- Burying a corpse on Yom Tov
Rava said: מת ביום טוב ראשון יתעסקו בו עממים – Regarding a corpse that awaits burial, if burial occurs on the first day of Yom Tov, nochrim should involve themselves with it, מת ביום טוב שני יתעסקו בו ישראל – if burial occurs on the second day of Yom Tov, Jews should involve themselves with it. Regarding burial, the second day of Rosh Hashanah is treated leniently like the second day of other chagim. Mar Zutra said that permission for a Jew to perform the burial was granted only if burial had been delayed and there was concern that the corpse would decay. Rav Ashi said that even if the burial had not been delayed, we do not delay it after Yom Tov, because יום טוב שני לגבי מת כחול שנויה רבנן – the Rabbanon established the second day of Yom Tov as a weekday for a corpse. One is even allowed to cut shrouds or hadasim for the corpse. Ravina said that nowadays that there are Chavrei, who compel the Jews to work for them, we are concerned that if they see Jews burying the dead on Yom Tov, they will make them work for them as well. Rashi explains that the Chavrei were an evil nation during the Persian era.
- אפרוח שנולד ביום טוב
It was taught: אפרוח שנולד ביום טוב – Regarding a chick that was hatched on Yom Tov, Rav said that it is assur, but Shmuel, and some say it was Rebbe Yochanan, said that it is mutar. The Gemara explains that Rav said it is assur because it is muktzeh, but Shmuel, and some say it was Rebbe Yochanan, said that it is permitted הואיל ומתיר עצמו בשחיטה – since with its hatching it can become permitted through shechitah, it does not become muktzeh. An unhatched chick may not be eaten, since it is included in the prohibition against eating a שרץ, a creeping creature. Rashi explains that hatching causes its status to change to that of a food, which may be eaten after shechitah. Since the process of hatching can remove the prohibition against eating a sheretz from upon the chick, hatching also has the power to remove the muktzeh prohibition that was on it. When Rav Kahana and Rav Assi asked Rav what the difference is between this chick, and a calf that was born on Yom Tov, which is not considered muktzeh, he answered them, הואיל ומוכן אגב אמו בשחיטה – since the calf was “prepared” on account of its mother through shechitah, it remains “prepared” after its birth. A newly hatched chick, on the other hand, could not have been eaten while it was still in its shell. Since it is muktzeh then, it is muktzeh now. The Gemara will further analyze the machlokes.
- ביצה עם יציאתה נגמרה
Rav Huna said in the name of Rav: ביצה עם יציאתה נגמרה – An egg, upon its exit from the mother hen, becomes fully formed. The Gemara asks what was meant by “upon its exit, becomes fully formed” and after many interpretations are rejected, it concludes, עם יציאתה נגמרה ומגדלת אפרוחים – upon its exit from the hen, the egg becomes fully formed, and if fertilized, can produce chicks; במעי אמה אינה מגדלת אפרוחים – however, when an egg is taken from its mother’s innards, it cannot produce chicks. The Gemara asks what the nafka minah is and answers, למקח וממכר – concerning the halachos of sales. Rashi explains that if a buyer requested eggs from which chicks will hatch, but was sold eggs taken from the hen’s insides, the sale is invalid.
