Kereisos 27a

כריתות כ״ז ע״א

Keritot 27a

Learn Kereisos 27a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Whether a person gains atonement through שבח הקדש, רבי אלעזר's three questions to רבי יוחנן, and why some offerings have no fixed value

Overview

The גמרא first finishes a question about the word "מעילתו" in the משנה. Its meaning depends on whether the ram he bought is worth the full קרן וחומש. Then רב מנשיא בר גדא asks whether an אשם bought from collected חומשים can bring atonement. That question leads to a more basic one: does שבח הקדש, a rise in an animal's value while he owns it, count toward the two-סלע אשם? Several proofs are pushed off. One ברייתא is shown to follow a תנא who counts שבח הקדש, with the extra דינר paid only as a rabbinic גזירה. But the גמרא then brings a ברייתא ruling that a ram worth one סלע when set aside does not work, even if it is worth two at atonement. רבי אלעזר asks three questions that רבי יוחנן reacts to: on שבח הקדש (answered from the offspring of a תודה), on whether live animals are pushed off (answered from the case of two partners), and on lambs becoming cheap. Finally, אביי and רבא challenge רבי שמעון בן יוחאי's reason why offerings of מחוסרי כפרה have no fixed value, and the גמרא leaves it as a קשיא.

Opening lines

The steps (43)

1. ChallengeThe latter case uses the word differently
2. ResolutionIt depends on whether the ram covers the full repayment
3. QuestionCan an אשם bought from collected fifths bring atonement?
4. QuestionOne side: atonement may require his own effort
5. QuestionThe other side: collected fifths were set aside, so maybe they work
6. QuestionThe root question was already being asked
7. ProofProof from the two rams bought with two סלעים
8. RejectionRejected: the shepherd gave him a bargain
9. ProofProof from a ram that was fattened
10. RejectionRejected: fattening cost him money
11. ProofA new proof from the second half of the ברייתא
12. RejectionThis case too is about fattening
13. ChallengeThen the second half just repeats the first
14. ResolutionThe two halves differ in how much he spent
15. ChallengeWhy pay a whole סלע if only one דינר is missing?
16. Resolution'Pay a סלע' means complete the סלע
17. ChallengePaying one דינר does not create a two-סלע ram
18. ResolutionThis תנא holds that שבח הקדש brings atonement
19. ChallengeThen why pay the missing דינר at all?
20. ResolutionThe extra payment is a rabbinic safeguard
21. QuestionWhat is the final ruling?
22. ResponseA ברייתא: the rise in value does not count
23. Questionרבי אלעזר asks the same question
24. Statementרבי יוחנן is surprised at his student
25. QuestionDid רבי יוחנן really state this?
26. ResponseYes, he said it about a משנה on the תודה
27. Statementרבי יוחנן's ruling on the offspring of a תודה
28. ConclusionSo רבי יוחנן holds atonement through שבח הקדש works
29. QuestionAre live animals permanently pushed off?
30. Statementרבי יוחנן is surprised again
31. QuestionDid רבי יוחנן actually rule on this?
32. ResponseThe case of the animal owned by two partners
33. ConclusionThree lessons learned from רבי יוחנן's ruling
34. QuestionWhat if lambs become cheap everywhere?
35. Statementרבי יוחנן says he never heard this הלכה
36. ChallengeBut רבי יוחנן himself taught a related teaching
37. ResolutionHe meant: we never taught it
38. ChallengeBut his student reviewed everything with him every month
39. ResolutionHe meant: no one ever asked us this
40. StatementBack to the statement: why there is no fixed value for offerings of מחוסרי כפרה
41. Challengeאביי: then a regular חטאת should have a fixed value
42. Challengeרבא: then אשם נזיר should have a fixed value
43. ConclusionThe challenges stand: it is difficult