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Kesubos 34a

כתובות ל״ד ע״א

Ketubot 34a

Learn Kesubos 34a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Why a thief who slaughters on שבת, for עבודה זרה, or a שור הנסקל may be exempt or liable, including רבי יוחנן הסנדלר's ban on מעשה שבת and the defense of רבי מאיר

Overview

The גמרא explains why a thief who slaughtered a stolen animal on שבת, for עבודה זרה, or as a שור הנסקל could be exempt. The exemption follows רבי שמעון: a שחיטה that does not make the meat permitted is not called שחיטה. That fits עבודה זרה and שור הנסקל, but a משנה says a שחיטה done on שבת is valid. The גמרא answers that this view follows רבי יוחנן הסנדלר, who forbids food made by breaking שבת on purpose to everyone, forever. His source is רבי חייא's teaching on 'כי קודש היא לכם'. 'קודש' forbids eating, 'לכם' still allows benefit, and 'מחלליה מות יומת' limits the rule to someone who did it on purpose. רב אחא and רבינא argue whether this ban is from the Torah or only from the חכמים. According to the rabbinic view, the חכמים exempt the thief only in the other cases. The גמרא then defends רבי מאיר, who makes the thief pay. For עבודה זרה, רבא says the man worships only at the end of the slaughter. For the שור הנסקל, רבה sets the case in a שומר's house and relies on the rules of רבי יעקב and רבי שמעון. Finally, רבה begins a new reading in which the thief slaughtered by himself, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הִיא, דְּאָמַר:

It is Rabbi Shimon, who said:

שְׁחִיטָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ רְאוּיָה —

a slaughter that is not fit

לֹא שְׁמָהּ שְׁחִיטָה.

is not called a slaughter.

הָתִינַח עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְשׁוֹר הַנִּסְקָל,

This works well for idolatry and the ox that is stoned,

The steps (20)

  1. ResolutionThe opinion follows רבי שמעון: improper slaughter is not slaughter
  2. ChallengeBut slaughtering on שבת is a valid slaughter
  3. ResolutionThis opinion follows רבי יוחנן הסנדלר
  4. ProofThe ברייתא about cooking on שבת: three opinions
  5. QuestionWhat is רבי יוחנן הסנדלר's reason?
  6. Responseרבי חייא: שבת is called קודש, so its products may not be eaten
  7. ChallengeThen benefit should also be forbidden
  8. Resolution'לכם': benefit is allowed
  9. ChallengeMaybe even by mistake?
  10. Resolution'מחלליה מות יומת': only on purpose
  11. Statementרב אחא and רבינא disagree about the level of the ban
  12. ProofThe source for each side
  13. ChallengeWhy do the חכמים exempt the thief?
  14. ResolutionThe חכמים only exempt in the other cases
  15. ChallengeSlaughtering for עבודה זרה: the animal is no longer the owner's
  16. Resolutionרבא: he worships only at the end of the slaughter
  17. ChallengeThe שור הנסקל: it is not his
  18. Resolutionרבה: the ox was with a שומר
  19. ResolutionThe two opinions behind the case of the ox held by the שומר
  20. Resolutionרבה begins a new explanation: the thief slaughtered by himself