Kereisos 3b

כריתות ג׳ ע״ב

Keritot 3b

Learn Kereisos 3b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

How the משנה counts its list of כריתות: mistakes in עבודה זרה, general categories, אוב and ידעוני, and what counts as an action

Overview

The amud opens by looking for a case of שגגת עבודה זרה וזדון עבודות. The גמרא gives three ways to picture it: someone who thinks idol worship is allowed, a תינוק שנשבה, or an adult who thinks only silver and gold idols are forbidden. רב ביבי then explains that the משנה's list of כריתות names general categories like שבת and עבודה זרה. The גמרא shows why his own question about 'thirty-seven' is still fair. רבי ירמיה asks about two punishments under one לאו, and רבי זירא points to אוב and ידעוני. רבי יוחנן says ידעוני is left off the כרת list because it shares one לאו with אוב. ריש לקיש says it is left off because it has no action. This leads to a discussion of what counts as an action for רבי עקיבא and for the רבנן, and why the משנה excludes only the מגדף. The amud ends with עולא, רבא and אביי defining the בעל אוב and the חובר חבר, and with a new challenge from רבי יוחנן's view that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (54)

1. ResolutionThe case is someone who thinks idol worship is permitted
2. ProofProof from רבא's question to רב נחמן
3. Resolutionרב פפא: a child captured among non-Jews
4. ResolutionAn adult who misreads the פסוק about silver and gold gods
5. ResolutionThe משנה counts only general categories
6. QuestionHow do we know this?
7. ProofProof: בתו מאנוסתו is not listed separately
8. RejectionMaybe the משנה only lists sins written openly in the תורה
9. ChallengeBut some written cases are also missing
10. ConclusionThe משנה lists categories, so שבת and עבודה זרה are categories too
11. Challengeרב אחא shows a contradiction in רב ביבי's words
12. ChallengeWhy did רב ביבי ask about 37? He could just say 'the category of offering up'
13. ResolutionShabbat and idol worship are different from offering up
14. QuestionTwo כריתות with only one prohibition
15. ResponseSlaughtering and offering up have two prohibitions
16. ProofThe גזירה שוה gives slaughtering its own prohibition
17. ProofA second proof from a juxtaposition that slaughtering has its own warning
18. QuestionMaybe the question is about אוב and ידעוני
19. ResponseThis case is already a dispute between רבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש
20. ChallengeWhy is ידעוני missing from the כרת list?
21. Resolutionרבי יוחנן: both are in one לאו
22. ChallengeThen why name אוב and not ידעוני?
23. ResolutionBecause the פסוק opens with בעל אוב
24. Resolutionריש לקיש: ידעוני has no action
25. QuestionWhy doesn't ריש לקיש accept רבי יוחנן's answer?
26. Responseרב פפא: they are split in the death penalty
27. Resolutionרבי יוחנן: only a split in the לאו counts
28. QuestionWhy doesn't רבי יוחנן accept ריש לקיש's answer?
29. ResponseOur משנה follows רבי עקיבא, who needs no action
30. Resolutionריש לקיש: רבי עקיבא still needs a small action
31. QuestionWhat action does a בעל אוב do?
32. ResponseStriking his arms is the action
33. QuestionWhat action does a מגדף do?
34. ResponseTwisting his lips is the action
35. StatementAssumption: striking the arms counts even for the רבנן
36. ChallengeA ברייתא: עבודה זרה needs an action, including bowing
37. ChallengeBowing seems to have no action
38. Resolutionריש לקיש: the ברייתא follows רבי עקיבא
39. Resolutionרבי יוחנן: bending the body is an action, even for the רבנן
40. ChallengeIf bowing is not an action, how can striking the arms be one?
41. Conclusionריש לקיש's 'small action' is only for רבי עקיבא
42. ChallengeWhy does the משנה exclude only the blasphemer?
43. ResolutionThe משנה gave one of two examples
44. ChallengeThen why not mention the בעל אוב instead?
45. ResolutionThe מגדף had to be mentioned
46. Resolutionעולא: the בעל אוב burns incense to a demon
47. Challengeרבא: that is just idol worship
48. Resolutionרבא: burning incense to gather demons
49. Challengeאביי: that is just a חובר חבר
50. ResolutionThis kind of חובר חבר gets סקילה
51. QuestionThen what is the ordinary חובר חבר?
52. ResponseThe ordinary חובר חבר is someone who gathers animals by magic
53. StatementGathering hornets and scorpions: forbidden, but allowed in self-defense
54. ChallengeStarting a challenge from רבי יוחנן's view that bending the body is an action