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Menachos 42b

מנחות מ״ב ע״ב

Menachot 42b

Learn Menachos 42b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Menachos 42b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Making מצוה items: when a ברכה is said, who may make ציצית, preparing threads and dye לשמה, and checking תכלת

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a challenge. תפילין written by a גוי are invalid, yet a Jew who writes תפילין says no ברכה. So the גמרא sets the real rule: a ברכה is said on making something only if the act itself completes the מצוה, like מילה, and not if it only prepares an item, like writing תפילין. It uses this rule to explain the argument about a ברכה on attaching ציצית: is ציצית an obligation on the garment or on the person? רב מרדכי then gives a version of רב's teaching in which ציצית made by a גוי are valid, learned from 'ועשו להם'. Next, רב and שמואל argue about which threads may be used for ציצית and whether the thread must be spun לשמה, an argument that matches an older dispute between תנאים about leather for תפילין. The גמרא describes how תכלת was dyed and learns rules from it: test-dyed wool is invalid because dyeing must be לשמה, and testing can ruin the dye, which is itself a dispute between תנאים. Finally, a ברייתא says תכלת cannot be checked and must be bought from an expert. The גמרא challenges this from רב יצחק, who did test תכלת, and the description of his test continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מִפַּשְׁרוּנְיָא:

of Pashronya:

סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה, תְּפִילִּין וּמְזוּזוֹת

A Torah scroll, tefillin, or mezuzot

שֶׁכְּתָבָן מִין, כּוּתִי, גּוֹי,

that were written by a heretic, a Samaritan, a gentile,

עֶבֶד, אִשָּׁה, וְקָטָן,

a slave, a woman, or a minor,

The steps (18)

  1. ProofA ברייתא: sacred texts written by someone not obligated in תפילין are invalid
  2. ChallengeA Jew who writes תפילין says no ברכה
  3. ResolutionThe real rule: a ברכה is said only when the act completes the מצוה
  4. ConclusionThe argument about ציצית: an obligation on the garment or on the person
  5. ResolutionAnother version of רב's teaching: ציצית made by a non-Jew are valid
  6. StatementWhich threads may be used for ציצית
  7. Statementשמואל: the thread must be spun for the מצוה
  8. ProofThe Argument Matches an Older Argument Between תנאים
  9. Questionאביי Asks How תכלת Is Dyed
  10. ResponseThe Method of Dyeing תכלת
  11. ConclusionThree Rules Learned From the Dyeing Method
  12. ChallengeAren't Two of the Rules the Same?
  13. Resolutionרב אשי: The Second Rule Is the Reason for the First
  14. StatementTested dye is invalid, according to רבי חנינא בן גמליאל
  15. StatementEven a second use of the dye is valid, according to רבי יוחנן בן דהבאי
  16. StatementWhich items can be checked and who may sell them
  17. ChallengeBut רב יצחק did check תכלת
  18. ProofThe start of רב יצחק's test for תכלת