Menachos 64a

מנחות ס״ד ע״א

Menachot 64a

Learn Menachos 64a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Menachos 64a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

How much work may be done on שבת when it is permitted: the עומר's three סאה, an extra slaughtered offering, intention versus action, and picking figs for a sick person.

Overview

Our משנה has רבי ישמעאל saying the עומר came from five סאה of barley on a weekday but only three on שבת, while the חכמים say three in both cases. The גמרא looks for another sage who shares רבי ישמעאל's idea. It tries רבי ישמעאל בנו של רבי יוחנן בן ברוקא, then רבי חנינא סגן הכהנים (one reaper on שבת), then רבי יוסי (witnesses of a clearly seen new moon do not travel on שבת). Each comparison rests on the idea כיון דאפשר לא טרחינן: if less work will do, we don't do extra on שבת. Each comparison is pushed away, because the cases differ. Next comes a ruling about someone who slaughtered two communal חטאות on שבת when only one was needed. A contradiction in רבה's words is resolved. רבינא then asks whether we judge by a person's intention or by what actually happened, and רב אשי answers with two versions based on the case of a net that caught fish and a drowning child. The amud ends with רבה's ruling that everyone who picks figs for a sick person on שבת is exempt. רבא then asks whether to pick two figs on two stems or three on one stem, and the גמרא begins to answer that we bring the three.

Opening lines

The steps (22)

1. RejectionMaybe רבי ישמעאל holds like the רבנן on the קרבן פסח
2. RejectionEven רבי ישמעאל בנו של רבי יוחנן בן ברוקא might agree in the case of the עומר
3. Statementרבה offers a new comparison: רבי ישמעאל and רבי חנינא סגן הכהנים
4. ProofThe משנה of רבי חנינא: on שבת the barley is cut by one person
5. ProofThe shared idea: if less is possible, we don't do extra on שבת
6. RejectionMaybe רבי ישמעאל only says this where there is no publicity
7. RejectionMaybe רבי חנינא only says this where the service is still done properly
8. Statementרב אשי matches רבי ישמעאל with רבי יוסי
9. ProofThe משנה about witnesses of the new moon
10. ProofThe shared idea: if it can be done anyway, we don't add effort
11. Rejectionרבי ישמעאל may agree with the Rabbis about the witnesses
12. Rejectionרבי יוסי may agree with the Rabbis about the עומר
13. StatementSlaughtering an extra communal sin offering on שבת
14. Challengeרבה's other ruling about a fat animal and a thin one
15. ResolutionTwo ways to fix the contradiction in רבה's rulings
16. QuestionDo we judge by intention or by action?
17. ResponseComparing to the case of the drowning child
18. ConclusionEven רבה agrees he is liable here
19. ResponseSecond version: the dispute is about actions versus intention
20. StatementTen people pick figs for one sick person
21. QuestionTwo figs on two stems or three figs on one stem
22. ResponseObviously we bring the three figs