Moed Katan 7b
מועד קטן ז׳ ע״ב
Learn Moed Katan 7b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.
Open Moed Katan 7b in Gemara Clarity
Topic
Examining נגעים on the festival: the כהן's role, רבי's two reported rulings, whether a מוחלט is permitted to his wife, and delaying the examination for a חתן or a רגל
Overview
The גמרא explains that a כהן can examine a נגע on the festival 'only to be lenient' when the person is in his second הסגר. There רבי מאיר says the כהן may declare him pure or simply stay silent, while רבי יוסי says the פסוק requires him to announce either result. Two ברייתות report רבי's compromise in opposite ways. The גמרא explains that two תנאים disagree about what matters more to a healed מוחלט: rejoining people, or staying with his wife, since the seven counting days forbid him to her. This leads to a side discussion of whether a מוחלט is permitted to his wife. רבי יהודה and רבי say yes, with a proof from King עוזיהו, while רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה forbids it by קל וחומר. Finally a ברייתא teaches that the כהן puts off the examination during a חתן's seven feast days and during a רגל. רבי learns this from emptying a house, and אביי and רבא discuss what difference the two sources make.
Opening lines
בְּהֶסְגֵּר שֵׁנִי.
In the second quarantine.
מָר סָבַר:
One master holds:
בְּכֹהֵן תַּלְיָא מִילְּתָא.
The matter depends on the priest.
אִי טָהוֹר — אָמַר לֵיהּ ״טָהוֹר״,
If he is pure, he says to him, "Pure,"
The steps (23)
- ResponseThe case is a second week of quarantine
- Statementרבי מאיר: the כהן may stay silent
- Statementרבי יוסי: the כהן must declare either way
- StatementRe-quoting רבי's ruling
- ChallengeAnother ברייתא says the opposite
- ResolutionTwo תנאים disagree about רבי: being among people
- ResolutionThe other view: being with his wife
- QuestionIs a confirmed leper really permitted to his wife?
- ResponseYes: a ברייתא forbids only the counting days
- Proofרבי יהודה: counting days forbidden, confirmed days not
- Statementרבי יוסי ברבי יהודה: all the more so in the confirmed days
- Proofרבי חייא and רבי: King עוזיהו had יותם while a confirmed מצורע
- QuestionWhat is the root of their disagreement?
- ResponseStretch the Torah's rule, or keep to what it wrote
- QuestionDoes the matter really depend on the priest?
- ProofYes: a ברייתא learns from 'on the day it appears'
- StatementA groom and a festival get seven days before the examination
- Statementרבי learns the same rule from emptying the house
- QuestionWhat is the difference between them?
- Responseאביי: they differ only in how they read the verses
- Responseרבא: they differ about waiting for an optional matter
- QuestionWhy doesn't רבי יהודה learn from the house case?
- ResponseThe house case is a one-of-a-kind rule