Beitzah 20b

ביצה כ׳ ע״ב

Learn Beitzah 20b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Beitzah 20b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

How the סמיכה dispute was settled, אביי's lesson on answering insults, the debate over offerings on יום טוב, and whether blood is sprinkled after a forbidden slaughter of נדרים ונדבות.

Overview

The עמוד opens at the end of a story. A man brought many fine animals into the עזרה and invited everyone to do סמיכה on יום טוב, and from that day the הלכה followed בית הלל. In a second story, a student of בית שמאי objects and gets a reply of exactly the same length. From this אביי learns never to answer a sharp remark with more than what was said. A ברייתא then records the back-and-forth between the two schools: בית הלל argue with a קל וחומר and with the פסוק 'לה׳', and בית שמאי answer with נדרים ונדבות and the word 'לכם'. אבא שאול tells בית הלל's argument differently, and the גמרא explains that the two versions disagree about whether נדרים ונדבות may be brought on יום טוב. רב הונא says that on the strict view this ban comes from the Torah, and he proves it from the שתי הלחם. Next, רבא and רבה בר רב הונא discuss someone who slaughtered such an offering on יום טוב anyway, and the גמרא shows when their reasons lead to different rulings. The עמוד ends partway through a ברייתא about the lambs of שבועות that challenges רבה בר רב הונא, and the challenge continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (21)

1. ConclusionThe sheep of Kedar and the day בית הלל won
2. StatementTwo students and two short questions
3. Statementאביי: don't answer back with more than was said
4. Proofבית הלל's קל וחומר for offerings on יום טוב
5. Rejectionבית שמאי's counter-example: נדרים ונדבות
6. Resolutionבית הלל: the burnt-offering of appearance has a fixed time
7. Rejectionבית שמאי: the burnt-offering of appearance has no fixed day either
8. Resolutionבית הלל: the whole festival is its fixed time
9. Challengeבית שמאי: the verse says 'for you,' not for the Most High
10. Resolutionבית הלל: 'to ה׳' includes offerings, and 'for you' excludes gentiles and dogs
11. Statementאבא שאול's version: your Master's stove should not be closed when yours is open
12. QuestionWhat do the two versions disagree about?
13. ResponseThe disagreement is about vow and gift offerings on יום טוב
14. StatementThe ban on vow offerings is from the Torah, not a rabbinic decree
15. ProofProof from the two loaves of שבועות
16. QuestionWhat if someone slaughtered a vow offering on יום טוב anyway?
17. Responseרבא: sprinkle the blood so the meat may be eaten
18. Responseרבה בר רב הונא: sprinkle the blood to burn the fats at night
19. QuestionWhat is the difference between רבא and רבה בר רב הונא?
20. ResponseThe difference: when the meat became impure or was lost
21. ChallengeA ברייתא about the שבועות lambs: do not sprinkle on שבת