Berachos 20a

ברכות כ׳ ע״א

Berakhot 20a

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

Open Berachos 20a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

כבוד הבריות and the מת מצוה, why earlier generations had miracles, stories of devoted sages and עין הרע, and the start of the משנה on who is exempt from קריאת שמע.

Overview

This amud opens at the end of a ברייתא. It teaches that a person on his way to do a מצוה may not become impure even for his own sister, but must become impure to bury a מת מצוה. The גמרא asks how human dignity can push aside a Torah rule. It answers that the פסוק 'ולאחותו' itself teaches this. It then refuses to build a general rule from this case, because it is only שב ואל תעשה. Next, רב פפא asks אביי why earlier generations saw miracles when his generation, which learns more Torah, does not. אביי answers that the earlier generations had מסירות נפש for קדושת השם, and the גמרא shows this with the story of רב אדא בר אהבה. Then come stories of רב גידל and רבי יוחנן sitting at the immersion gates, along with three explanations of why עין הרע has no power over יוסף's descendants. The amud ends as a new משנה begins: women, slaves, and minors are exempt from קריאת שמע.

Opening lines

The steps (20)

1. StatementEnd of the ברייתא: he must become impure for a מת מצוה
2. ChallengeWhy should dignity beat a Torah rule?
3. ResolutionHere the פסוק itself says so
4. ChallengeCan we make this a general rule?
5. ResolutionHolding back is different
6. QuestionWhy did miracles happen to earlier generations and not to us?
7. RejectionIt is not because they learned more
8. ProofEven עוקצין was hard for רב יהודה
9. ChallengeYet רב יהודה's prayers for rain were answered at once
10. Responseאביי's answer: the earlier generations gave themselves over for God's name
11. Proofרב אדא בר אהבה tears off a forbidden garment
12. Statementרב גידל sits at the immersion gates
13. ChallengeThe Rabbis ask רב גידל about the יצר הרע
14. Resolutionרב גידל: they look to me like white geese
15. Statementרבי יוחנן sits at the immersion gates
16. ChallengeThe Rabbis ask רבי יוחנן about the evil eye
17. Resolutionרבי יוחנן: יוסף's descendants are above the evil eye
18. ProofA second source: יוסף's descendants are like fish
19. ResolutionAnother reason: יוסף's eye did not take what was not his
20. StatementNew משנה: women, slaves, and minors are exempt from קריאת שמע