Gemara Clarity

Gittin 54b

גיטין נ״ד ע״ב

Learn Gittin 54b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Gittin 54b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Fines for deliberate acts in ביטול, and when a person is believed that he ruined something (פיגול, טהרות, a ספר תורה).

Overview

This amud opens by finishing a ברייתא about ערלה nuts that fell into other nuts and broke. The גמרא explains why רבי יהודה fines even an accidental break: otherwise people would break the nuts on purpose and fake an accident. It then sets רבי יוסי against himself, and answers that nobody risks his whole vineyard for one sapling, so that rare case needed no fine. A new משנה teaches that כהנים who make a קרבן פיגול on purpose must pay. A ברייתא follows about when a coworker is believed that he ruined טהרות or זבחים, explained differently by אביי and רבא. רבי אסי says the תורה believes such a person. The proof brought from the כהן גדול on יום הכפורים falls with 'קשיא'. The amud ends with two stories of a סופר who admits a hidden flaw in a ספר תורה he sold. רבי אמי says the סופר loses his pay but the scroll stays valid. רבי אבהו says the סופר's word makes the scroll unusable too.

Opening lines

נָפְלוּ וְנִתְפַּצְּעוּ;

They fell in and were broken;

אֶחָד שׁוֹגֵג, וְאֶחָד מֵזִיד –

whether by accident or on purpose,

לֹא יַעֲלוּ,

they are not nullified,

דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה.

these are the words of Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda.

The steps (33)

  1. StatementBroken ערלה nuts: accidental versus deliberate
  2. ChallengeWhy does רבי יהודה fine an accident in a rabbinic matter?
  3. ResolutionThe fine prevents people from gaming the system
  4. Challengeרבי יוסי against רבי יוסי: the משנה of mixed saplings
  5. Challengeרבי יוסי allows nullification even when done on purpose
  6. ResolutionNobody ruins his vineyard for one sapling
  7. StatementPriests who make an offering פיגול on purpose
  8. StatementWhen a coworker is believed that he ruined things
  9. QuestionWhat is the difference between the two cases?
  10. ResponseHe is believed about what is still in his hands
  11. Responseרבא's explanation: he stayed quiet at first and spoke up later
  12. StatementA story: רבי אמי rules the man is not believed about a past day
  13. Challengeרבי אסי objects: the Torah believes him
  14. QuestionWhere does the Torah believe him?
  15. ProofProof from the כהן גדול on יום הכפורים
  16. RejectionMaybe people heard him say it
  17. ResolutionEven if we heard him, we still need to believe him
  18. RejectionMaybe they saw the כהן גדול through a small opening
  19. ConclusionThe proof is left with a difficulty
  20. StatementA סופר admits he wrote the names of ה' without proper intention
  21. Questionרבי אמי asks who has the scroll
  22. ResponseThe scroll is with the buyer
  23. StatementBelieved to lose his pay, not to ruin the scroll
  24. ChallengeWhy lose pay for the whole scroll?
  25. ResolutionSuch a scroll is worth nothing
  26. ChallengeWhy not go over the names with a quill?
  27. QuestionIs this ruling against רבי יהודה?
  28. ProofThe ברייתא where רבי יהודה allows tracing over a name
  29. ResolutionTracing one name is fine, but not a whole scroll
  30. StatementA סופר admits the parchment was not prepared לשמה
  31. Questionרבי אבהו asks who has the scroll
  32. ResponseThe buyer has the scroll
  33. Statementרבי אבהו: the סופר is believed to make the scroll unusable