Beitzah 21b
ביצה כ״א ב — ד"ה מַתְנִי׳ בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים
Beitzah 21b:12
Discusses bathing and the relationship between Yom Tov permissions, bodily needs, and the prohibition of heating water, forming a central Talmudic basis for the later halakhic rulings.
מַתְנִי׳ בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים: לֹא יָחֵם אָדָם חַמִּין לְרַגְלָיו אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן רְאוּיִין לִשְׁתִיָּה. וּבֵית הִלֵּל מַתִּירִין. עוֹשֶׂה אָדָם מְדוּרָה וּמִתְחַמֵּם כְּנֶגְדָּהּ. גְּמָ׳ אִיבַּעְיָא לְהוּ: הַאי מְדוּרָה מַאן קָתָנֵי לַהּ? דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל הִיא, וְשָׁנֵי לְהוּ לְבֵית שַׁמַּאי בֵּין הֲנָאַת כׇּל גּוּפוֹ לַהֲנָאַת אֵבֶר אֶחָד, אוֹ דִלְמָא בֵּית הִלֵּל קָתָנֵי לַהּ, אֲבָל בֵּית שַׁמַּאי לָא שָׁנֵי לְהוּ? תָּא שְׁמַע, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים: לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם מְדוּרָה וְיִתְחַמֵּם כְּנֶגְדָּהּ. וּבֵית הִלֵּל מַתִּירִין.
MISHNA: Beit Shammai say: A person may not heat water on a Festival in order to wash his feet unless it is also fit for drinking, as they hold that kindling a fire on a Festival is permitted only for the sake of preparing food, but not for washing. But Beit Hillel permit one to kindle a fire on a Festival even for washing. A person may kindle a large fire and warm himself at it. GEMARA: A dilemma was raised before the Sages: This halakha with regard to a fire, who taught it? Is it a statement accepted by all, including Beit Shammai, and Beit Shammai differentiate between benefit affecting one’s entire body and benefit affecting a single limb, so that they agree that kindling a fire to heat one’s entire body is similar to kindling a fire for food and is therefore permitted, while heating water to wash one’s feet remains prohibited? Or perhaps Beit Hillel taught it, but Beit Shammai do not differentiate between the two cases, and they permit kindling a fire on a Festival only for the purpose of preparing food. Come and hear a proof from an explicit baraita: Beit Shammai say: A person may not make a fire and warm himself at it, but Beit Hillel permit it. It is clear from here that the latter clause of the mishna was taught only in accordance with the opinion of Beit Hillel.




