Gemara Clarity

Arachin 30b

ערכין ל׳ ע״ב

Arakhin 30b

Learn Arachin 30b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Arachin 30b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Redeeming an עבד עברי leniently, and the rules for redeeming a sold field versus a field given to הקדש

Overview

אביי says he is ready for any question, and a Sage asks why we read the פסוקים about redeeming an עבד עברי in the slave's favor. אביי answers that the תורה is clearly kind to an עבד עברי, since the master must give him food, drink and bedding equal to his own. The Sage argues for strictness using רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא's chain: dealing in שביעית produce leads a person, step by step, to sell his possessions, his field, his house, his daughter, and finally himself, even to serve עבודה זרה. Along the way, רב הונא explains that a sin done twice comes to feel permitted. אביי answers that the תורה still insists the man be redeemed. רב נחמן בר יצחק then proves from the extra word ״בשנים״ that he is always redeemed at the lower price, and רב יוסף praises this as true as if from סיני. The גמרא next finds sources for the משנה's rule that a sold field may not be redeemed with a loan, with money from selling another field, or in parts. רבא explains why ״ומצא״ means different things in different פסוקים. Finally, a ברייתא and רבי שמעון explain why a field redeemed from הקדש may be redeemed in all these easier ways.

Opening lines

הֲרֵינִי כְּבֶן עַזַּאי בְּשׁוּקֵי טְבֶרְיָא.

I am like Ben Azzai in the markets of Tiberias.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ הָהוּא מֵרַבָּנַן לְאַבָּיֵי:

One of the Sages said to Abaye:

אִיכָּא לְמִידְרְשִׁינְהוּ לְקוּלָּא,

It is possible to expound them as a leniency,

וְאִיכָּא לְמִידְרְשִׁינְהוּ לְחוּמְרָא,

and it is possible to expound them as a stringency.

The steps (30)

  1. Statementאביי announces he is ready for any question
  2. ChallengeWhy read the slave's redemption verses leniently?
  3. ResolutionThe Torah is clearly lenient with a Hebrew slave
  4. ChallengeOn the contrary: be strict, based on רבי יוסי
  5. ProofTrading in Sabbatical produce leads to selling one's possessions
  6. ProofIf he still does not feel it, he ends up selling his fields
  7. ProofIf it does not come to his attention, he ends up selling his house
  8. QuestionWhy does the wording change?
  9. Responseרב הונא: a repeated sin becomes permitted to him
  10. ChallengeCan a sin really become permitted?
  11. ResolutionIt becomes like something permitted to him
  12. ProofIf he still does not realize, he ends up borrowing with interest
  13. ProofBefore he borrows with interest, he has already sold his daughter
  14. ResolutionWhy selling a daughter comes after borrowing with interest
  15. ProofNext stage: he sells himself, even to a non-Jew
  16. ProofThe lowest point: serving idol worship itself
  17. ResolutionBut the פסוק insists he be redeemed
  18. RejectionRedemption yes, but a strict price
  19. ProofTwo verses show the redemption price is always the lower amount
  20. ChallengeMaybe the verses mean how many years are left
  21. ResolutionThe extra word 'in the years' proves the value reading
  22. Conclusionרב יוסף praises the derasha as true as from סיני
  23. QuestionWhere does the rule against selling a far field to redeem come from?
  24. ResponseThe ברייתא learns three rules from the words of the פסוק
  25. ChallengeAnother ברייתא reads "finds" as something that was there from the start
  26. ResolutionEach "finds" is read according to the words around it
  27. QuestionAsking for the source of the הקדש leniency
  28. ResponseThe double word ״גאל יגאל״ allows borrowing and partial redemption
  29. Statementרבי שמעון: a seller gets his field back for free, so redeeming it is harder
  30. ConclusionA consecrated field is lost to the כהנים at the יובל, so redeeming it is easier