Moed Katan 16a

מועד קטן ט״ז ע״א

Learn Moed Katan 16a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Moed Katan 16a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Offerings of someone unfit to enter the מקדש, and the rules of court summons, נידוי, חרם and how bans are lifted

Overview

This amud opens at the end of a ברייתא: רבי יהודה names the כהן's עשירית האיפה, and רבי שמעון learns from 'בבאו יקריב' that someone who may not enter the מקדש may not bring an offering. Then רבא lists, one פסוק at a time, how a בית דין summons a person and what happens if he refuses. These sources come mostly from the story of קרח and from the curse of מרוז. The steps run from sending a שליח and setting dates, to נידוי, חרם, keeping away from the banned person, and announcing his sin. More sources from עזרא and נחמיה show the court's further powers, like declaring property הפקר and the step-by-step pressure called הרדפה. The גמרא explains that warnings come first in money cases, but disrespect brings an immediate ban. The story of a butcher banned by אביי and רבא raises the question whether a different group of three may lift a ban. אמימר rules that they may. A ברייתא then sets נידוי at thirty days and נזיפה at seven. רב חסדא's comparison of Babylonian and ארץ ישראל bans leads to stories about בר קפרא and רבי, and the last story continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (43)

1. Statementרבי יהודה names the offering
2. Statementרבי שמעון: only someone fit to enter may offer
3. Statementרבא: the court sends a messenger
4. StatementThe person himself is called to court
5. StatementWhat the summons must say
6. StatementSetting another date after the first
7. StatementThe messenger may report the defendant's rude reply
8. StatementSomeone who ignores the summons is put in נידוי
9. StatementHe is told a great judge made this decision
10. StatementIf he still does not obey, he is put in חרם
11. StatementPeople who eat with him or stand near him are included
12. StatementHis sin is announced in public
13. Statementברק banned מרוז with 400 שופרות
14. StatementWas מרוז a great man or a star?
15. StatementThe court may declare a stubborn person's property ownerless
16. StatementArguing, cursing, hitting, pulling hair, and making him swear
17. StatementTying up, imprisoning, and applying הרדפה
18. QuestionWhat does לשרושי mean?
19. Responseלשרושי means הרדפה
20. QuestionWhat is הרדפה?
21. Responseהרדפה is a step-by-step series of bans
22. Statementרב חסדא: warnings first on Monday, Thursday, and Monday
23. ConclusionWarnings for money cases, an immediate ban for disrespect
24. StatementThe butcher who disrespected רב טובי בר מתנה
25. Questionאביי's dilemma: release the ban early or not?
26. Questionאביי asks רב אידי בר אבין for a tradition
27. Responseשמואל: a שופר blast sets the ban and a שופר blast lifts it
28. Rejectionאביי: early release works for money cases, not for disrespect
29. ConclusionInference: אביי holds another three cannot release the ban
30. QuestionThe question: can a different three release a ban?
31. ProofA proof attempt: banned by the teacher, banned by the student
32. ProofBans from a city and from the נשיא
33. ProofA judge who banned someone and then died
34. ConclusionThree lessons learned from the ברייתא
35. Statementאמימר: three others may release the ban
36. Challengeרב אשי challenges אמימר from the ברייתא
37. ResolutionNot released until three others release it
38. StatementMinimum length of נידוי and נזיפה
39. ProofA hint for seven days from מרים
40. StatementOur ban equals their rebuke
41. ChallengeDoes their rebuke really last only seven days
42. ProofBar Kappara keeps himself rebuked for thirty days
43. Statementרבי forbids teaching students in the marketplace