Gemara Clarity

Berachos 47b

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Berakhot 47b

Learn Berachos 47b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 47b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Explaining the משנה's list of who may join a זימון, defining an עם הארץ, and who can complete a group of three or ten

Overview

This amud keeps going line by line through the משנה about who may be counted for a זימון. It first finishes אביי's point that a לוי who takes מעשר ראשון from the grain pile still owes תרומה גדולה, because piled grain already counts as 'דגן'. For each case in the משנה, the גמרא asks 'isn't this obvious?' and finds the hidden lesson: unpaid חומש does not hold back a redemption, a שמש counts as part of the meal, rabbinic טבל still disqualifies, and a גר who had מילה but no טבילה is still a נכרי. It explains why a כותי may join even though an עם הארץ may not. This leads to a ברייתא listing many definitions of an עם הארץ, the ruling like אחרים, and the story of רמי בר חמא and רב מנשיא. The גמרא then discusses fillers for a group of ten: a baby in a cradle as a סניף, nine men and one עבד, and רבי אליעזר freeing his slave for a מצוה דרבים. It praises being among the first ten in shul and corrects the surprising sayings about 'nine and an ark' and 'two and שבת'. Finally, רבי יוחנן counts a קטן פורח, and the גמרא begins to examine a puzzling clause in a supporting ברייתא, a discussion that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

״מִכֹּל מַעְשְׂרֹתֵיכֶם תָּרִימוּ״.

"From all your tithes you shall set apart."

וּמָה רָאִיתָ?

And what did you see?

הַאי אִידְּגַן וְהַאי לָא אִידְּגַן.

This one has become grain, and that one has not become grain.

מַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי וְהֶקְדֵּשׁ שֶׁנִּפְדּוּ:

Second tithe and consecrated food that were redeemed:

The steps (54)

  1. Proofאביי's verse: the לוי must give from all his gifts
  2. ChallengeWhy treat the pile differently from the stalks?
  3. ResolutionPiled grain has become 'grain'; stalks have not
  4. ChallengeRedeemed second tithe and consecrated food: isn't that obvious?
  5. ResolutionThe case is where the extra fifth was not paid
  6. ChallengeThe waiter who ate an olive's worth: isn't that obvious?
  7. ResolutionA waiter does count as part of the meal
  8. ChallengeWhy can a כותי join if an עם הארץ cannot?
  9. Resolutionאביי: The כותי Is a Trustworthy חבר
  10. Resolutionרבא: The חכמים' Definition of an עם הארץ
  11. ProofWhy כותים Pass the חכמים' Test
  12. StatementA ברייתא Lists Many Definitions of עם הארץ
  13. Conclusionרב הונא Rules Like אחרים
  14. StatementThe Story of רמי בר חמא and רב מנשיא
  15. ChallengeBut אחרים Say Such a Person Is an עם הארץ
  16. Resolutionרב מנשיא Actually Served the חכמים
  17. ResolutionAnother Version: Hearing From the Sages Makes One a Scholar
  18. ChallengeIsn't It Obvious That Eating טבל Doesn't Count?
  19. Resolutionטבל Only מדרבנן: An Unperforated Pot
  20. ChallengeWhy the משנה needs to mention מעשר ראשון
  21. ResolutionThe case where the Levite took his share from the pile
  22. ChallengeWhy the משנה needs to mention מעשר שני
  23. ResolutionSecond tithe redeemed with an unminted coin
  24. ResolutionConsecrated property redeemed with land
  25. ChallengeWhy the משנה needs to mention a waiter who ate less than a כזית
  26. ResolutionListed only to match the first clause
  27. ChallengeWhy the משנה needs to say a נכרי is not included
  28. ResolutionA convert circumcised but not yet immersed
  29. Proofרבי יוחנן: no גר until מילה and טבילה
  30. StatementA baby in a cradle can be counted
  31. ChallengeBut the משנה says minors are not counted
  32. ResolutionA baby can be a filler for ten
  33. StatementNine men and a slave join together
  34. Challengeרבי אליעזר had to free his slave
  35. ResolutionTwo were missing: one freed, one counted as a slave
  36. ChallengeHow could רבי אליעזר free his slave?
  37. ResolutionA מצוה situation is different
  38. ChallengeBut it is a מצוה הבאה בעבירה
  39. ResolutionA מצוה דרבים is different
  40. StatementThe reward for being among the first ten in shul
  41. ChallengeDoes he really take everyone else's reward?
  42. ResolutionHe gets a reward equal to all of them
  43. StatementNine and an ark join together
  44. ChallengeIs an ark a person?
  45. ResolutionNine who look like ten join together
  46. StatementDo nine look like ten when close together or spread out?
  47. StatementTwo people and שבת join together
  48. ChallengeIs שבת a person?
  49. ResolutionTwo scholars who sharpen each other join together
  50. Statementרב חסדא and רב ששת each point to themselves as the example
  51. StatementA קטן פורח can be counted for a זימון
  52. ProofA ברייתא supporting רבי יוחנן
  53. ChallengeThe baraita seems to contradict itself
  54. QuestionWhat does the last clause come to include?