1. A person who has earth that has been prepared or ash that has been prepared and that may be carried¹See the final halachah of the previous chapter. may slaughter a fowl or a beast²In contrast to a behemah, a domesticated animal (e.g. a cow, sheep, or goat), when a fowl or wild animal (e.g., a deer) is slaughtered, its blood must be covered with earth. (See Hilchot Shechitah, Chapter 14.) and cover their blood [on a holiday]. If he does not have earth that is prepared or ash that may be carried, he should not slaughter [a fowl or a beast on a holiday]. If he transgresses and does in fact slaughter [a fowl or a beast on a holiday], he should not cover its blood until the evening.³See the notes on the final halachah of the previous chapter, which touch on this issue.

Similarly, on a holiday one should not slaughter an animal concerning which there is a doubt whether it is a wild beast or a domestic animal.⁴Most authorities consider this to be referring to an animal that is a crossbreed between a goat and a deer. The Rambam (Commentary on the Mishnah, Chulin 6:1), however, considers this an independent species that the Sages were unable to classify as either an animal or a beast. (See also Hilchot Shechitah 14:4.) If a person does slaughter [such an animal on a holiday], he should not cover the blood until the evening.⁵The Ramah (Orach Chayim 498:18) states that this ruling applies only when the person slaughtered this animal in a corner. If, however, he slaughtered it in the middle of a courtyard and earth has been prepared and is available, it is permitted to cover its blood on the holiday, just as it is permitted to remove an unpleasant object from sight. [This applies] even when one had earth that was prepared or ash [available],⁶In his Commentary on the Mishnah (Bikkurim 2:9), the Rambam w rites that it is forbidden to take this earth, because there is a doubt regarding the animal's classification. This can be interpreted as an indication that even if earth was prepared for use, it may be carried only for a valid reason. lest an observer conclude, "This animal is definitively categorized as a beast, and its blood was therefore covered on the holiday." The observer might then [err] and consider the fat of [this animal] to be permitted.⁷As the Rambam explains in Hilchot Ma'achalot Asurot 7:3, we are forbidden to eat only the fat of cows, sheep, and goats. The fat of all other kosher animals and beasts is permitted. Since the animal in question could be considered to be a goat, it is forbidden to eat its fat.

2. Similarly, if a person slaughtered a beast or a fowl before a holiday [and did not cover the blood at that time], he may not cover it on the holiday.

If a person slaughtered both a domestic animal and a beast or a fowl on a holiday,⁸Although it is necessary to cover the blood of the beast or fowl, it is not necessary to cover the blood of the domestic animal. and their blood became mixed, he should not cover it until the evening [following the holiday]. If he had earth that was prepared or ash, and it is possible for him to cover all [the blood] with one shovelful,⁹Shulchan Aruch HaRav 498:36 and the Mishnah Berurah 498:103 explain that "one shovelful" need not be interpreted literally. The intent is that one would not have to engage in any additional effort to cover the extra blood coming from the animal. he should do so.

3. A person who slaughters an animal on a holiday is permitted to pull off the wool by hand¹⁰This is the key to the leniency. Since one would normally cut the wool away with shears, pulling it away by hand represents a departure from one's ordinary procedure and is therefore permitted. Shearing the wool with a utensil is indeed prohibited.

The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 498:12) rules more stringently, and forbids intentionally tearing the wool away. According to this view, one may merely smooth it to the sides with one's hands. If, however, it is torn off in the process, that is of no consequence. from the place where he wishes to slaughter it, provided he does not remove it from its place, but rather leaves it there tangled with the remainder of the wool of the animal's neck.

[When slaughtering] a fowl, by contrast, one may not pull out the feathers, for [doing so by hand] is the usual procedure. Thus, one would be performing [the forbidden labor of] pulling out [feathers] on a holiday.

4. When a person skins the hide of an animal on a holiday, he should not salt it. For [salting] is one of the leather-making processes,¹¹See Hilchot Shabbat 11:5. and thus one would be performing a forbidden labor that is not necessary for [the preparation of] food.

