Pesachim 21b

פסחים כ״א ע״ב

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Topic

Pesachim 21b: The ban on benefit from חמץ, and whether every Torah eating ban also forbids benefit

Overview

This amud opens with the end of a ברייתא: רבי יהודה בן בתירא forbids selling כותח to a non-Jew for thirty days before פסח. The גמרא then goes through three clauses of the משנה. For each one it asks 'פשיטא, isn't that obvious?' and answers 'לא צריכא, it is needed for a special case.' The three cases are: חמץ charred before its time stays permitted (like רבא); benefit is forbidden even in the rabbinic hours (proved from רבי יוחנן's ruling on קידושין); and even according to רבי יהודה, who requires burning, one may not use the fire of burning חמץ. Next, חזקיה learns the ban on benefit from the passive wording 'לא יאכל חמץ'. This implies that a plain eating ban would not forbid benefit, which disagrees with רבי אבהו. רבי אבהו says every eating ban includes benefit unless the Torah allows it, as it did with נבילה. The גמרא then brings the ברייתא on נבילה, where רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה argue over giving and selling it to a גר or a גוי, and explains how each one reads the word 'או'. Finally, the גמרא shows that רבי אבהו's rule fits both views. רבי מאיר learns it from the נבילה verse, and רבי יהודה learns it from 'לַכֶּלֶב תַּשְׁלִיכוּן אֹתוֹ', which the גמרא continues to explain on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (24)

1. Statementרבי יהודה בן בתירא on selling כותח
2. ChallengeWhy say חמץ is permitted for benefit before its time?
3. ResolutionNeeded for חמץ charred before its time
4. Statementרבא: charred חמץ stays permitted
5. ChallengeWhy say חמץ is forbidden after its time?
6. ResolutionNeeded for the rabbinic hours
7. Proofרבי יוחנן: קידושין with חמץ in the sixth hour are void
8. ChallengeWhy say not to fuel an oven with חמץ?
9. ResolutionNeeded according to רבי יהודה's view that חמץ must be burned
10. ConclusionNo benefit even while burning it
11. Statementחזקיה's source that benefit from חמץ is forbidden
12. ConclusionInference: without this wording, only eating would be forbidden
13. StatementThis disagrees with רבי אבהו's general rule
14. ProofThe ברייתא on נבילה: רבי מאיר allows giving or selling to anyone
15. Statementרבי יהודה: the verse means exactly what it says
16. QuestionWhat is רבי יהודה's reason?
17. ResponseThe word 'או' shows the verse is literal
18. QuestionWhat does רבי מאיר do with the word 'or'?
19. ResponseFor רבי מאיר, 'or' teaches who comes first
20. QuestionWhere does רבי יהודה get this priority?
21. ResponseFor רבי יהודה, the priority is simple logic
22. StatementFor רבי מאיר, רבי אבהו's rule works
23. ChallengeFor רבי יהודה, where does the rule come from?
24. Resolutionרבי יהודה learns it from 'throw it to the dog'