Beitzah Daf 2 ביצה דַף 2

The opening Mishnah of the Masechta states: ביצה שנולדה ביום טוב בית שמאי אומרים תאכל ובית הלל אומרים לא תאכל – Concerning an egg that was laid on Yom Tov, Beis Shammai say it may be eaten on Yom Tov and Beis Hillel say it may not be eaten. The Gemara asks, what type of hen are we dealing with? If we say that the Mishnah refers to a תרנגולת העומדת לאכילה – a hen that was designated for consumption, what is Beis Hillel's reason to forbid eating it, אוכלא דאפרת הוא – the egg is food that separated from food, and so it is not muktzeh? And if we say that the Mishnah refers to a תרנגולת העומדת לגדל ביצים – a hen that was designated to produce eggs, what is Beis Shammai’s reason to permit eating and handling the egg? It is muktzeh! Rav Nachman said that the Mishnah refers to a hen that was designated to produce eggs, ודאית ליה מוקצה אית ליה נולד, and the one who subscribes to a broad application of the laws of muktzeh, referring to Rebbe Yehudah, subscribes also to the prohibition of nolad, while the one who rejects a broad application of muktzeh laws, referring to Rebbe Shimon, also rejects the prohibition of nolad. Beis Shammai permit one to eat the egg because they hold like Rebbe Shimon who does not hold of nolad, whereas Beis Hill forbid it because they hold like Rebbe Yehudah who does hold of nolad.

As part of the analysis of Rav Nachman’s opinion, the Gemara explains that the סתם תנא in Maseches Shabbos is Rebbe Shimon, who does not hold of muktzeh, whereas the סתם תנא in Beitzah is Rebbe Yehudah, who does hold of muktzeh. The Gemara asks why Rebbe, who formulated these anonymous Mishnayos, formulated those in Shabbos more leniently, like Rebbe Shimon, whereas those regarding Yom Tov he formulated according to the more stringent view of Rebbe Yehudah? The Gemara answers שבת דחמירא ולא אתי לזלזלי בה סתם לן כרב שמעון דמיקל – Regarding Shabbos, whose laws are more restrictive and so people will not come to treat it disrespectfully, Rebbe formulated a stam Mishnah according to Rebbe Shimon, who is more lenient. יום טוב דקיל ואתי לזלזולי ביה סתם לן כרבי יהודה דמחמיר – However, regarding Yom Tov, whose laws are somewhat more liberal and so people will come to treat it disrespectfully, Rebbe formulated a stam Mishnah in accordance with Rebbe Yehudah, who is more stringent.

After the Gemara successfully challenges Rav Nachman’s interpretation of the Mishnah, it brings Rabbah’s explanation: לעולם בתרנגולת העומדת לאכילה – Actually it is with a hen that was designated for consumption and is therefore not muktzeh, וביום טוב שחל להיות אחר השבת עסקינן – and we are discussing a case of an egg that was laid on a Yom Tov that fell after Shabbos, and Beis Hillel prohibits its consumption משום הכנה - because of the principle of "preparation". For Rabbah holds that any egg laid today, became fully formed inside the hen yesterday. And Rabbah follows his own reasoning, for he said: That which is written, "והיה ביום השישי והכינו את אשר יביאו" – "And it will be on the sixth day that they shall prepare the mann which they bring," which teaches us that חול מכין לשבת וחול מכין ליום טוב – a weekday prepares for Shabbos and for a Yom Tov, ואין יום טוב מכין לשבת ואין שבת מכינה ליום טוב – but Yom Tov cannot prepare for Shabbos nor can Shabbos prepare for Yom Tov. Beis Hillel therefore prohibit an egg laid on Yom Tov, since its preparation occurred on Shabbos.