Gittin 59b

גיטין נ״ט ע״ב

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Topic

Rules made מפני דרכי שלום, and the order of calling a כהן, a לוי and a ישראל to the תורה

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a משנה that lists rules made מפני דרכי שלום, for the sake of peace. These include filling the pit closest to the water channel first, not taking from someone's traps, not taking a find picked up by a חרש, שוטה or קטן, not taking olives a poor person knocked down, and letting poor gentiles take לקט, שכחה and פאה. The גמרא then asks for the source of the משנה's rule that a כהן reads from the תורה first and a לוי second, and four אמוראים each bring a פסוק. אביי asks why the משנה calls this rule 'for peace' if it comes from the תורה. The answer is that, unlike at a meal, in the בית הכנסת the כהן may not give his turn away to a greater person, because that could start fights. רב מתנה limits this to שבת and יום טוב, and רב הונא is shown to be a special case. אביי then teaches what happens when no כהן or no לוי is present. The גמרא explains רבי יוחנן's rule against one כהן reading after another and against one לוי reading after another. The amud ends as the people of the גליל begin a question to רבי חלבו about who reads after the כהן and לוי, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (32)

1. StatementThe pit closest to the water channel gets filled first
2. StatementTaking animals from someone else's traps
3. StatementTaking a find from a חרש, שוטה, or קטן
4. StatementOlives under a poor person beating an olive tree
5. StatementPoor gentiles may take gifts for the poor, for the sake of peace
6. QuestionThe גמרא asks for the source that a כהן reads first
7. Responseרב מתנה: משה gave the תורה to the כהנים, sons of לוי
8. Responseרבי יצחק נפחא: The כהנים, sons of לוי, shall come near
9. Responseרב אשי: אהרן was set apart as holy of holies
10. ResponseA fourth source: 'And you shall sanctify him'
11. ProofThe school of רבי ישמעאל spells out 'every matter of holiness'
12. ChallengeIf it is a Torah law, why call it 'for the sake of peace'?
13. Resolutionרב יוסף: it is both Torah law and for peace
14. ChallengeBut the whole Torah is for peace
15. Resolutionאביי: it goes beyond the meal rule, where honor may be given away
16. ResolutionGiving away the honor works at a meal, but not in the synagogue
17. StatementThe ban applies only on שבת and יום טוב
18. ChallengeBut רב הונא read first even on שבת
19. Resolutionרב הונא was different because everyone accepted his greatness
20. StatementWith no כהן, the לוי loses his special place
21. StatementWith no לוי, the כהן reads again
22. Challengeרבי יוחנן says one כהן should not read after another
23. ResolutionThe same כהן reads again
24. ChallengeWhy are two כהנים different from two לויים?
25. ResolutionThe second כהן's father is a known כהן
26. ChallengeThe same could be said of the second לוי
27. ResolutionPeople suspect the לוי's father married someone forbidden
28. ChallengeThe same could be said of the כהן's father
29. ResolutionA disqualified כהן is still never a לוי
30. QuestionWho would actually suspect the first כהן?
31. ResponseThe worry is about people who leave early
32. QuestionThe people of the גליל send a question to רבי חלבו