Arachin 5b

ערכין ה׳ ע״ב

Arakhin 5b

Learn Arachin 5b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Arachin 5b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

רב's rulings following רבי מאיר's principle (ערך כלי, a friend's animal), and the מחלוקת over whether a נכרי can be מעריך or נערך

Overview

The amud opens by explaining why רב had to say that one who pledges 'ערך כלי עלי' pays the כלי's value. His ruling shows that רבי מאיר's reason is 'a person does not say words for nothing,' and not a גזירה. The גמרא then brings רב's ruling that one who consecrates his friend's animal pays its value. This also follows רבי מאיר. Both rulings are needed, because an animal can really become holy, so we might have thought he meant to make the animal itself holy. רב אשי limits this ruling to when the person said 'עלי' (upon me), not 'הרי זו' (this is holy). A new משנה follows: רבי מאיר says a נכרי can be valued but cannot make an ערך vow, and רבי יהודה says the opposite. Each one reads the words 'בני ישראל' and 'איש' his own way. רבא says רבי מאיר's ruling makes sense because of the פסוק in עזרא, 'לא לכם ולנו', while רבי יהודה's proof is the better one. The גמרא then asks how רבי יהודה reads that פסוק. רב חסדא's answer, that the money is put away, is challenged from the laws of מעילה. רבא answers instead that the refusal in עזרא was only because those people were trying to weaken the builders.

Opening lines

The steps (24)

1. QuestionWhy did רב need to say his ruling according to רבי מאיר?
2. Responseרב shows that רבי מאיר's reason is not a decree
3. QuestionWhose view is רב's ruling about consecrating a friend's animal?
4. ChallengeDidn't רב already say this idea once?
5. ResolutionWith a כלי, the person clearly meant money
6. ResolutionAn animal can become holy, so we might think he meant the animal itself
7. Statementרב אשי: only when he says 'upon me'
8. StatementNew משנה: can a נכרי be valued or make an ערך vow?
9. Statementברייתא: 'בני ישראל' make ערך vows, gentiles do not
10. Statementרבי מאיר: the word 'איש' lets a נכרי be valuated
11. Questionרבי מאיר asks why he split the פסוקים this way
12. ResponseThe תורה includes more people as נערכין than as מעריכין
13. Statementרבי יהודה reads the פסוקים the opposite way
14. Questionרבי יהודה asks himself why he rules his way
15. ResponseThe תורה is wider about who can make the vow
16. Statementרבא judges both opinions
17. ProofWhy רבי מאיר's ruling makes sense
18. RejectionWhy רבי מאיר's proof is weak
19. ProofWhy רבי יהודה's proof is strong
20. RejectionWhy רבי יהודה's ruling does not hold
21. QuestionHow does רבי יהודה explain the verse?
22. ResponseThe valuation money is put away
23. ChallengeIf the money is put away, why is there misuse?
24. ResolutionThe refusal was to stop discouragement