Pesachim 39a

פסחים ל״ט ע״א

Learn Pesachim 39a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Pesachim 39a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The vegetables used for מרור: which qualify, which is best, why they must be vegetables, and planting them together

Overview

The משנה lists five vegetables that can be used for מרור on פסח. They can be fresh or dry, but not pickled or cooked. They combine to make a כזית, the stalk counts, and certain produce with special tithe or holiness status may be used. The גמרא gives the Aramaic name of each vegetable. It then brings ברייתות with longer lists, and three general signs of a bitter herb, with רב הונא ruling like אחרים: it is bitter, has sap, and has a pale surface. A story with רבינא and רב אחא teaches that the preferred מרור is חזרת, lettuce, because it starts soft and ends harsh, like the מצריים. אביי then uses the comparison to מצה to show that מרור must be a vegetable fit for people to eat, and that many kinds qualify. Finally, רב says all the מרור vegetables may be planted in one bed. The גמרא explains that he means planted properly, with spacing, and then begins to challenge that reading from a משנה that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (40)

1. StatementThe five vegetables for מרור and their acceptable condition
2. StatementCombining the vegetables, using the stalk, and produce with special status
3. StatementIdentifying the five vegetables by their Aramaic names
4. Statementבר קפרא's ברייתא gives a slightly different list
5. Statementרב יהודה adds wild and garden endives
6. ChallengeWhy repeat garden endives and חזרת?
7. ResolutionHis real point: wild endives are like garden endives
8. Statementרבי מאיר adds more plants
9. Rejectionרבי יוסי: these are the same plants
10. StatementThe school of שמואל's list of vegetables
11. Statementרבי יהודה adds two kinds of chazeret
12. Statementרבי אילעא: ערקבלים also work
13. Proofרבי אילעא finds support for his report
14. Statementרבי יהודה: any plant with sap
15. Statementרבי יוחנן בן ברוקה: a pale surface
16. Statementאחרים: a bitter herb with both signs
17. Conclusionרבי יוחנן: learn from all of them
18. Conclusionרב הונא: the הלכה follows אחרים
19. Statementרבינא finds רב אחא searching for a very bitter herb
20. Challengeרבינא shows that the sources prefer lettuce
21. ProofThe name lettuce hints at God's mercy
22. ProofEgypt was like lettuce: soft at first, harsh at the end
23. Conclusionרב אחא takes back his view
24. QuestionHow do we know מרור must be a vegetable?
25. ResponseLike מצה, מרור must grow from the ground
26. ChallengeMaybe the bitter oleander shrub?
27. ResolutionLike מצה, מרור must be a seed plant, not a tree
28. ChallengeMaybe the poisonous הרזיפו plant?
29. ResolutionLike מצה, מרור must be food you can buy with מעשר money
30. ChallengeMaybe only one vegetable counts for מרור
31. ResolutionThe פסוק says ״מרורים״ in the plural
32. ChallengeMaybe the plural means only two
33. ResolutionLike מצה, מרור comes from many kinds
34. StatementAll the מרור vegetables may be planted in one bed
35. QuestionDoes this mean they are not כלאים?
36. Challengeרבא: the משנה allows only matching pairs
37. ResolutionMaybe the whole list is one group
38. Rejectionרב himself said the list is in pairs
39. Resolutionרב meant the vegetables are planted the proper way
40. ChallengePlanting properly is already taught in a משנה