02 – Avos and Toldos

The Gemara raises an additional challenge to Shmuel’s opinion. If he holds in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yosei with regard to the explicit prohibition of kindling, let him derive the division of labors from where Rabbi Yosei derives it. As it was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yosei says, it is stated: “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: A soul that sins in error, from all the commandments of God that may not be performed, and performs from one of them [me’aḥat me’hena]” (Leviticus 4:2). Rabbi Yosei interprets the verse that at times one is liable to bring one sin-offering for all of his transgressions, and at times one is liable to bring a sin-offering for each and every transgression. And Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: What is the rationale for the opinion of Rabbi Yosei? He interprets the unique phrase employed in that verse: From one of these. The Torah could have merely stated: One [aḥat]. Instead, it stated: From one [me’aḥat]. It could have merely stated: Them [hena]. Instead, it stated: Of them [me’hena]. Rabbi Yosei derives that there are cases of one transgression that, with regard to punishment, are them, i.e., many. And there are cases of them, several transgressions, that, with regard to punishment, are one.

(9) It is forbidden ever to sow seeds or till the river in which the calf was decapitated, as Deuteronomy 21:4 states: "that must never be worked or sown." Whoever performs work with the land itself - e.g., he plowed, he dug, he seeded, he planted, or the like - should be punished with lashes.
It is, however, permitted to comb flax there, or to drill stones, for this is similar to weaving a garment there or sewing it there, for these are tasks that are not performed with the land itself. To emphasize this concept, the verse states: "that must never be worked or sown." Implied is that just as sowing involves the land itself, similarly all work that is forbidden there involves the land itself.

(1) Not to take out from the meat of the Pesach offering outside: Not to take from the meat of the Pesach offering out of the place of the assemblage (Pesachim 85b), as it is stated (Exodus 12:46), "you shall not take any of the meat outside the house."

(2) From the roots of this commandment is that which we have written - to remember the miracles of Egypt. And since we were made into free men and lords, this commandment came to us that we should eat [it] in the place of the assemblage and not take it outside - like the kings of the land. As everything that is prepared for them is eaten in their chambers with their large retinues. But when the poor of the land prepare a large meal, they send portions to their friends outside, since it is a novelty for them (to have a lavish meal).

(3) The laws of the commandment - for example, what is the law of [the] meat when he takes [it] out (Pesachim 85a); the border that they must make (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Paschal Offering 9:3); the law of a partition between two assemblages that is breached (Pesachim 60b); and the rest of its details - are [all] elucidated in Pesachim.

(4) And [it] is practiced at the time of the [Temple] by males and females. And one who transgresses it and takes of the meat outside violates a negative commandment. And we administer lashes for it - and that is when he dislodges [it] from the house and places [it] outside, like the well-known law about [carrying on] Shabbat (Pesachim 60b).

(25) Any letter that's written in an improper way and it doesn't have its normal form, for example, the "foot" of an "א" touched the "roof" of the "א", or the inner "face" of the "א" [touched] the bottom "roof", or the "foot" of a "ה" or the "foot" of a "ק" touched, or if one letter was split into two letters, for example a "צ" that was written as "נ" "י", or a "ש" that was written as "ע" י", or a "ח" [that was written] as two "ז"s, and after he proceeded writing, he went back and fixed them, it is as if it was written out of order and it is invalid. But, to separate attached letters — after he proceeded writing — is acceptable, because since the letter had its normal form, when it's separated from its friend it's not as if it was written [right then]. And so too is the law that if the small "י" that's on an "א" and a "ש" and a "ע", and the "foot" of a "ת" was not touching the body of the letter, and a child who's neither a genius nor a simpleton recognizes [the letter], that even though he proceeded writing, he is able to go back and fix it because since the normal form of the letter was recognizable it's not considered written out of order. And there are those who say that so too is the law if the "branch" on the top of a "ח" it not touching this to that, but the separation is not clearly recognizable, that even though a child reads it as two "ז" it's permitted to attach them.