(Mishnah - Beis Hillel): A half-slave alternates. One day he serves his master, and the next day, he serves himself (he keeps his earnings);

Beis Shamai: You fixed (made a nice solution for) his master, but you did not fix the half-slave!

He cannot marry a Shifchah, for he is half-free. He cannot marry a Bas Yisrael, for he is half-slave;

Suggestion: He will desist (from marriage and having children).

Rejection: The world was created only for the sake of procreation - "Lo Sohu Vera'ah Lasheves Yetzarah"!

Rather, for Tikun ha'Olam, we force his master to free him, and the half-slave writes a document obligating himself to pay half his value to his master.

Beis Hillel retracted, and agreed to Beis Shamai.

(Gemara) Question: How is it possible to have a half slave, half Ben Chorin?

Answer #1: We can answer like Rebbi, who says that one can free half of his slave.

Answer #2: We can answer like everyone. He was a slave of partners, and one of them freed his portion.

If he found a Metzi'ah on his master's day, it belongs to his master. [If he found] on his own day, it belongs to himself.

Question: Does he not need to serve his master tomorrow?! (The Yerushalmi holds that on the day he serves his master, he is a full slave, therefore his master acquires whatever the slave owns.)

If he was Mekadesh a woman (Bas Yisrael) on his master's day, we are not concerned for his Kidushin (he is like a full slave, who has no Kidushin). If he was Mekadesh a woman on his own day, we are concerned for his Kidushin (he is like a Ben Chorin then).

Question: Didn't R. Chiyah, citing R. Yochanan, say that if a half slave was Mekadesh a woman, we are not concerned for his Kidushin (even on his own day)?!

Correspondingly, if he divorced, we are not concerned for his divorce. (Since he cannot be Mekadesh, 'divorce' must mean that he was a Shali'ach to divorce. Since Kidushin and divorce do not apply to him, his Shelichus is invalid. We explained this like KETZOS HA'CHOSHEN 249:2 .)

(Mishnah): We do not marry women during the Mo'ed (festival).

(Shimon bar Aba citing R. Yochanan): This is due to Bitul of Peru u'Rvu. (If people may marry during the Mo'ed, they will delay marriage until the festival, in order to economize. In any case they would make a special meal for the Mo'ed; it will serve also for Seudas Nisu'in.)

Question (to R. Yosi): May a slave marry a woman (Shifchah) during the Mo'ed?

Answer (R. Yosi): We learn from [our Mishnah]. Perhaps he will desist. [This cannot be, for] the world was created only for the sake of Peru u'Rvu;

And Shimon bar Aba citing R. Yochanan said, anyone who is commanded Peru u'Rvu may not marry a woman during the Mo'ed. (TOSFOS Chagigah 2b DH Lo learns from our Sugya that slaves are commanded Peru u'Rvu.)