Chagigah 18a

חגיגה י״ח ע״א

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Topic

תשלומין of עצרת, the source and limits of the ban on work on חול המועד, and eulogy on the יום טבוח

Overview

The amud first explains why the teaching of רבי אלעזר in the name of רבי אושעיא is needed: without it we would not know that עצרת has seven makeup days (תשלומין). ריש לקיש tries to prove תשלומין from the name ״חַג הַקָּצִיר״, but רבי יוחנן shows from ״חַג הָאָסִיף״ that these names only describe the season of the חג. The גמרא infers that both hold work on חול המועד is forbidden, and asks for the source. Several ברייתות answer. רבי יאשיה learns it from ״תִּשְׁמוֹר״. רבי יונתן uses a קל וחומר and defends it against challenges from the weekdays and ראש חודש. רבי יוסי הגלילי and רבי עקיבא each bring a פסוק. A last ברייתא learns from ״עֲצֶרֶת״ that only some work is forbidden on חול המועד, and that the details are given to the חכמים. Finally, the גמרא resolves a contradiction between the משנה, which allows eulogy on the יום טבוח, and רבי טרפון, who forbade it: the answer depends on which day of the week שבועות fell.

Opening lines

The steps (25)

1. ResolutionWhy רבי אלעזר's teaching is still needed
2. Statementריש לקיש reads the name ״חג הקציר״
3. ProofHarvesting must mean the makeup days
4. Challengeרבי יוחנן's parallel: ״חג האסיף״
5. RejectionThe names describe the season
6. ConclusionBoth hold work on חול המועד is forbidden
7. QuestionWhere does the ban on work during the middle days come from?
8. Responseרבי יאשיה learns it from the word 'guard'
9. Statementרבי יונתן proves it with logic instead
10. ChallengeChallenge: the six weekdays also sit between holy days
11. ResolutionAnswer: the middle days have a קרבן מוסף
12. ChallengeChallenge: ראש חודש has a קרבן מוסף, yet work is allowed
13. ResolutionAnswer: the middle days are called 'מקרא קודש'
14. StatementAnother ברייתא: רבי יוסי הגלילי's פסוק
15. Statementרבי עקיבא points to a different פסוק
16. ProofProof by elimination: it must mean the middle days
17. StatementA third ברייתא: the six days are like the seventh
18. ChallengeChallenge: then all work would be forbidden
19. ResolutionOnly the seventh day is closed to all work
20. ConclusionThe תורה leaves the details to the חכמים
21. StatementEulogy and fasting allowed on the day of slaughter
22. Challengeרבי טרפון stopped a eulogy
23. ChallengeIt could not have been the holiday itself
24. ResolutionRead it as the day of slaughter
25. ResolutionIt depends on which day שבועות fell