Introduction to Last Mishnah in Messechtas Bikkurim
I will be making a Siyum on two Messechtas. The first, is Bikkurim, a Mishnayos related to the recent Yuntiff of Shavuous. The Second is Messechtas Shabbos.
Bikkurim are the first fruits of the tree, from the Shivas HaMinim, that you bring in a basket up to Yerushlayim and give to the Kohanim at the Beis HaMikdash.
After Describing
Who has to bring Bikkurim
When you Bring Bikkurim
What Fruits do you bring as Bikkurim
How you bring the Bikkurim AND
Where you bring the Bikkurim to
The Mishna ends with telling us two rules.
First, that once you give the Bikkurim to the Kohein, it becomes his property and he is free to do with the Bikkurim what ever he likes. He for sure can eat it, but he can also sell it and, if he owes money, that person may collect his debt from the Bikkurim.
Second, the Mishnah ends with a Machlokes whether you can give the Bikkurim to just any Kohein or only to a Kohein who we know is very careful about Tumah and Tahara.
...
וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אֵין נוֹתְנִים אוֹתָם אֶלָּא לְחָבֵר בְּטוֹבָה.
וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, נוֹתְנִין אוֹתָם לְאַנְשֵׁי מִשְׁמָר, וְהֵם מְחַלְּקִין בֵּינֵיהֶם, כְּקָדְשֵׁי הַמִּקְדָּשׁ:
...
Rabbi Yehuda says: you may only give bikkurim to a Kohein that is a "Chaver" a person who is careful about Tumah and Taharah. Also, you may chose the KOhein you want to give it to even if he might do you a favor in return at a later date.
The Chachomim, however, say: that the Mishmar that is working in the Beis Mikdash when you bring the Bikkurim and Mishmar will split it like they split the other items of the week.
The Final Mishnah in Messechtas Shabbos describes situations when you are permitted to do something the Chachomim would usually tell you you cannot do, but because it relates to a Miztvah, you are permitted to take the action even on shabbos.
The Mishnah ends with a very complicated story about trying to prevent one house from becoming Tamei Meis when, in the house next door, there is a dead body. Among other details, there is an open skylight and a broken barrel.
To protect the house from Tumah, you first had to close up the skylight--which they did by stuffing it with a clay pot. Second, they needed to measure the hole in the barrel to see if it was bigger than a Tefach (a fist). To measure it, they tied a small Keili the size of a Tefach with a grass rope to see if it fit in the hole in the barrel.
Either way, what we see is that the Chachomim, to prevent Tumah from spreading, allowed them to close up the window and measure the hole in the barrel--activities that would normally not be permitted on shabbos.
(ה) ...
וּמַעֲשֶׂה בִימֵי אָבִיו שֶׁל רַבִּי צָדוֹק וּבִימֵי אַבָּא שָׁאוּל בֶּן בָּטְנִית,
שֶׁפָּקְקוּ אֶת הַמָּאוֹר בְּטָפִיחַ,
וְקָשְׁרוּ אֶת הַמְּקֵדָה בְגֶמִי,
לֵידַע אִם יֵשׁ בַּגִּיגִית פּוֹתֵחַ טֶפַח אִם לָאו.
וּמִדִּבְרֵיהֶן לָמַדְנוּ, שֶׁפּוֹקְקִין וּמוֹדְדִין וְקוֹשְׁרִין בְּשַׁבָּת:
(5)...
The mishna tells a story during the time of Rabbi Tzadok’s father and Abba Shaul ben Botnit,
in which they sealed a window using an earthenware vessel
and tied a piece of an earthenware Keili with long grass with a temporary knot,
in order to measure whether or not the barrel had an opening the size of a Tefach.
And from their statements and their actions, we learn that one may seal a window, and measure, and tie a knot on Shabbat (for a Mitzvah).
סליקא לן מסכתת ביכורים ושבת