Shabbat 43B

דאיכא דבש. בימות הגשמים דליכא דבש, מאי איכא למימר? לא נצרכא אלא לאותן שתי חלות. והא מוקצות נינהו! דחשיב עלייהו. הא לא חשיב עלייהו מאי ⁠— אסור?

as there is honey in the beehive during the summer. However, during the winter in which there is not honey in the beehive, what can be said according to R' Yitzḥak to explain why it is permitted to cover the beehive at that time? The Talmud answers: This halakha is only applicable in order to permit covering the beehive for those two honeycombs that remain in the hive even during the winter so that the bees can feed off of them. The Talmud asks: Aren’t these honeycombs set aside for the bees alone? The Talmud responds: This is a case where one thought of them before Shabbat and, in his mind, prepared them to be eaten. The Talmud asks: By inference, if one did not think about them, what would be the ruling? It would be prohibited to cover the beehive.

אי הכי, הא דתני: ״ובלבד שלא יתכוין לצוד״⁠ — לפלוג ולתני בדידה: במה דברים אמורים ⁠— כשחישב עליהן, אבל לא חישב עליהן ⁠— אסור! הא קמשמע לן: אף על פי שחישב עליהן, ובלבד שלא יתכוין לצוד.

If so, this tanna who taught in that same baraita: As long as he does not intend to trap the bees, let him distinguish and teach with regard to that same halakha itself: In what case are these matters stated, that one is permitted to cover the hive? It is in a case where he thought of them before Shabbat. However, if he did not think of them, it is prohibited. The Talmud answers: This teaches us a novel understanding. Even though he thought of them before Shabbat, it is only permitted as long as he did not intend to trap them.

מני? אי רבי שמעון ⁠— לית ליה מוקצה. אי רבי יהודה ⁠— כי לא מתכוין מאי הוי? הא דבר שאין מתכוין ⁠— אסור! לעולם רבי יהודה. מאי ״ובלבד שלא יתכוין לצוד״⁠ — שלא יעשנה כמצודה, דלישבוק להו רווחא כי היכי דלא ליתצדו ממילא.

With regard to the matter itself, the Talmud asks: In accordance with whose opinion is this baraita? If it is in accordance with the opinion of R' Shimon, he does not hold that there is a prohibition of set-aside. Consequently, there is no distinction between the different beehives. If it is in accordance with the opinion of R' Yehuda, when he does not have intention to trap the bees, what of it? Doesn’t R' Yehuda hold that even an unintentional act is prohibited? The Talmud replies: Actually, this baraita is in accordance with the opinion of R' Yehuda. What does: And as long as one does not intend to trap the bees, mean? It means that one should not make the mat like a trap. He must leave space so that the bees will not get trapped on their own.