One may, however, deposit it¹²A hide from an animal slaughtered on a holiday, in contrast to the hide of an animal slaughtered before the holiday began (Maggid Mishneh; Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 499:3). in a place where people will tread on it,¹³By the people's treading on it, the tanning process will begin, and it will not spoil. so that it will not spoil.¹⁴Similarly, one is permitted to place it in the shade or in a cool place so that it will not spoil (Shulchan Aruch HaRav 499:3; Mishnah Berurah 499:4). This leniency was permitted only for the sake of the holiday celebrations, so that a person will not refrain from slaughtering [an animal].¹⁵Because of the fear that its hide will spoil. Our Sages feared that this financial loss would deter a person from slaughtering an animal on the holiday.

It is permitted to salt meat to be roasted on this hide. One may act with guile regarding this matter. What is implied? One may salt a small portion of meat on this place, another small portion in another place, until the entire hide has been salted.

5. When does the above apply? When one is salting the meat for roasting, and much salt is not required. If, however, one [is salting it for] cooking, [and much salt is required],¹⁶The Rambam describes the difference between the manner in which meat is salted for cooking and for roasting in Hilchot Ma'achalot Asurot 6:12. it is forbidden to salt [the meat] on a hide.

Similarly, it is forbidden to salt fats, nor may one flip them or spread them on staves in the wind, because they are not fit to be eaten.¹⁷Shulchan Aruch Harav 499:10 permits the fats to be carried to a cool shady place, lest their loss prevent the person from slaughtering.

6. When a person skins an animal on a holiday, he should not employ the technique referred to as regol. What is meant by regol? The person removes all the meat from [a hole made] at one foot, leaving the entire hide intact, without being torn. [This is forbidden] because this means of skinning involves great effort, and it is not necessary for the holiday.

Similarly, it is forbidden to cut a handle into the meat.¹⁸To cut the meat in such a way that it will be easier for a customer to carry it home (Rashi, Beitzah 28a). [The prohibition applies] only when the handle is made with a knife, thus restricting [the butcher] from following his ordinary practice. [A butcher] may, however, make a sign in the meat.¹⁹To distinguish meat purchased by one customer from that purchased by another (ibid.).

7. We may pour hot water over the head and the feet [of a slaughtered animal] and singe it with fire [to remove its hair]. We may not, however, apply lime, clay, or loam [for that purpose]. Nor may we trim it with scissors.

We may not pare a vegetable in a decorative fashion. We may, however, trim food that has thorns - e.g., artichokes or cardoon - in a decorative fashion.

8. It is permitted to knead a large dough on a holiday.²⁰Although the School of Shammai forbids this, the halachah follows the School of Hillel, which rules that baking such a loaf is permitted (Beitzah 22b). The rationale is that a loaf tastes better when cooked in an oven which is full. If a person kneaded dough on the day before a holiday, he may not separate challah²¹Numbers 15:20 requires us to separate a portion of dough and give it to the priest as challah. This offering is governed by the rules pertaining to terumah and hence may not be eaten when either the dough or the person partaking of it is impure. In such an instance, it must be burned. from it on the holiday.²²On a holiday, one may, however, bring a priest challah that had been separated before the holiday (Chapter 4, Halachah 26; Ramah, Orach Chayim 506:3).

The Ramah also mentions that in the present age, in the diaspora, dough that has been kneaded before the holiday is permitted to be baked on the holiday, and a small portion of bread is left over, from which challah will be separated on the following day. If he kneaded it on the holiday, he may separate challah and give it to a priest.²³It is ordinarily forbidden to separate the consecrated articles that are due the priests on a holiday (Chapter 4, Halachah 26). Nevertheless, an exception was made in this instance, to allow people the option of eating fresh bread on a holiday.

If the dough is impure,²⁴This is the ruling that must be followed in the present age, for we are all ritually impure, and convey ritual impurity to the dough. or the challah became impure, the challah should not be baked, for we are allowed to bake on a holiday only for the sake of eating, and this [challah] must be burned.

We may not burn it on a holiday, because we do not burn sacred food that became impure on a holiday.²⁵See Hilchot Pesulei HaMukdashim 19:5. For the burning of sacred food that became impure is a positive commandment, as [Leviticus 7:19] states: "And you shall burn it with fire"; and performing a [forbidden] labor [on a holiday] that is not necessary for the sake of [the preparation of] food and the like [nullifies] both a positive commandment and a negative commandment.²⁶See Chapter 1, Halachah 2. And the fulfillment of a positive commandment does not override the fulfillment of both a positive commandment and a negative commandment.

