Gemara Clarity

Arachin 13b

ערכין י״ג ע״ב

Arakhin 13b

Learn Arachin 13b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Arachin 13b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The four-day inspection of the תמיד lambs, the music of the מקדש (trumpets, cymbal, לוים singers and boys), and the opening of the פרק on cases of ערכין that are lenient and stringent

Overview

This amud finishes the explanation of why the מקדש kept six inspected lambs. Each תמיד lamb needs four days of inspection, following בן בג בג, who learns this from the קרבן פסח. The משנה's word 'כדי' (enough for) confirms that שבת and ראש השנה are only a memory aid. The גמרא then gives sources for the music rules: trumpets may be added up to 120, and only one cymbal is played, since a pair of cymbals counts as one instrument. A new משנה says at least twelve לוים stand on the דוכן. Young boys may join only by singing. רבי אליעזר בן יעקב adds that the boys do not count toward the twelve and stand on the ground. The גמרא explains that the twelve match the twelve minimum instruments. It also shows that the נבל and כנור are two separate instruments, even according to רבי יהודה, and explains why the boys were called צוערי. After the הדרן, the next פרק opens with four areas of law where a fixed amount can be lenient or stringent. The גמרא begins asking whether that משנה's words 'in ישראל' go against רבי מאיר's view that a גוי can be valued, and the answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

הַמְבוּקָּרִים בְּלִשְׁכַּת הַטְּלָאִים

that are inspected in the Chamber of the Lambs

אַרְבָּעָה יָמִים קוֹדֶם שְׁחִיטָה,

four days before slaughter.

וּמַנִּי — בֶּן בַּג בַּג הִיא,

And whose view is this? It is בן בג בג.

דְּתַנְיָא: בֶּן בַּג בַּג אוֹמֵר,

As it is taught: Ben Bag Bag says,

The steps (30)

  1. StatementThe lambs are inspected four days, and the view is בן בג בג's
  2. Proofבן בג בג learns the four-day check from the קרבן פסח
  3. ProofThe משנה's word 'enough' supports this reading
  4. QuestionTwo trumpets and more, but up to how many?
  5. Responseרב הונא: up to 120 trumpets
  6. QuestionWhere do we learn that only one cymbal was played?
  7. Responseרב אסי: אסף alone played the cymbals
  8. ChallengeBut cymbals come as two
  9. ResolutionTwo cymbals played by one person count as one
  10. Statementמשנה: at least twelve לוים, and boys only sing
  11. Statementרבי אליעזר בן יעקב: the boys were not counted and stood below
  12. QuestionWhat does the number twelve match?
  13. Responseרב פפא: twelve matches the twelve minimum instruments
  14. QuestionWhere do we learn that young boys join the singing?
  15. Responseרבי יוחנן brings a פסוק about sons joining the music
  16. StatementThe משנה seems to treat the נבל and כנור as two instruments
  17. ChallengeDoes the משנה disagree with רבי יהודה? The seven-string harp
  18. StatementIn the days of משיח the harp will have eight strings
  19. StatementIn עולם הבא the harp will have ten strings
  20. ProofA second verse: the ten-stringed instrument of the new song
  21. ResolutionEven רבי יהודה agrees they are two instruments
  22. StatementThe boys' name: צוערי in the משנה, סועדי in a ברייתא
  23. QuestionWhy does our משנה call them צוערי
  24. ResponseThe boys' high voices pained the grown לויים
  25. ConclusionHadran — Closing פרק אין נערכין
  26. StatementNew פרק opens: four areas that can be lenient or stringent
  27. StatementHow ערכין can be lenient or stringent
  28. StatementThe גמרא reads 'in ישראל' as excluding a גוי
  29. ChallengeDoes our משנה go against רבי מאיר?
  30. ResolutionThe משנה can match רבי מאיר, and a non-Jew can be valued too