Moed Katan 17a

מועד קטן י״ז ע״א

Learn Moed Katan 17a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Moed Katan 17a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

נידוי: who may impose it, how a sinning Torah scholar is treated, how a ban is released, and how powerful a ban is

Overview

The גמרא proves from a ברייתא that a תלמיד who puts someone in נידוי for insulting him has a valid ban, and רב יוסף adds that a צורבא מרבנן may act on his own when the law is clear to him. Next comes a long story. רב יהודה bans a great scholar with a bad reputation, based on רבי יוחנן's teaching that one learns Torah only from a teacher who is like an angel of ה׳. After רב יהודה dies, the ban is not lifted, because of a קל וחומר from a ban made by רבי's maidservant. The scholar dies, and he is buried with the judges because he kept his sin private, as רבי אילעאי taught. The גמרא then tells the maidservant's story and the story of ריש לקיש, who wrongly banned a man over figs and needed the נשיא to release him. It brings different ways of handling a sinning Torah scholar: the אושא rule, ריש לקיש's view that he is never banned in public, מר זוטרא's practice, and רב פפא's use of lashes instead of a ban. Finally it explains the word שמתא, argues about whether a ban leaves a trace after it is lifted, and shows how powerful a ban is. The amud ends partway through רב יוסף's advice to a scholar who is afraid of a bully, and that advice continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (53)

1. StatementA student's ostracism for his own honor is valid
2. ProofA teaching about teacher and student
3. ProofInference: the student's ban binds everyone else
4. QuestionWhy was he banned? It cannot be for a sin
5. ConclusionSo it must be for the student's own honor
6. StatementA scholar may act on his own when the matter is clear
7. QuestionA scholar with a bad reputation: רב יהודה's dilemma
8. Questionרב יהודה asks for guidance
9. ResponseOnly learn Torah from a teacher who is like an angel
10. Conclusionרב יהודה places the scholar in נידוי
11. Statementרב יהודה falls ill and laughs when he sees the scholar
12. ChallengeThe scholar complains about the laughter
13. Resolutionרב יהודה explains: I am happy I did not flatter
14. QuestionAfter רב יהודה dies, the scholar asks to be released
15. ResponseThe Sages: only someone as great as רב יהודה can release you
16. Statementרבי יהודה נשיאה sends רבי אמי to examine the case
17. Statementרבי אמי reviews the case and leans toward lifting the ban
18. Challengeרבי שמואל בר נחמני objects with a קל וחומר
19. Proofרבי זירא sees the elder's rare visit as a sign
20. ConclusionThe ban stays and the scholar leaves crying
21. StatementThe scholar dies and only the judges' cave accepts him
22. QuestionWhy was he accepted at all?
23. ResponseHe followed רבי אילעאי and never shamed God's name in public
24. QuestionWhat was the story of the maidservant?
25. ResponseThe maidservant bans a man who hit his grown son
26. ProofA ברייתא: the פסוק is about hitting a grown son
27. Statementריש לקיש bans a man who ate figs
28. ChallengeThe man bans ריש לקיש right back
29. ConclusionThe בית מדרש rules: his ban counts, yours does not
30. QuestionHow can ריש לקיש fix this?
31. ResponseGo to the man to be released
32. ChallengeBut I don't know who he is
33. ResponseGo to the נשיא instead
34. ProofA ברייתא: the נשיא releases an unknown ban
35. StatementThe אושא enactment: a sinning אב בית דין is first sent home, not banned
36. Statementריש לקיש: a Torah scholar is never banned in public
37. Statementמר זוטרא banned himself before banning a scholar
38. StatementA scholar may ban and release himself
39. Statementרב פפא praises himself for never banning a scholar
40. QuestionWhat did רב פפא do when a scholar deserved a ban?
41. ResponseLike in ארץ ישראל: lashes instead of a ban
42. QuestionWhat does the word for a ban mean?
43. Responseרב: the word means 'there is death'
44. Responseשמואל: the word means 'he will be a desolation', and it sticks
45. Statementריש לקיש: the ban leaves completely, from all 248 limbs
46. ProofHints from the גימטריא of חרם and רחם
47. Statementרב יוסף: a ban works even on a dog's tail
48. ProofThe story of the dog that ate the רבנן's shoes
49. StatementA violent man harasses a young scholar, and רב יוסף says to ban him
50. ChallengeThe scholar is afraid to ban the bully
51. Resolutionרב יוסף suggests a written ban
52. ChallengeThe scholar is even more afraid of a written ban
53. Resolutionרב יוסף says to put the written ban in a jug