Kereisos 16b

כריתות ט״ז ע״ב

Keritot 16b

Learn Kereisos 16b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

What רבי עקיבא asked רבי אליעזר about many מלאכות on many שבתות: the readings of רבה, אביי and רב חסדא, with their proofs

Overview

The גמרא is working out exactly what רבי עקיבא asked רבי אליעזר about someone who did forbidden work on several שבתות. There are two cases. In שגגת שבת, he forgot it was שבת but knew the work was forbidden. In זדון שבת ושגגת מלאכות, he knew it was שבת but not that the work was forbidden. רבה says the first case was obvious to רבי עקיבא, because the weekdays in between split the sins. So the question was whether the שבתות count as separate 'bodies' in the second case. רבה proves this from the 'כלל גדול' משנה in מסכת שבת, which must follow רבי עקיבא. אביי disagrees: the second case was obvious (the שבתות are not separate), and the real question was whether the days in between split the sins. רב חסדא agrees with אביי about where the question lies, but holds that in the second case even רבי עקיבא treats each שבת separately. In all three readings, רבי עקיבא rejected רבי אליעזר's view that sub-labors count like main labors. רב חסדא then starts his proof from two ברייתות about writing two letters on two שבתות, and the proof continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (17)

1. StatementDefining which case רבי עקיבא really asked about
2. Responseרבי אליעזר answers that the שבתות are separate units, but רבי עקיבא does not accept it
3. Responseרבי אליעזר answers that sub-labors count like main labors, but רבי עקיבא does not accept it
4. Proofרבה brings the 'great principle' משנה: one who forgets שבת entirely brings one חטאת
5. ProofThe משנה's other two cases: a חטאת for each שבת, or a חטאת for each main labor
6. ProofThe משנה does not count each שבת separately in the third case
7. QuestionWhose view is this משנה? Not רבי אליעזר
8. ResponseIt is רבי עקיבא, and he already held that the days in between split the sins
9. ConclusionSo רבי עקיבא's question was about זדון שבת, and he rejected both answers
10. Rejectionאביי: the doubt was about forgetting it is שבת, not about forgetting the labors
11. Responseאביי: what רבי אליעזר answered and what רבי עקיבא accepted
12. Statementרב חסדא: even רבי עקיבא counts the שבתות separately when the labors are forgotten
13. Responseרב חסדא: רבי עקיבא accepted that the days in between split the sins
14. ResponseSub-labors count like main labors, but רבי עקיבא rejects it
15. Proofרב חסדא brings his source: the first ברייתא about writing two letters
16. ProofA second ברייתא seems to say the opposite about רבן גמליאל
17. Proofרב חסדא: my view explains the ברייתא that says פטור