The Gem. ends up with "teyku", when it considers the question of comparing cleaning out the Beth Hamedrash from bundles of straw to allow learning to lowering fruit on Yom Tov through a skylight. One of its considerations is "Do we say that where there is a loss of money involved it would outweigh the learning of Torah?". Can money be more important than learning Torah?
Thank you for your time and knowledge.
alex lebovits, toronto, canada
The Rashash asks your question and answers that the case of the Mishnah in Shabbos appears to be an Uvdah d'Chol, and that is why the Mishnah only permits the clearing of an area if this is necessary for Hachnasas Orchim or due to Bitul Beis ha'Medrash. The Mishnah in Beitzah, however, does not appear to be an Uvdah d'Chol to the same extent, and that is why the Mishnah permits lowering the fruit through the window even if only to avoid monetary loss. The Rashash says that when the Gemara suggests that we may permit more here than in Shabbos, the Gemara means to prove that this case is more lenient than that of the Mishnah in Shabbos. We see this, since here we permit the lowering of the fruit even to avoid monetary loss, in other words even when there is no necessity for Hachnasas Orchim or Bitul Beis ha'Medrash, whereas in Shabbos we do not permit the clearing of the area in order to avoid monetary loss.
Perhaps we could also suggest that in the case of monetary loss, the necessity of the act is self evident from the circumstances and it is therefore easier to permit the work. In Shabbos where there is no threat to the articles being moved, the necessity for the work is not immediately evident, and therefore it is harder for us to permit the work.
Dov Freedman