Pesachim 20a

פסחים כ׳ ע״א

Learn Pesachim 20a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Pesachim 20a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

How the meat of a קרבן gets הכשר, why stomach secretions stay pure, and how levels of טומאה are counted from a שרץ

Overview

This amud opens by finishing an earlier answer. A vessel lying on the ground counts as 'something that can be asked' about, so the knife found in the עזרה is pure only because the עזרה is treated as a רשות הרבים. The גמרא then asks how the meat of a קרבן could become טמא at all, since food needs a liquid to give it הכשר first. Blood of קדשים, the liquids of the slaughter area, and חיבת הקודש are each suggested and pushed back. Then רב יהודה in the name of שמואל answers that the cow was still wet from a river. Next the גמרא explains why stomach secretions (פרש) do not make the meat טמא. רב אדא בר אהבה says they were thick, and רב אשי says they are a foul liquid. A ברייתא about a chain of טומאה from a שרץ is then corrected so that it counts three levels, with the brewing vat as a memory aid. Finally, רב אדא בר אהבה asks why bread in an oven with a שרץ is only שני. רבא begins to answer from a ברייתא, and that answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (18)

1. ResolutionEven an object on the ground counts as 'able to be asked about'
2. QuestionWith what liquid was the meat made ready for impurity?
3. RejectionThe blood cannot be the liquid, because blood of offerings does not make food ready
4. RejectionThe slaughter-area liquids cannot be the answer either
5. RejectionSuggestion that holiness itself made the meat ready, and its rejection
6. RejectionIf holiness were enough, ריש לקיש's open question would already be answered
7. Resolutionשמואל's case: the animal was still wet from the river
8. ChallengeWhy don't the stomach secretions make the meat impure?
9. Resolutionרב אדא בר אהבה: the secretions were thick
10. Resolutionרב אשי: even soft secretions are a spoiled liquid
11. StatementA ברייתא lists a chain of טומאה starting from a שרץ
12. ChallengeThe chain lists four, not three
13. ResolutionRemove the first 'liquids'
14. ChallengeWhy not remove the last 'liquids' instead?
15. ResolutionLiquids making a vessel טמא is a rejected view
16. StatementA משנה: bread in an oven with a שרץ is שני
17. ChallengeWhy not treat the oven as full of טומאה?
18. Resolutionרבא rejects the idea and begins quoting a ברייתא