9. What should one do with [this impure challah]? Leave it until the evening and burn it [then].²⁷The Noda Biy'hudah (Vol. II, Orach Chayim, Responsum 96) notes that according to Hilchot Pesulei HaMukdashim, loc. cit., it is also forbidden to burn certain sacrificial meats that became disqualified - e.g., piggul and notar - at night. The Rambam does not mention such a restriction, however, with regard to consecrated articles that become impure.

There are, nevertheless, other authorities who differ and forbid the burning at night of consecrated articles that have become impure. (See Be'ur Halachah 506 and the sources mentioned there.)

On the holiday of Pesach, when leaving [the challah unburned until the day after the holiday] will cause it to become leavened, one should not separate the challah [from] the dough. Instead, one should bake the entire impure loaf, and then separate the challah after it has already [been baked as matzah].

10. We may not bake in a new earthenware oven on a holiday. [This is] a decree [instituted] lest [the oven] crack open, spoiling the bread, and tainting the person's festive joy.

We may not rake out [the coals and ash²⁸Our translation follows the Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah (Beitzah 4:5). Beitzah 32b and the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 507:4) speak of an instance where a brick or part of the lime covering of the oven wall fell and disturbed the cooking process.] of an oven or a range; we may, however, press them down.²⁹By hand (Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah, loc. cit.), seemingly implying that it is forbidden to use a utensil unless necessary. If baking or roasting in it is impossible unless we rake out [the coals and ash], it is permitted to do so.³⁰The Maggid Mishneh states that this is permitted even though in the process one will extinguish the coals. Although Chapter 4, Halachah 2, states that it is forbidden to extinguish a fire on a holiday, it is possible to explain that a distinction can be made in this instance, for by extinguishing the flame it becomes possible to cook.

We may seal the opening of an oven with mud or sediment from a river bank, provided it was made soft on the previous day. It is forbidden to mix mud on a holiday. We may, however, mix ashes with water [to form a clay-like mixture] to seal the opening of an oven.³¹This follows the Rambam's position (Hilchot Shabbat 8:16) that one is not liable for mixing clay if one uses ashes. The Ra'avad differs with the Rambam both in Hilchot Shabbat and in this halachah. The Shulchan Aruch (loc. cit.:7) follows the Rambam's view.

11. We may not apply oil to a new range or oven on a holiday, nor may we rub it with a cloth, nor apply cold water to it [after heating it] to seal it.³²Contact with cold water after being heated will seal the walls of an earthenware oven. When it is necessary [to apply cold water to lower an oven's temperature] so that one can bake [within], it is permitted to do so.³³These prohibitions are instituted because these tasks are mundane matters that are not directly associated with the preparation of food on a holiday.

We may not heat stones³⁴All the commentaries see this as a reference to the Mishnah (Beitzah 4:7), which forbids heating "tiles." They question why the Rambam deviated from the wording used there. [with the intent] of roasting or baking upon them, because this seals them. We may heat or bake in an earthenware oven and heat water in a cauldron.³⁵This refers to a cauldron used during the Talmudic period, made of heavy copper. It was made up of two receptacles, the upper one for water, and the lower one for the coals used to heat the water (Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah, Shabbat 3:3).

Since the cauldron is large and remains hot for a very long time, one might think that its use would be forbidden on a holiday, lest one create the impression that one is preparing hot water for the day following the holiday (Maggid Mishneh).

12. We may not make cheese on a holiday. For cheese will not lose its flavor if it is prepared on the day before the holiday.³⁶As mentioned in Chapter 1, Halachot 5-7, our Sages forbade the performance of any labors on a holiday even for the sake of the preparation of food, if it is possible to perform these labors before the holiday begins. In contrast, one may crush spices in the ordinary manner [on a holiday], for if they were crushed before the holiday, they would lose flavor. Salt, however, may not be crushed on a holiday unless one tilts the pestle, crushes it in a bowl, or deviates from the norm in another way. [This restriction was instituted] because salt will not lose its flavor if crushed before the holiday.

