Today we finished the first chapter of our massekhet and began the second chapter. Eiruv tavshilin (עֶרב תַּבְשִׁילִן) is the first major topic under discussion. The rabbis forbad cooking on the Festival for Shabbat unless you make an eiruv tavshilin. Our chapter describes the mechanism while back on TB Pesakhim 46 presents two different rationales for it. The first understanding believes that one is not permitted to cook on the Festival for Shabbat just like one is forbidden to cook on the Festival for the weekday. Nevertheless, the principle of ho-il (הוֹאִיל-since) provides the solution. Since guests may come late in the day on the Festival, you may cook for this contingency even if guests never show up and use the “leftover” food for Shabbat meals. The second understanding holds that the Festival and Shabbat are considered one long sanctity (קְדוּשַׁה אָחַת); consequently, there’s no problem cooking from one day for the next.
The Mishnah on TB Beitzah
15 begins to describe what constitutes an eiruv
tavshilin. “With regard to a Festival that
occurs on Shabbat eve, one may not cook on the Festival with the initial
intent to cook for Shabbat. However, he may cook on that day for the
Festival itself, and if he left over any food, he left it over
for Shabbat. The early Sages also instituted an ordinance: The joining of
cooked foods [eiruv tavshilin], which the mishna explains. One may
prepare a cooked dish designated for Shabbat on a Festival eve and rely
on it to cook on the Festival for Shabbat.
“The tanna’im disagreed with
regard to the details of this ordinance: Beit Shammai say: For the
purpose of the joining of cooked foods one must prepare two cooked dishes,
and Beit Hillel say: One dish is sufficient. And they both agree
with regard to a fish and the egg that is fried on it that these
are considered two dishes for this purpose.” (Sefaria.org
translation)
The Gemara asks what verse in the
Torah inspired such a rabbinic injunction. Shmuel and Rav Ashi derived from two
different sources.
“The Gemara asks: From where
are these matters derived? What is the source of the halakha of the
joining of cooked foods and of the halakha that one who failed to
prepare such an eiruv may not cook on a Festival for Shabbat? Shmuel
said that the source is as the verse states: “Remember the Shabbat day,
to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8); from which he infers: Remember it
and safeguard it from another day that comes to make it forgotten.
When a Festival occurs on Friday, preoccupation with the Festival and the
preparation and enjoyment of its meals could lead one to overlook Shabbat.
Therefore, the Sages instituted an ordinance to ensure that Shabbat will be
remembered even then.
“The Gemara asks: What is the reason
that the Sages instituted this ordinance in particular to ensure that Shabbat
would not be overlooked? Rava said: The Sages did so in deference to
Shabbat, and they instituted an eiruv so that one will select a
choice portion for Shabbat and a choice portion for the Festival. If one
fails to prepare a dish specifically for Shabbat before the Festival, it could
lead to failure to show the appropriate deference to Shabbat.
Rav Ashi stated a different reason: The Sages did so
in deference to the Festival, so that people will say: One may not
bake on a Festival for Shabbat unless he began to bake the day before; all
the more so, one may not bake on a Festival for a weekday.” (Sefaria.org
translation)
The eiruv tavshilin serves as a reminder that Shabbat should not be lost and
forgotten about in the midst of celebrating the Festival or as a reminder not
to treat the Festival lightly and bake on it for a weekday.
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