Preface: A very great impression is made on the family when the father takes out a big Gemara and sits down to learn. Everyone should be ambitious to master the entire Masichta, it is not particularly long or difficult.
Introduction: The first case in our Mishna discusses an egg laid on Yom Tov, which is muktzeh according to Beis Hillel. At first the Gemara attempts to explain the reason for this: since the hen is set aside for producing chickens, not to be used as food, its eggs are not food and are muktzeh. Later the Gemara rejects this understanding and explains that the Mishna is based on the Torah prohibition of Hachana. This means that Yom Tov food may not be prepared on Shabbos and Shabbos food may not be prepared on Yom Tov. An egg is prepared inside the hen a day before it is laid, thus if Yom Tov were on a Sunday, this egg would be forbidden due to Hachana, it is thus forbidden on Yom Tov any day of the week because of a Gezeirah for a case where Yom Tov falls on Sunday.
Mishna:
An egg which is laid on Yom Tov: Beis Shammai: It may be eaten. Beis Hillel: It may not be eaten.
Beis Shammai: Se’or [anything capable of leavening] is forbidden on Pesach in the shiur of a Kzayis, Chametz is forbidden in the shiur of a date. Beis Hillel: Both are in the shiur of a Kzayis.
One who slaughters a wild animal or bird on Yom Tov [and must therefore cover its blood], Beis Shammai: He may dig with a stick [which was previously stuck into loose earth] and cover the blood. Beis Hillel: He may not slaughter unless he has earth prepared for the purpose of covering. Beis Hillel agrees that if he went ahead and slaughtered the animal or bird, he may go ahead and use the stick as permitted by Beis Shammai.
The ashes of a stove are not considered muktzeh and may be used for this purpose.
It is unusual for Beis Shammai to take the lenient approach. WHile these three cases are unrelated, they are recorded together as three cases in the laws of Yom Tov where Beis Shammai takes the lenient position. Tosfos.
