Horayos 6b

הוריות ו׳ ע״ב

Horayot 6b

Learn Horayos 6b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Horayos 6b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Whether שבט לוי is a קהל, רבי שמעון's five חטאות left to die, and the start of the פרק on the כהן משיח's mistaken ruling

Overview

The גמרא first asks whether the כהנים count as a קהל. If they did, they would bring their own bull for a mistaken ruling, and there would be thirteen tribes. רב אחא ברבי יעקב answers that שבט לוי is not a קהל, because only a tribe with land (אחוזה) is called a קהל. To keep twelve tribes, אביי counts אפרים and מנשה as two. רבא objects that they were made equal to the other tribes only for inheritance. The banners and the separate נשיאים do not disprove רבא, since both were arranged for honor. The גמרא then returns to רבי שמעון and brings his ברייתא of five kinds of חטאת left to die, which apply only to an individual and not to the community, as one tradition. The פרק ends, and a new משנה teaches that a כהן משיח brings a פר only when both his ruling and his act were mistakes. The גמרא explains that case with אביי's answer and begins a ברייתא that compares the משיח to the ציבור. That ברייתא continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (22)

1. ChallengeIf the priests are a congregation, they should bring their own bull
2. ResolutionOnly a tribe with land is called a congregation
3. ChallengeWithout לוי, there are not twelve tribes
4. Resolutionאפרים and מנשה count as two tribes
5. Challengeרבא: they were made equal only for inheritance
6. ChallengeBut they were separate under the banners
7. ResolutionThe camps simply followed the land division, to honor the banners
8. ChallengeBut each tribe had its own prince
9. ResolutionSeparate princes were only for honor
10. ProofProof from the twelve days of the משכן's dedication
11. QuestionSo what is the final word on רבי שמעון?
12. Proofרבי שמעון's five sin-offerings that are left to die
13. ProofLearning the unclear cases from the clear ones
14. ChallengeHow can you learn the possible from the impossible?
15. Resolutionרבי שמעון received all five rules as one tradition
16. ConclusionHadran — Closing הורו בית דין
17. StatementWhen a כהן משיח who rules mistakenly for himself brings a פר
18. ChallengeWhy does the משנה need to say the first case?
19. Resolutionאביי: he forgot his reason but acted on his ruling
20. QuestionSource for exempting a deliberate ruling or deliberate act
21. ResponseThe משיח is like the ציבור
22. ChallengeCouldn't this be learned by logic?