The chicken & the egg - Riddle For Parshas Ki Sisa

 Parshas Hashavua כי תשא       

                                                                                                                              

   אך את שבתתי תשמרו  

 

The לקט יושר quotes this riddle from his Rebbe,
the תרומת הדשן.

 

"A chicken jumped on an apple tree, and apples fell off the tree.
You may not eat the apples. A few minutes later, the chicken laid
an egg. Now you may eat the apples".

The גמרא* says, animals that mate only in the daytime give birth
in the daytime. Chickens mate only in the day, therefore lay their
eggs only in the day.
 

Apples that fell off the tree on a  Friday afternoon, בין השמשות 
may not be eaten (on Shabbos)
being it is unknown if it fell before or after night (Shabbos),

If, however, the chicken laid an egg after the apples fell.  We then
assume it must have been daytime, and the apples may be
eaten on Shabbos.

 

*ביצה ז