Kesubos 31a

כתובות ל״א ע״א

Ketubot 31a

Learn Kesubos 31a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

When a capital or כרת sin and a money debt come together: רב חסדא on stolen חלב, רבי אבין's arrow, and the purse stolen on שבת

Overview

The amud asks when one act brings both a death-penalty or כרת sin and a money debt, and the person is freed from paying. It begins with the end of רבי אבין's case: an arrow shot four אמות on שבת tore someone's silk as it flew. רב חסדא says even רבי נחוניא בן הקנה agrees that a thief who steals and eats חלב must pay, because the theft came before the eating. The גמרא asks whether this argues with רבי אבין, who exempts the arrow-shooter because lifting and placing are one act. It answers that the cases differ in two ways: eating can happen without lifting, and the fat can be put back while the arrow cannot. The two reasons give different rulings for a man carrying a knife who tears silk on the way. Then רב ביבי בר אביי challenges רבי אבין from a ברייתא that makes a purse thief pay on שבת. The גמרא first says the thief lifted the purse to hide it. רבי יוחנן's rule rules that out, so the גמרא says instead that he lifted it to carry it out but stopped. It narrows this to stopping to rest, and then asks what the law is if he only stopped to adjust the load on his shoulder, a question taken up on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (16)

1. QuestionThe end of the arrow-and-silk case
2. Statementרב חסדא: the thief who eats stolen חלב must pay
3. ChallengeDoes רב חסדא argue with רבי אבין's arrow ruling?
4. RejectionFirst difference: placing needs lifting, but eating does not
5. RejectionSecond difference: the arrow cannot be taken back, but the fat can
6. QuestionWhat is the difference between the two answers?
7. ResponseThe knife case: where the two answers split
8. StatementReturning to רבי אבין's arrow rule
9. Challengeרב ביבי quotes a ברייתא about stealing a purse on שבת
10. ChallengeThe challenge: lifting should be part of carrying out
11. ResolutionHe lifted it only to hide it, then changed his mind
12. ChallengeIf he changed his mind, there is no שבת violation at all
13. ResolutionHe lifted it to carry it out, but he stopped
14. QuestionWhy did the thief stop?
15. ResponseHe stopped to rest
16. QuestionWhat if he stopped only to adjust the load?