Menachos 67b

מנחות ס״ז ע״ב

Menachot 67b

Learn Menachos 67b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Menachos 67b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Why the decree against dodging obligations through a non-Jew covers תרומה but not חלה, and the משנה of the עומר offering with רבי יהודה's view on preparing new flour

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a discussion about the Rabbis' decree that grain processed while owned by a non-Jew still needs תרומה and מעשר. That decree stops people from putting their grain in a non-Jew's name to avoid giving. The גמרא asks why חלה is not included in the decree. It answers that dough is easy to exempt anyway, just by baking less than the minimum amount. It then objects that תרומה also has easy ways out, such as רבי אושעיא's trick or bringing grain in over the roofs. The answer is that those tricks are public and embarrassing, while baking small batches is private. A new משנה then describes how the כהן offered the עומר. It ends with a מחלוקת: once the עומר was offered, the ירושלים market was already full of new flour, and רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה argue whether the חכמים approved. The גמרא asks why רבי יהודה isn't worried people will eat the flour early, since in בדיקת חמץ he does worry about this. רבה begins to answer that חדש is different, and his reason continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (9)

1. ChallengeWhy not make the same decree for חלה?
2. ResolutionDough can be exempted more easily by baking small batches
3. Challengeתרומה can also be avoided easily
4. ResolutionPublic tricks are embarrassing, private ones are not
5. Statementמשנה: How the כהן offered the עומר
6. StatementMarket full of new flour right after the offering
7. ChallengeIsn't רבי יהודה worried people will eat it early?
8. Challengeרבי יהודה does worry about eating, in checking for חמץ
9. Resolutionרבה: new grain is different