Chagigah 23b

חגיגה כ״ג ע״ב

Learn Chagigah 23b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The impurity status of the פרה אדומה's ash tube, and the source for a כלי joining its contents for קודש

Overview

The גמרא first tries to define what kind of impurity the חכמים gave the tube that holds the ashes of the פרה אדומה. It tests three models: an item touched by a שרץ, an item touched by a מת, and an item touched by a מת that is already on its seventh day. A ברייתא about the person who cuts and immerses the tube rules out the first two models. A second ברייתא says the חכמים never made anything new for the פרה. אביי explains that this only means they never made a non-seat, like a spade, count as a מושב, and he brings the source for that rule from a פסוק. The גמרא then turns to the משנה's rule that a כלי joins its contents for קודש but not for תרומה. רבי חנין learns this from the פסוק about 'one pan full of קטורת.' רב כהנא objects that רבי עקיבא's ruling on this same rule is only rabbinic, and he proves it from the ruling about אפר חטאת. ריש לקיש begins an answer in the name of בר קפרא, and it continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (14)

1. ResolutionThe tube is treated like something touched by a creeping animal
2. ChallengeThen it should not make a person impure
3. ResolutionRather, the tube is treated like something touched by a corpse
4. ChallengeThen it should need sprinkling on the third and seventh days
5. ResolutionLike a corpse-impure item already on its seventh day
6. ChallengeBut the חכמים never invented new rules for the פרה
7. Resolutionאביי explains what 'no new rules' really means
8. Proofאביי's source: only an object meant for sitting becomes a seat
9. QuestionWhere do we learn that a vessel combines its contents for sacred food?
10. Responseרבי חנין: the pan full of קטורת counts as one
11. Challengeרב כהנא: but רבי עקיבא 'added' this rule
12. ChallengeBut that teaching is only rabbinic
13. ProofProof that רבי עקיבא's addition is rabbinic
14. Resolutionריש לקיש begins an answer in the name of בר קפרא