We may not grind pepper in a pepper mill.³⁷The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 504:1) states that this is forbidden because it is a mundane activity that is inappropriate for a holiday. Others explain that, as stated in Chapter 1, Halachah 7, grinding is forbidden on a holiday. Instead, we must crush it in a pestle like other spices.

13. We may not crush groats in a large grinder. We may, however, crush them in a small grinder,³⁸The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 504:3) states that at present, we are unaware which is considered a small grinder and which a large grinder. Therefore, it is forbidden to use all grinders. this being the [required] deviation from the norm. In Eretz Yisrael, it is forbidden to do so using even a small grinder, for the grain [that grows there] is of a higher quality, and will not lose [its flavor] if crushed before the holiday.³⁹Although he accepts the law stated by the Rambam, the Ra'avad differs with the rationale, and explains that in Eretz Yisrael it was always customary to use a small grinder. Therefore, employing one on a holiday is not considered to be a deviation from the norm.

14. Although flour was sifted on the day prior to the holiday, and its bran removed, it may not be sifted again on a holiday unless a pebble, a sliver of wood, or the like fell into it.⁴⁰Although there are opinions that permit removing the pebble or the sliver by hand, Shulchan Aruch HaRav 506:4 and the Mishnah Berurah 506:12 forbid removing it by hand (for this would be removing waste matter from food as in Halachah 17), and require that the flour be sifted again. This is permitted, however, if one deviates from the norm by sifting with the back of the sifter,⁴¹If, however, the flour had not been sifted on the previous day, it may not be sifted on the holiday (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 506:2). It is, however, permissible to have a gentile sift the flour, provided he deviates from the ordinary practice (Ramah). sifting over the table, or the like.

15. One may remove grain from husks, remove legumes from their pods, and blow air over them [to cause the husks to fall], using both hands with all one's power, and then partake of them. One may use a tray, or a pot with compartments,⁴²Our translation of these terms is taken from the Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah (Keilim 16:3). Most other authorities follow different interpretations. but not a sifter or a strainer.⁴³The Maggid Mishneh explains that since it is customary to prepare a large quantity using these utensils, it appears as if the person were preparing on the holiday for the weekdays that follow. The Rashba offers another rationale: Since performing this function with these utensils on the Sabbath violates the prohibition against a forbidden labor, the Sages did not want to allow this leniency on the holidays. These reasons are also given for the prohibitions in the clause that follows.

Similarly, a person who separates [the pods of legumes from] the legumes [themselves] on a holiday may separate them in an ordinary way⁴⁴I.e., one is thus separating the waste matter from the food. in his bosom, and in a pot. He may not, however, use a strainer, a tablet, or a sifter.

16. When does the above apply? When there is more food than waste.⁴⁵And thus it is likely to be easier to separate the small amount of waste matter, than to separate all the food. When, however, there is more waste than food, one should separate the food and leave the waste. If, however, more difficulty is involved in separating the waste from the food than in separating the food from the waste,⁴⁶When the waste matter is thin and difficult to separate. one should separate the food from the waste even when there is more food than waste.

17. We may not filter mustard using a filter designated for that purpose, since it appears that one is [performing the forbidden labor of] selecting.⁴⁷Which our Rabbis prohibited on a holiday, even when it is performed for the purpose of preparing food. We may, however, [mix] a raw egg [with mustard] in a mustard strainer, and [the mustard] will undergo a process of refinement naturally.⁴⁸In his Commentary on the Mishnah (Shabbat 20:2), the Rambam explains that when raw eggs are mixed with coarse foods, they cause the lighter matter to rise above the heavier, coarse matter. Thus, mixing the egg with the mustard will cause the dregs of the mustard to be separated.

If a filter was already hanging [over a container before the commencement of the holiday], it is permitted to filter wine through it on the holiday. By contrast, a person may not hang a filter on a holiday, so that he will not be following his weekday practice. One may, however, act with guile, and hang the filter to hold pomegranates, use it for that purpose,⁴⁹If, however, one does not use the filter for another purpose, one may not use it to filter wine afterwards. and then hang the dregs of wine in it [so that the wine will filter through].