Menachos 92b

מנחות צ״ב ע״ב

Menachot 92b

Learn Menachos 92b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Which offerings need סמיכה: the communal idol-worship goats according to רבי יהודה and רבי שמעון, and why a בכור, מעשר and פסח are exempt

Overview

This amud opens by settling a contradiction between two ברייתות about רבי שמעון's view: who does סמיכה on the שעירי עבודה זרה, the כהן גדול or the זקנים? רב ששת corrects the first ברייתא. In the corrected version, רבי יהודה learns from 'הפר' that these goats need no סמיכה at all. רבי שמעון learns from 'החי' only that אהרן does not lean on them, so the זקנים do. The גמרא then tests each side. For רבי יהודה, רבינא's 'two communal סמיכות' is just a handy saying, not a real source. For רבי שמעון, the extra word 'השעיר' in the פסוק about the king's goat includes the idol-worship goats, since they too atone for a known sin. The גמרא explains that both the tradition and the פסוק are needed. The tradition blocks a קל וחומר that would give communal peace offerings סמיכה, and the פסוק tells us which offering is the second case. Next the גמרא turns to the משנה's rule that every private offering needs סמיכה except a בכור, מעשר and פסח. A ברייתא learns each exception from ״קׇרְבָּנוֹ״, but the גמרא shows that the קל וחומר arguments fail anyway, so the verses are only an אסמכתא. The amud ends as the גמרא begins a new question, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (26)

1. ChallengeThe second ברייתא: the elders, not אהרן, lean on the idol-worship goats
2. Challengeרב ששת: the first ברייתא can't be right as written
3. ResolutionRewording the first ברייתא: הפר versus החי
4. ConclusionWhat רבי שמעון was really telling רבי יהודה
5. ChallengeWhy does רבי יהודה need a verse to exclude the goats?
6. ResolutionThe 'tradition' is just a handy saying
7. QuestionWhere does רבי שמעון learn that the goats need סמיכה?
8. ResponseThe source: 'ראש השעיר' includes the goats
9. ChallengeWhy does the ברייתא add 'as רבי שמעון would say'?
10. ResolutionIt is only a memory aid
11. ChallengeWhy not include the יום כיפור goat instead?
12. ResolutionInclude the goat that resembles the leader's goat
13. ChallengeAccording to רבינא, why is a פסוק needed?
14. ResolutionBoth the tradition and the פסוק are needed
15. ResolutionWith only the פסוק, we would add communal peace offerings
16. ProofPointing to a parallel discussion in an earlier chapter
17. ChallengeThe קל וחומר that communal peace offerings should need סמיכה
18. ResolutionThe tradition is needed to block the קל וחומר
19. ResolutionThe פסוק is needed to tell us which offering is the second case
20. StatementThe משנה: all private offerings need סמיכה, with three exceptions
21. ProofThe word 'His offering' excludes the firstborn
22. ProofThe word 'His offering' excludes the animal tithe
23. ProofThe word 'His offering' excludes the פסח offering
24. ChallengeThe comparison to peace offerings can be broken
25. ConclusionThe verses are only a support
26. QuestionOpening a new question after the verses were set aside