Menachos 44a

מנחות מ״ד ע״א

Menachot 44a

Learn Menachos 44a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The reward for מצוות shown through a story about ציצית, plus rules for borrowed garments, מזוזה, תפילין, and how many commands one misses by skipping them

Overview

The amud opens with the last words of an earlier discussion: a slave is lower than a woman, so the ברכה for not being made a slave is still needed. A ברייתא then describes the חלזון, the rare sea creature whose blood dyes תכלת, and explains why it is so expensive. רבי נתן teaches that every מצוה, even a light one, brings reward in this world, with an unmeasured reward in עולם הבא. He proves it with a story: a man careful with ציצית was stopped from sin by his ציצית, and the woman later converted at רבי חייא's study hall and married him in a permitted way. Next, רב יהודה rules that a borrowed טלית is exempt from ציצית for thirty days, and a ברייתא shows the same thirty-day rule for מזוזה, except that a rented house in ארץ ישראל needs one right away. רב חסדא first limits the משנה's rule that the two תפילין do not hold each other back, but then takes the limit back, and the גמרא explains his first view as a precaution. רב ששת counts how many positive commands a person misses by skipping תפילין, ציצית, ברכת כהנים, and מזוזה. ריש לקיש begins to teach that putting on תפילין brings long life, and his פסוק comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (21)

1. ResolutionA slave is lower than a woman
2. StatementWhat the חלזון is and why תכלת is expensive
3. StatementEvery מצוה brings reward, even in this world
4. ProofThe story begins: a careful man goes to meet a זונה
5. ProofHe is let in and she prepares seven beds
6. ProofThe ציצית slap him and he stops
7. ProofHe explains: the ציצית were like four witnesses
8. ProofShe asks for his name, city, teacher, and study hall
9. ProofShe divides up all her property
10. ProofShe asks רבי חייא to convert her, and he questions her motive
11. ProofShe shows the note, and רבי חייא approves
12. ConclusionThe same beds, now permitted: the reward in this world
13. StatementA borrowed טלית: exempt for thirty days, then obligated
14. ProofA ברייתא supports the 30-day grace period, using מזוזה
15. Statementרב חסדא limits the rule that the two תפילין do not depend on each other
16. Rejectionרב חסדא takes back his limit
17. QuestionWhat did רב חסדא hold at first?
18. ResponseHis first view was a precaution against laziness
19. StatementNot wearing תפילין breaks eight positive מצוות
20. Statementרב ששת continues: ציצית, ברכת כהנים, and מזוזה
21. Statementריש לקיש: putting on תפילין brings long life