Gemara Clarity

Pesachim 19a

פסחים י״ט ע״א

Learn Pesachim 19a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Pesachim 19a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Degrees of טומאה in תרומה and קודש according to רבי יוסי and רבי עקיבא, whether צירוף by a vessel is Torah or rabbinic, and רבי עקיבא's rule that there is no טומאת ידים in the מקדש

Overview

Background: the levels of טומאה are ראשון, שני, שלישי, רביעי. Normally, חולין can become up to a שני, תרומה up to a שלישי, and קודש up to a רביעי. The amud opens by finishing a point from earlier on the daf: שלישי בקודש comes straight from a פסוק, and רבי יוסי's קל וחומר is needed only for רביעי בקודש. The גמרא then proves that רבי יוסי does not hold like רבי עקיבא, who says חולין can become a שלישי. If he did, his logic would also give רביעי בתרומה and חמישי בקודש. Next the גמרא asks the reverse: how do we know רבי עקיבא does not accept רבי יוסי's קל וחומר? An argument from silence is offered and rejected. Then a real proof is found: a משנה about a vessel joining its contents (צירוף) stops at רביעי for קודש and שלישי for תרומה, and רבי יוחנן traces that משנה to רבי עקיבא's testimony. Along the way the גמרא notes a מחלוקת: רבי יוחנן holds צירוף is דרבנן, while רבי חנין derives it from the Torah through 'כף אחת'. Finally the גמרא quotes a משנה about a needle found in sacrificial meat, from which רבי עקיבא learns that there is no טומאת ידים in the מקדש.

Opening lines

בְּכׇל טָמֵא לֹא יֵאָכֵל״,

"...any impure thing shall not be eaten"

מִי לָא עָסְקִינַן דְּנָגַע בְּשֵׁנִי.

Are we not dealing even with where it touched a second-level impurity?

רְבִיעִי מִקַּל וָחוֹמֶר, כִּדְאָמְרִינַן.

The fourth level is from the a fortiori argument, as we stated.

וְאִי סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ סָבַר כְּרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא,

And if it enters your mind that he holds like Rabbi Akiva,

The steps (13)

  1. ProofA verse shows that holy meat can become a third-level impurity
  2. ConclusionOnly the fourth level needs the logical derivation
  3. ProofProof that רבי יוסי does not hold like רבי עקיבא
  4. QuestionHow do we know רבי עקיבא does not hold like רבי יוסי?
  5. ResponseNo תנא ever quotes רבי עקיבא as holding a fifth level
  6. RejectionCan we really rely on an argument from silence?
  7. ProofA משנה that lists the levels of impurity
  8. ProofThis משנה comes from רבי עקיבא's testimony
  9. ConclusionFourth yes, fifth no; third yes, fourth no
  10. Statementרבי יוחנן holds joining by a vessel is rabbinic
  11. Statementרבי חנין derives joining from a verse
  12. StatementThe case of the needle found in the meat
  13. Statementרבי עקיבא: there is no rabbinic hand impurity in the מקדש