Kereisos 18b

כריתות י״ח ע״ב

Keritot 18b

Learn Kereisos 18b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Whether knowing about a doubt between sins (ידיעות ספק) splits them into separate חטאות and אשמות תלויים

Overview

The amud begins by finishing an earlier case. According to רבי אליעזר, a person may bring an אשם תלוי as a volunteer offering, so he can bring one with a condition attached. Then a ברייתא asks about someone who twice ate fat that might have been חלב and was told of the doubt each time. רבי says he brings an אשם תלוי for each time; other תנאים say only one. רבי זירא learns from רבי that knowing about a doubt also splits the sins into separate חטאות. רבא disagrees, and אביי defends רבי זירא's rule. רבא בר חנן, רב אידי בר אבין and רבא challenge אביי from cases where יום הכפורים, which atones like an אשם תלוי, falls between two sins, and each challenge gets an answer. ריש לקיש agrees with רבי זירא and רבי יוחנן agrees with רבא. The ברייתא's wording is left as a קשיא against ריש לקיש. Finally the גמרא begins to show that each of them seems to contradict himself, using a ברייתא about two paths, one impure and one pure.

Opening lines

The steps (30)

1. ResolutionThe case follows רבי אליעזר
2. ConclusionBring the offering with a condition
3. Statementרבי: an offering for each doubtful eating
4. StatementOther Sages: only one offering
5. Statementרבי זירא: knowing of a doubt splits the sin offerings
6. Rejectionרבא reads רבי's ruling differently
7. Challengeאביי challenges רבא's reading
8. ProofA ברייתא backs up אביי
9. Challengeרבא בר חנן challenges אביי with יום הכפורים
10. ChallengeThe punchline: it was all one lapse of awareness
11. ResolutionMaybe יום הכפורים only atones for doubts the person knew about
12. Rejectionרבא: the משנה says יום הכפורים atones even for unknown sins
13. ChallengeSecond version: חלב eaten in the morning and afternoon of יום הכפורים
14. ResolutionMaybe יום הכפורים atones only once, from the evening
15. Rejectionרבה בר בר חנה: even at nightfall the day still atones
16. ChallengeEating and drinking on יום הכפורים need only one חטאת
17. ChallengeFinishing the challenge: he should owe two חטאות
18. Resolutionרבי זירא's rule follows רבי, and the משנה follows רבנן
19. ChallengeThe end of the משנה follows רבי, so the beginning should too
20. ResolutionThe end follows רבי and the beginning follows רבנן
21. ChallengeBenefits on different days, even years apart, still combine
22. ChallengeThe פסוק includes adding up, but didn't יום הכפורים already atone?
23. Resolutionיום הכפורים atones for the prohibition, not for money owed
24. Resolutionיום הכפורים does not atone for half a measure
25. Statementריש לקיש: רבי taught that doubtful awareness divides
26. Statementרבי יוחנן: Doubtful awareness does not divide
27. StatementHow רבי יוחנן reads the ברייתא
28. ChallengeThe ברייתא's wording fits רבי יוחנן but not ריש לקיש
29. ChallengeAnnouncing a contradiction within each sage
30. StatementThe ברייתא of the two paths