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Why does the Rambam (רמב"ם) rule that milking a goat into food on Shabbos (שבת) is patur aval assur when the Gemara (גמרא) seems to permit it? The shiur develops a detailed chakira into the food status of an animal midoraisa versus miderabbanan, showing that even an eis omed l'achilah is muktze miderabbanan, creating an issur derabanan of mefarek. The Rambam reads the Gemara's leniency as applying only b'makom tzaar baalei chaim.
This shiur analyzes Masechta Beitzah 2a, focusing on the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s ruling regarding milking on Shabbos (שבת). The Gemara (גמרא) discusses squeezing grapes and olives on Shabbos, and compares it to milking a goat. According to Shmuel's teaching, one may squeeze grapes into a pot of food (l'toch kedeira) but is chayav if squeezing into an empty vessel. Refisda extends this principle to milking: milking into food is permitted, but into an empty vessel is prohibited. The Magid Mishna presents a difficulty: the Rambam rules that milking is patur aval assur, yet several Rishonim (the Bahag, Rif, and Rabbeinu Tam) understand that Gemara as referring only to Yom Tov, not Shabbos. The Magid Mishna's question is: if the Rambam also reads the Gemara as referring to Yom Tov, why doesn't he bring this halacha (הלכה) in Hilchos Yom Tov? And if the Rambam reads the Gemara as referring to Shabbos, how does he arrive at patur aval assur when the Gemara seems to permit it outright?
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Beitzah 2a
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