Mishna: Beis Shammai: A ladder cannot be moved from one dovecote to another But it can be moved from one window to another. Beis Hillel permits this.We see from here that regarding simchas Yom Tov, Beis Hillel is lenient and Beis Shammai is stringent. The Gemara brings two Mishnayos that seem to contradict this principle and Rabbi Yochanan’s response that “The Mishna is inverted in reporting the opinions of Beis Hillel and Beis Shammai”. Both times the Gemara responds that perhaps these opinions are unique because of the unique circumstances involved. The Gemara is presently seeking a case where there is no unique circumstances and the opinions are inverted, about which it can be said that Rabbi Yochanan made his statement.
Challenge: Mishna (048): “Beis Shammai: One cannot move the pounding board [upon which grain was pounded to remove the husks] to chop meat on it [the pounding board is muktzeh since pounding grain is prohibited on Yom Tov (see Tosfos 005)]. Beis Hillel: It is permitted [they follow the principle that even a keili designed for issur may be used for a permissible purpose].
Rabbi Yochanan: The subject is inverted, Beis Hillel is the stringent one with regard to moving the pounding board.
Challenge: Perhaps their positions are unique to the circumstances in each case. Beis Shammai is only lenient in the first case because a stick has already been placed in the ground before Yom Tov. Beis Hillel is lenient in the second case because the pounding board is a keili.
Resolution: This is the reason Rabbi Yochanan felt it necessary to invert our Mishna:Mishna (048): Beis Shammai: [When animals are slaughtered on Yom Tov there is a problem of what one can do with its valuable skin. The first steps of tanning the skin is to place it where people will walk so that the remaining protein is trampled upon and the skin is toughened] Skin cannot be placed on the ground before the treaders, and it cannot even be handled [when the animal is skinned it must be dropped, it’s muktzeh] unless it has a kzayis of meat stuck to it [in which case the skin is considered a handle for the meat]. Beis Hillel: It is permitted.So we see that Beis Hillel is lenient because of simchas Yom Tov in opposition to our Mishnah (036)?
Rabbi Yochanan: The subject is inverted, Beis Hillel is the stringent one with regard to preparing the skin.
Challenge: Perhaps their positions are unique to the circumstances in each case. Beis Shammai is only lenient in the first case because a stick has already been placed in the ground before Yom Tov. Beis Hillel is lenient in the second case because skin is fit for use as a seat.
Resolution: This is the reason Rabbi Yochanan felt it necessary to invert our Mishna:Mishna: Beis Shammai: One cannot remove the shutters from merchants’ booths on Yom Tov [although one is not opening the store on Yom Tov and just needs something permissible, it looks like he is doing business on Yom Tov]. Beis Hillel: It is permitted even to replace them [otherwise people wouldn’t open the booths if they knew they’re not allowed to close them, and they would remain without crucial Yom Tov needs].This seems to be in opposition to our Mishnah (036). Beis Shammai can explain that they are stringent here because there is no shovel in the ground. But how does Beis Hillel resolve the contradiction?
Rabbi Yochanan: The subject is inverted, Beis Hillel is the stringent one with regard to opening the booths.
Challenge: Perhaps their positions are unique to the circumstances in each case. Beis Hillel may be lenient here because there is no Melacha of Boneh with keilim.
Mishna:Beis Shammai: [Animals may not be handled on Yom Tov, they’re muktzeh] One may not take a bird on Yom Tov [to slaughter for the meal] unless he had hefted it from before Yom Tov [out of concern that when he picks it up he’ll find it too lean and will want to choose another one for his meal, he will then be guilty of having picked up a muktzeh bird without the excuse of needing