Menachos 104a

מנחות ק״ד ע״א

Menachot 104a

Learn Menachos 104a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Menachos 104a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Is the blood of a נבילה (an animal that died without proper שחיטה) טמא? The question is resolved through the ruling of רבי יהודה. Then a new משנה begins about how much wine one may pledge as a נסכים offering.

Overview

The amud opens as רבי ביבי explains that his mind is too unsettled to rule on whether the blood of a נבילה is טמא. רב יוסף answers that רבי יהודה, the decisor of the נשיא's household, ruled by his own tradition. That tradition says בית הלל, unusually the stricter side here, hold that such blood is טמא. רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה adds that this applies only to a רביעית, since that much blood can harden into a כזית. A new משנה then teaches that one may pledge 3, 4, 6, or more לוג of wine for נסכים, but not 1, 2, or 5. The גמרא asks whether there is a קבע for נסכים, using the case of someone who brings 5 לוג. אביי's proof from the six collection horns is rejected. רבא proves from a ברייתא that there is no קבע, and רב אשי's challenge from the משנה is answered. Finally אביי begins a new question: if there is a קבע, what is the law for eleven לוג? That question continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (17)

1. Responseרבי ביבי explains why he cannot answer
2. QuestionWhat was the final ruling?
3. Responseרבי יהודה ruled for the נשיא's household
4. ProofSource for רבי יהודה's tradition
5. StatementOnly a רביעית of blood is טמא
6. StatementWhich amounts of wine may be pledged
7. QuestionIs a pledged amount of libation wine one fixed unit?
8. QuestionThe practical case: someone brings five לוג
9. Proofאביי brings the six horns for נדבה
10. ProofNo horn for leftover libations, so there is a fixed amount
11. RejectionWhy there was no horn for leftover wine
12. Proofרבא quotes a ברייתא on pledged נסכים
13. QuestionAdding cannot mean only 4 or 6
14. ConclusionAdding means five: no fixed amount
15. Challengeרב אשי brings a proof from the משנה that five לוג is not allowed
16. ResolutionThe comparison between two and five is rejected
17. Questionאביי sets up a question about eleven לוג if there is a fixed amount