linen) cloak from (wool) tzitzis (because they make a forbidden combination – shaatnez) but Beis Hillel require tzitzis (maintaining that the prohibition of shaatnez does not apply to tzitzis). If one wants to eat from a basket of fruit intended for Shabbos before Shabbos arrives, Beis Shammai exempt him from taking tithes first but Beis Hillel require it.

Eduyos 4:11

If a person undertook to be a nazir (nazirite) for longer than the default 30-day period and completed his period as a nazir, after which he came to Israel, Beis Shammai say he must observe nezirus for 30 days (because one cannot be a nazir outside of Israel since other lands are considered ritually impure); Beis Hillel require that he observe the extended nazir period again from the start. Let’s say that two groups of witnesses testified about his nazirite obligation – one group saying that he committed to observe two terms as a nazir and the other saying that he committed to observe five such periods. In such a case, Beis Shammai say that there are two contradictory testimonies so he has no obligation to be a nazir; Beis Hillel say that five includes two (i.e., the witnesses agree to that degree) so he must observe two nazir periods.

Author: Rabbi Jack Abramowitz