ShalomNewYork.com

(luxembourg gardens paris) photo by ShalomNewYork.com
“Bee keeping and honey production were important sources of income during the time of the Mishnah. The Mishnah on today’s daf discusses the rules and regulations associated with the purchase of bees and their hives. According to the Mishnah, when someone purchases the bees for a given year, he receives the first three swarms; when someone purchases honey-combs, he must leave two combs behind. Generally speaking, during the summer, when the hive is filled with honey, swarms of bees begin to leave the hive. Each of these swarms - consisting of thousands of bees together with a queen bee - will enter a new hive and build a new community, if one has been prepared for them. Many different factors play a role in the number of swarms that leave the hive every year, ranging from the types of bees to the amount of honey that was produced. “ more@Steinsaltz.org