Pesachim 12b

פסחים י״ב ע״ב

Learn Pesachim 12b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Pesachim 12b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

How much do people mistake the time of day? Witnesses, the deadline for eating חמץ on ערב פסח, and mealtimes

Overview

The עמוד opens by finishing a discussion about witnesses who disagree on the hour of an event: people never confuse day with night, or morning (sun in the east) with afternoon (sun in the west). The גמרא then quotes the משנה where רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה disagree about how late on ערב פסח one may eat חמץ. It uses that משנה to challenge the error estimates of אביי, who answers that witnesses are careful while חמץ is for everyone. Next it tests רבא's larger estimates. It explains that the sixth hour is risky because the sun is overhead, and that the fifth hour is forbidden because of cloudy days, while the fourth hour is safe because it is everyone's mealtime. This leads to a ברייתא about who eats at each hour of the morning, which is reordered to match רב פפא. רב אשי then teaches that each תנא is consistent between עדות and חמץ, and that the earlier answers are real answers. Finally, רב שימי בר אשי rules that a disagreement about sunrise voids testimony, and the explanation of that ruling continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (32)

1. ResolutionPeople do not confuse day with night
2. ResolutionPeople do not confuse the fifth hour with the seventh
3. StatementThe משנה on when חמץ may be eaten
4. ChallengeChallenge to אביי's view of רבי מאיר
5. ChallengeChallenge to אביי's view of רבי יהודה
6. ResolutionWitnesses are careful, but חמץ laws are for everyone
7. ChallengeIf people err almost two hours, stop eating from the fifth hour
8. ResolutionThe sun's position tells morning from afternoon
9. ChallengeThen allow eating in the sixth hour too
10. ResolutionAt the sixth hour the sun stands at the top of the sky
11. ChallengeIf people err almost three hours, stop eating from the fourth hour
12. ResolutionThe sun answer works even better for the fourth hour
13. ChallengeThen רבי יהודה should allow eating in the fifth hour too
14. ResolutionTestimony is for careful people, but חמץ is for everyone
15. Resolutionרבא's own reason: an hour to gather wood for burning
16. Challengeרבינא: at the deadline, any method of removal works
17. Resolutionרבא's new reason: a decree because of cloudy days
18. ChallengeThen the fourth hour should be forbidden too
19. ResolutionThe fourth hour is everyone's mealtime
20. StatementA ברייתא lists who eats at each hour of the morning
21. ChallengeThe ברייתא seems to contradict רב פפא
22. ResolutionReverse the last three hours of the ברייתא
23. StatementEating after the sixth hour does no good
24. Statementאביי limits the rule to someone who ate nothing in the morning
25. Statementרב אשי: the dispute about witnesses matches the dispute about חמץ
26. ChallengeIsn't that obvious from what we already said?
27. ResolutionThe earlier answers are real answers
28. StatementHour differences are forgiven, but a sunrise difference voids the testimony
29. ChallengeThis is obvious
30. ResolutionThe statement is reworded to before sunrise versus during sunrise
31. ChallengeThe reworded case is also obvious
32. ResolutionWhy the ruling is needed: we might think both witnesses mean the same moment