Chagigah 7b
חגיגה ז׳ ע״ב
Learn Chagigah 7b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.
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Topic
Who is exempt from ראייה, and which money and which days may be used for Festival offerings and for שמחה
Overview
The amud opens with אביי rejecting a suggested reading of the פסוק 'כל זכורך', that a father must bring all his sons up together. He says that point is obvious. So the גמרא says the פסוק teaches the rule of אחרים: workers whose jobs make them smell bad, like a dung-gatherer, a copper smelter and a tanner, are exempt from ראייה, because others avoid them. A new משנה then teaches that Festival עולות come from חולין money, while שלמים may come from מעשר שני money. בית שמאי and בית הלל argue about the חגיגה of the first day of פסח. The משנה also lists which meat offerings let ישראלים and כהנים fulfill שמחה, and it excludes birds and meal-offerings. The גמרא finds the משנה's wording problematic: it seems either to allow מעשר for עולות on יום טוב or to follow בית שמאי. It answers that words are missing. Voluntary עולות come only on חול המועד, while the required עולת ראייה comes even on יום טוב but only from חולין. A ברייתא confirms this, and רב אשי explains that the dispute covers only the חגיגה of the fifteenth, not the fourteenth.
Opening lines
אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי: פְּשִׁיטָא,
Abaye said to him: That is obvious;
הֵי מִינַּיְיהוּ מְשַׁוֵּית לְהוּ פּוֹשְׁעִים,
which of them would you make into sinners,
וְהֵי מִינַּיְיהוּ מְשַׁוֵּית לְהוּ זְרִיזִין!
and which of them would you make into eager ones!
אֶלָּא קְרָא לְמַאי אֲתָא?
Rather, the verse, for what does it come?
The steps (14)
- Rejectionאביי rejects the idea that the verse is needed for a father of many sons
- QuestionSo what does the verse come to teach?
- ResponseThe verse teaches that people with foul-smelling jobs are exempt
- Statementמשנה: burnt-offerings from plain money, peace-offerings from tithe money
- Statementבית שמאי and בית הלל argue about the first day of פסח
- StatementHow ordinary Jews fulfill their duty of rejoicing
- StatementHow כהנים fulfill rejoicing, and what does not count
- ChallengeDoes the משנה imply that עולות on the Festival day may come from מעשר?
- ChallengeReading the משנה as banning עולות on יום טוב would follow בית שמאי
- ProofThe משנה showing that בית שמאי forbid עולות on יום טוב
- ResolutionThe משנה is missing words: gift-type עולות versus the required עולת ראייה
- ProofA ברייתא teaches the same rules
- QuestionWhy does it say 'the first day of פסח'?
- Responseרב אשי: the fifteenth is included, the fourteenth is not