Gemara Clarity

Menachos 43a

מנחות מ״ג ע״א

Menachot 43a

Learn Menachos 43a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Menachos 43a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Testing תכלת, buying ציצית, and who is obligated in ציצית

Overview

This amud finishes the גמרא's discussion of how to test whether blue wool was dyed with real תכלת. It brings two tests: soaking the wool overnight, and baking it in hard barley dough. The ברייתא's claim that תכלת 'has no test' is explained as meaning only that you cannot tell whether the wool was dyed as a trial dip. When תכלת from מר ממשכי failed one test and passed the other, רב אחאי showed that the two tests work together in order, and a message from ארץ ישראל confirmed this. The גמרא then discusses buying a טלית with ציצית from the market, and why a Jew may not sell one to a non-Jew. It explains רב יהודה's practice of putting ציצית on his wife's garment and making a ברכה every morning. Finally, it brings a ברייתא on who is obligated in ציצית. It explains why כהנים are included, and shows רבי שמעון's source for exempting women: a night garment is exempt, so ציצית is time-bound. The amud ends as the גמרא begins to ask how the רבנן read that פסוק, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם,

forty days old,

וְתָרֵי לַהּ בְּגַוַּויְיהוּ

and he soaks it in them

מֵאוּרְתָּא וְעַד לְצַפְרָא.

from evening until morning.

אִיפְּרֵד חֲזוּתַיהּ – פְּסוּלָה,

If its color faded, it is unfit;

The steps (31)

  1. StatementFinishing the soaking test for real תכלת
  2. ChallengeA second test: baking the wool in barley dough
  3. ResolutionWhat 'no test' really means
  4. StatementThe תכלת from משכי fails one test and passes the other
  5. Challengeרב אחאי objects to rejecting the wool
  6. ResolutionThe two tests work together in order
  7. ProofA message from ארץ ישראל confirms it
  8. Statementרבי מני buys תכלת carefully
  9. StatementBuying a טלית with ציצית in the market
  10. StatementDo not sell a garment with ציצית to a non-Jew
  11. QuestionWhy is it forbidden to sell it?
  12. ResponseTwo reasons: shame, or danger on the road
  13. Statementרב יהודה put תכלת on his wife's garment
  14. ChallengeIf ציצית is not time-bound, why a ברכה every morning?
  15. Resolutionרב יהודה followed רבי: each new wearing gets a new blessing
  16. ChallengeThen he should bless every time he puts it on
  17. Resolutionרב יהודה never took off his cloak during the day
  18. ChallengeWhat made the morning different?
  19. ResolutionIn the morning he switched from night clothes to day clothes
  20. StatementEveryone is obligated in ציצית
  21. Statementרבי שמעון exempts women because ציצית is time-bound
  22. ChallengeWhy say כהנים, לוים and ישראלים? That is obvious
  23. ResolutionWhy the ברייתא had to mention כהנים
  24. Conclusionכהנים are permitted כלאים only during the עבודה
  25. QuestionWhat is רבי שמעון's source for exempting women?
  26. Response'וּרְאִיתֶם אוֹתוֹ' excludes a night garment
  27. ChallengeMaybe the פסוק excludes a blind person's garment instead
  28. Resolution'אֲשֶׁר תְּכַסֶּה בָּהּ' includes the blind, so the exclusion must be night
  29. ChallengeWhy include the blind person's garment and not the night garment?
  30. ResolutionOthers can see a blind person's garment, but nobody sees at night
  31. QuestionTurning to the view of the רבנן