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Kesubos 24b

כתובות כ״ד ע״ב

Ketubot 24b

Learn Kesubos 24b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The source of the 'tools in hand' principle in the potter's case, and whether eating תרומה, a witnessed document, or נשיאות כפים can prove a כהן's יוחסין.

Overview

The גמרא finishes the donkey-driver case: we suspect the drivers of working together only when the second one came with his work tools in hand. It then traces this idea of רבי חמא בר עוקבא back to a משנה about a potter who left his pots to go drink. Two ברייתות disagree with that משנה, and he explains them. With tools in hand, buyers handle everything and all the pots are טמא. With no tools in hand, nobody touches them and all are טהור. The משנה's split ruling is a no-tools case beside a crowded street, where people bump only the outer pots. The גמרא then gives a second answer to the argument between רבי יהודה and רבנן: they disagree about whether eating תרומה can later prove a man's יוחסין. It asks the same question about a witnessed document and about נשיאות כפים, and in each case two אמוראים disagree. רבא tries to settle the נשיאות כפים question from נחמיה's doubtful כהנים, but the גמרא rejects the proof, because everyone knew those כהנים' status was weakened.

Opening lines

הָכָא נָמֵי

Here too

בְּשֶׁכְּלֵי אוּמָּנוּתוֹ בְּיָדוֹ.

it is where the tools of his trade are in his hand.

וְהֵיכָא אִתְּמַר

And where was it said,

דְּרַבִּי חָמָא בַּר עוּקְבָא —

the statement of רבי חמא בר עוקבא?

The steps (26)

  1. ResolutionThe donkey driver came with his work tools
  2. QuestionWhere was רבי חמא בר עוקבא's idea first said?
  3. ResponseThe משנה of the potter who went to drink
  4. ChallengeA ברייתא says all the pots are impure
  5. ResolutionWith tools in hand, buyers touch every pot
  6. ChallengeAnother ברייתא says all the pots are pure
  7. ResolutionWithout tools in hand, nobody touches the pots
  8. ChallengeWhen does the משנה's split ruling ever happen?
  9. ResolutionPots next to a crowded public street
  10. ResolutionA different answer: raising someone from תרומה to יוחסין
  11. QuestionCan documents prove a person's lineage?
  12. QuestionWhat kind of document? Not one he signed himself
  13. ResponseThe document is a loan contract where the borrower calls himself a כהן
  14. QuestionWhat exactly do the witnesses confirm when they sign?
  15. Statementרב הונא and רב חסדא argue about the document
  16. QuestionCan doing נשיאות כפים prove a man is a כהן for יוחסין?
  17. QuestionThe question for the one who says תרומה does prove it
  18. QuestionThe question for the one who says תרומה does not prove it
  19. StatementTwo אמוראים disagree about נשיאות כפים
  20. Questionרב נחמן בר יצחק asks רבא, who points to the dispute
  21. QuestionWhat is the final הלכה?
  22. Responseרבא quotes רבי יוסי: חזקה is powerful
  23. Statementנחמיה lets them keep eating תרומה
  24. Proofרבא's proof: נשיאות כפים does not prove יוחסין
  25. RejectionTheir case was different: their status was weakened
  26. ProofProof for the rejection from תרומה