Gemara Clarity

Gittin 55a

גיטין נ״ה ע״א

Learn Gittin 55a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Gittin 55a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

A סופר's believability, then רבי יוחנן בן גודגדא's four testimonies and the גמרא on each: a גט without the wife's knowledge, a חרשת and תרומה, the stolen beam, and the stolen חטאת.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a discussion from the previous page. A סופר who says he did not prepare the parchment לשמה is believed, unlike in רבי אמי's case, because here he knowingly loses his whole wage. Then a new משנה brings four testimonies of רבי יוחנן בן גודגדא: a חרשת married off by her father can be divorced with a גט; a קטנה married to a כהן eats תרומה and her husband inherits her; a stolen beam built into a building is repaid with money because of תקנת השבים; and a stolen חטאת that is not publicly known still atones because of תיקון המזבח. In the גמרא, רבא learns from the first testimony that a גט works even if the husband calls it a loan document out of embarrassment. Next the גמרא explains why a חרשת married to a כהן may not eat any תרומה, through a chain of protective גזירות. A ברייתא shows that the beam ruling follows בית הלל against בית שמאי. Finally, עולא and רב יהודה argue about whether a stolen חטאת atones by Torah law. Their dispute depends on whether יאוש alone makes the item the robber's.

Opening lines

וּמַאי שְׁנָא מִדְּרַבִּי אַמֵּי?

And what is different from the case of Rabbi Ami?

הָתָם, אִיכָּא לְמֵימַר

There, it is possible to say

טָעֵי בִּדְרַבִּי יִרְמְיָה.

he made the mistake of Rabbi Yirmeya.

הָכָא, כֵּיוָן דְּקָא מַפְסֵיד כּוּלֵּיהּ אַגְרֵיהּ –

Here, since he loses his entire wage –

The steps (22)

  1. ChallengeHow is this different from רבי אמי's case?
  2. ResolutionIn this case the סופר loses his whole wage, so he is believed
  3. StatementA deaf-mute woman married off by her father can be divorced with a גט
  4. StatementA young girl married to a כהן eats תרומה, and her husband inherits her
  5. StatementA stolen beam built into a building is paid back with money
  6. StatementFourth testimony: a stolen sin-offering still brings atonement
  7. Statementרבא: a divorce works even when the wife thinks she got a loan document
  8. ChallengeIsn't this obvious?
  9. ResolutionThe new point: calling it a loan document does not cancel the גט
  10. StatementInference: a חרשת married to a כהן does not eat תרומה
  11. QuestionWhy may a חרשת not eat תרומה?
  12. ResponseA decree so a deaf-mute כהן won't feed his deaf-mute wife
  13. ChallengeWhy worry about a חרשת eating תרומה at all?
  14. ResolutionThe real worry is a חרש feeding a פיקחת wife
  15. ChallengeLet her at least eat rabbinic תרומה
  16. ResolutionRabbinic תרומה could lead to Torah תרומה
  17. StatementThe stolen beam built into a building
  18. Statementעולא: By Torah law a stolen sin-offering never atones
  19. StatementWhy the חכמים let an unknown stolen offering atone
  20. Challengeרבנן: the משנה says it is for the מזבח
  21. Resolutionעולא: Upset priests leave the altar idle
  22. Statementרב יהודה: By Torah law a stolen sin-offering always atones