Beitzah Daf 21 ביצה דַף 21

Rav Avyah Sabah asked Rav Huna: בהמה שחציה של נכרי וחציה של ישראל מהו לשחטה ביום טוב – An animal, half of which belongs to a nochri and half of it belongs to a Jew, what is the halachah in regarding to shechting it on Yom Tov? When Rav Huna answered that it is mutar, Rav Avya asked him: וכי מה בין זה לנדרים ונדבות – But what is the difference between this and nedarim and nedavos, whose meat is divided between the mizbayach and the donor? Even though the meat of the offerings will be eaten, it is still prohibited to shecht them on Yom Tov because of the portion that is going to the mizbayach. Here too, the share owned by the nochri should restrict the shechitah on Yom Tov? Rav Huna avoided the question as he felt ill and needed to eat before answering a difficult question. The Gemara explains Rav Huna’s ruling that in the case of the animal, which is jointly owned, one may shecht it דאי אפשר לכזית בשר בלא שחיטה  - because it is impossible to eat even a small, kezayis of meat without shechting the animal. But it is prohibited to shecht nedarim and nedavos דכהנים כי קא זכו משלחן גבוה קא זכו – because the entire animal is a consecrated offering, and when Kohanim receive portions of meat, it is from the table of the Most High that they receive it. Rashi explains that the Kohanim are viewed as servants who receive rations from their master’s house. Thus, the shechitah of the entire animal is considered as having been done for Hashem’s sake.

The Gemara discusses whether food may be prepared for animals on Yom Tov and brings a machlokes Tannaim. It was taught in a Baraisa: The passuk states: "אך אשר יאכל לכל נפש הוא לבדו יעשה לכם" – However, that which is eaten by any soul, that alone may be performed for you. From the words "לכל נפש" – from any soul, שומע אני אפילו נפש בהמה במשמע – I would infer that even the soul of an animal may benefit from melachah done on Yom Tov, for we find the term “soul” also used in reference to an animal in the passuk, "ומכה נפש בהמה ישלמנה" – One who strikes the soul of an animal should make restitution, therefore the Torah teaches that only food prepared "לכם" –for you but not for dogs, these are the words of Rebbe Yose HaGlili. Rebbe Akiva disagrees and says that even an animal soul is included in the dispensation for food preparation on Yom Tov. The word "לכם" implies for you, but not for nochrim. I assume the Torah means to include animals, שמזונותן עליך – whose sustenance is dependent on you, while I exclude nochrim whose sustenance is not dependent on you.

The Gemara earlier brought Rav Huna’s ruling that food may be prepared for non-Jewish soldiers only if they will permit a Jew to eat from it. The Gemara notes that Rav Huna disagrees with a ruling of Rebbe Yehoshua ben Levi who said: מזמנין את הנכרי בשבת ואין מזמנין את הנכרי ביום טוב – We may invite a nochri to eat with us on Shabbos, but we may not invite a nochri to eat with us on Yom Tov. גזרה שמא ירבה בשבילו – The Rabbanon issued a precautionary decree out of concern that perhaps the Jewish host might increase the amount of food he is preparing for the nochri’s sake. They were concerned that the host might cook an additional pot of food because of the nochri and come to transgress the d’Oraysa prohibition of cooking for a nochri on Yom Tov. The Rosh points out that this refers to a nochri that the host wants to honor and might want to cook an extra pot. Non-Jewish servants may eat at their master’s table on Yom Tov, as there is no such concern. Rava lead Mar Shmuel on a walk and ruled that this is the halachah.