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Pesachim 25b

פסחים כ״ה ע״ב

Learn Pesachim 25b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The three sins one may not commit even to save a life, healing with forbidden items, and the אביי–רבא dispute about forbidden benefit that comes against one's will.

Overview

This amud finishes רבי יוחנן's rule that one may heal with anything forbidden except עבודה זרה, גילוי עריות and שפיכות דמים. The גמרא then gives a source for each exception. For עבודה זרה it points back to 'בכל נפשך'. For עריות, a ברייתא of רבי compares a נערה המאורסה to a רוצח. The comparison teaches that a רודף may be killed and that one must die rather than commit עריות. The rule for murder itself comes from סברא, shown by רבא's ruling: 'Who says your blood is redder?' Next comes a story: רבינא treated his daughter with ערלה olives, and he explained it either as a case of danger or as an unusual way of benefiting. The amud ends with a dispute between אביי and רבא about forbidden benefit that comes to a person against his will. The גמרא gives two versions of exactly which case they argue about, based on whether the benefit was avoidable and whether he intended it, and links each version to רבי יהודה and רבי שמעון.

Opening lines

וּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים.

and bloodshed.

עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה — הָא דַּאֲמַרַן.

Idolatry: that which we said.

גִּילּוּי עֲרָיוֹת וּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים,

Forbidden relations and bloodshed:

דְּתַנְיָא, רַבִּי אוֹמֵר:

as it was taught: Rabbi says:

The steps (23)

  1. StatementThe third exception: bloodshed
  2. ResponseThe source for idolatry was already given
  3. ProofA ברייתא links murder to the betrothed girl
  4. QuestionWhy is murder mentioned here?
  5. ResponseMurder learns from the betrothed girl: stop the pursuer
  6. ResponseThe betrothed girl learns from murder: die rather than sin
  7. QuestionWhere does the rule for murder itself come from?
  8. ResponseIt is simple logic
  9. Proofרבא: who says your blood is redder?
  10. ChallengeTreating a daughter with forbidden olives when there is no danger
  11. ResolutionA high fever counts as danger
  12. ResolutionSecond version: not the normal way of benefiting
  13. Statementאביי and רבא argue about benefit that comes without one's choice
  14. StatementThe cases where everyone agrees
  15. ConclusionThe one case they argue about
  16. StatementAccording to רבי יהודה, everyone forbids
  17. StatementThe dispute exists only according to רבי שמעון, and אביי follows him
  18. Resolutionרבא limits רבי שמעון's leniency to unavoidable cases
  19. StatementSecond version: mapping the cases differently
  20. ConclusionThe dispute is where it is unavoidable but he intends
  21. StatementAccording to רבי שמעון, intent forbids for everyone
  22. StatementThe dispute is according to רבי יהודה, who looks only at avoidability
  23. Conclusionאביי follows רבי יהודה