Pesachim 13a

פסחים י״ג ע״א

Learn Pesachim 13a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Pesachim 13a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Whether the הלכה follows רבי יהודה or רבי מאיר on eating חמץ on ערב פסח: challenges from a סתם משנה and רבן גמליאל, the ברייתא of רבי אלעזר בן יהודה איש ברתותא, and רבי's story of the deposited חמץ.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a side discussion about witnesses: רב שימי בר אשי teaches that a 'during sunrise' witness and a 'before sunrise' witness contradict each other, and we do not explain away the conflict. Then רב נחמן quotes רב that the הלכה follows רבי יהודה, who allows eating חמץ on ערב פסח only through the fourth hour. רבא challenges this twice. First, a סתם משנה seems to follow רבי מאיר, but the גמרא shows that its word 'מותר' fits רבן גמליאל instead. Second, he asks why not rule like רבן גמליאל as a מכריע, and רב נחמן answers that רבן גמליאל has a separate reason of his own. Another answer is that רב relied on a ברייתא of רבי אלעזר בן יהודה איש ברתותא: when the fourteenth falls on שבת, everything, even pure תרומה, is burned on Friday, and food for two meals is eaten until four hours. The חכמים argue with him, and the debate ends with the famous rule that אליהו does not come on ערב שבת; the הלכה is set his way, though רב פפא says that ruling is only about removal. Next comes the story of רבי telling a keeper of someone's חמץ to wait through the fourth hour and sell it in the fifth. After a back-and-forth about suspicion and charity collectors, the story is read as following רבי יהודה. Finally, רב יוסף links רבי's ruling to רבן שמעון בן גמליאל on selling a spoiling deposit, and אביי begins a challenge from רבי יוחנן that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (26)

1. ResolutionWhy רב שימי בר אשי's ruling about sunrise witnesses is not obvious
2. Statementרב rules the הלכה follows רבי יהודה
3. Challengeרבא asks: why not rule like רבי מאיר, since an unattributed משנה follows him?
4. ProofThe unattributed משנה: whenever one may eat, one may feed
5. RejectionThat משנה is not really unattributed, because the word 'permitted' does not fit רבי מאיר
6. ChallengeWhy not rule like רבן גמליאל as the decider?
7. Resolutionרבן גמליאל has his own separate reason
8. ResolutionAnother answer: רב followed a specific תנא
9. ProofThe ברייתא: ערב פסח on שבת
10. ChallengeThe חכמים object to burning pure תרומה
11. ResolutionThey already searched for כהנים
12. ChallengeMaybe כהנים slept outside the city wall
13. ChallengeThen don't burn doubtful תרומה either
14. Resolutionאליהו does not come on ערב שבת
15. ConclusionThe חכמים rule like רבי אלעזר בן יהודה
16. ProofDoes this ruling also cover eating?
17. RejectionNo, the ruling is only about getting rid of it
18. Proofרבי and the bag of חמץ
19. ProofSelling to non-Jews fits רבי יהודה
20. RejectionMaybe he meant selling to Jews, like רבי מאיר
21. ChallengeIf a Jew may eat it, let him take it himself
22. ResolutionThe keeper may not buy it himself because of suspicion
23. ProofCharity collectors must sell to others, not to themselves
24. Rejectionרב אדא בר מתנה reminds רב יוסף of his own earlier teaching
25. Statementרבי's ruling follows רבן שמעון בן גמליאל
26. Challengeאביי begins quoting רבי יוחנן to limit the dispute