After slaughtering a bird on Yom Tov, you need earth to cover the blood. When must the earth be prepared?
H1: Earth for blood covering must be prepared before Yom Tov. It's a "could have been done yesterday" item. The Rambam notes the earth must already be set aside and carriable.
Question 2
You may pull wool off a slaughtered animal on Yom Tov — but only how?
H3: Pulling by hand = shinui (deviation from normal). Shears = normal weekday method. The hand method signals "this is Yom Tov food prep, not professional wool-gathering."
Question 3
Why is cheese-making forbidden on Yom Tov?
H12: The freshness test again. Cheese made yesterday tastes the same as cheese made today. Since there's no quality loss from preparing in advance, it falls outside the ochel nefesh permission.
Question 4
Why does the Rambam forbid baking in a new earthenware oven on Yom Tov?
H10: The Sages protect simchat Yom Tov — festive joy. A new oven might crack open, destroying the bread. Even a low-probability risk to holiday joy is worth guarding against.
Question 5
Salting meat on Yom Tov — when is it permitted and when forbidden?
H5: Light salt for roasting must happen right before cooking — permitted. Heavy salting to draw blood for cooking could have been done yesterday — forbidden. Same task, different answers based on the freshness test.