Menachos 109a

מנחות ק״ט ע״א

Menachot 109a

Learn Menachos 109a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Menachos 109a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Unclear sales; vows to offer in בית חוניו; and which kinds of idol service disqualify a כהן

Overview

The גמרא finishes a discussion about unclear sales. It uses the rule יד בעל השטר על התחתונה, which means the buyer, who holds the document, gets the weaker reading. Then a new משנה teaches that a vowed עולה or נזירות must be completed in the בית המקדש. If the person named בית חוניו in his vow, doing it there counts after the fact. רבי שמעון says such a vow never takes effect. The גמרא asks how offering in בית חוניו can count. רב המנונא says the vow carried no responsibility for the animal, and רבא says the man meant only a gift. רבי יוחנן and a ברייתא rule that he is יצא but gets כרת, and this backs רב המנונא for the עולה. A second משנה rules that כהנים who served in בית חוניו may not serve in ירושלים, but they still eat קדשים like בעלי מומין. The גמרא then discusses which kinds of idol worship disqualify a כהן: רב נחמן and רב ששת argue about unwitting sprinkling and about deliberate slaughter.

Opening lines

The steps (28)

1. ChallengeWhy not check which house fell or which slave died?
2. ResolutionA buyer is different: the document holder gets the weaker reading
3. ResolutionNow even עולא's 'attic' can mean the worst room
4. Statementמשנה: a plain vow of a עולה must be offered in the בית המקדש
5. StatementA vow worded 'to offer in בית חוניו'
6. Statementרבי שמעון: that vow does not create a עולה at all
7. StatementA plain נזיר must shave in the בית המקדש
8. StatementA נזיר who vowed to shave in בית חוניו
9. Statementרבי שמעון: he is not a נזיר at all
10. ChallengeHow can offering in בית חוניו count?
11. Resolutionרב המנונא: a vow without responsibility
12. Challengeרבא: that cannot work for a נזיר
13. Resolutionרבא: the man only meant to bring a gift
14. Resolutionרבא applies the same idea to the נזיר
15. Resolutionרב המנונא splits the two cases
16. Proofרבי יוחנן agrees with רב המנונא
17. ProofA ברייתא backs up the ruling about an offering vowed for the wrong place
18. StatementThe משנה: כהנים who served in בית חוניו
19. Statementרב יהודה: a כהן who slaughtered for idols may still serve
20. ProofThe פסוק shows that only real 'service' disqualifies, and slaughter is not service
21. StatementUnwitting sprinkling for idols: a dispute
22. Proofרב ששת's proof from the verse in יחזקאל
23. Rejectionרב נחמן reads the verse as one phrase
24. Proofרב נחמן's proof: a כהן atones for himself
25. ProofThe ברייתא must be talking about sprinkling
26. Rejectionרב ששת says the ברייתא is about slaughter
27. StatementThe two אמוראים argue about slaughtering on purpose
28. StatementThe reasons behind each view