Pesachim 42a

פסחים מ״ב ע״א

Learn Pesachim 42a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Pesachim 42a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Deriving the לא תעשה from ״לאמר״, keeping מצה dough from becoming חמץ, and the opening of אלו עוברין on grain mixtures

Overview

The amud opens by showing that the view under discussion is רבי יהודה's. A ברייתא learns that consecrating תמימים for בדק הבית violates an עשה, and adds a לא תעשה from the word ״לאמר״. בר קפרא reads ״לאמר״ as ״לא אמור״, and בי רב read it as ״לאו אמור״. The גמרא then resolves two ברייתות about pouring out a baker's water: a large amount that pools is forbidden, and a small amount that soaks in is allowed. Next come the rules for keeping מצה dough cool: רב יהודה's מים שלנו, with a funny story about how people misunderstood it, and רבא's list of precautions. מר זוטרא and רב אשי disagree about dough kneaded against these rules, and רב אשי rejects מר זוטרא's proof from soaked barley. The chapter כל שעה ends, and the chapter אלו עוברין opens with a משנה listing grain-containing products that carry an אזהרה but no כרת. The גמרא then brings ברייתות about the health effects of כותח and other foods, and begins to define פת נקייה, a definition that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (25)

1. StatementThe opinion belongs to רבי יהודה, as shown by a ברייתא on blemished animals
2. QuestionIs there also a negative prohibition?
3. ResponseThe opening verse makes the whole portion a prohibition
4. Questionרבי asks how the verse implies this
5. Response״לאמר״ is read as ״לא אמור״
6. ResponseThe school of רב reads 'saying' as 'say a prohibition'
7. ChallengeTwo ברייתות disagree about pouring a baker's water
8. ResolutionA lot of water versus a little water
9. StatementKnead מצה only with water that sat overnight
10. StatementThe people misunderstand רב מתנה's rule about water
11. Statementרבא lists more precautions for kneading מצה
12. QuestionWhat if she broke the rules and kneaded anyway?
13. Responseמר זוטרא permits and רב אשי forbids
14. Proofמר זוטרא's proof from soaking barley
15. Rejectionרב אשי: not every rule works the same way
16. Conclusionהדרן: closing the chapter כל שעה
17. Statementמשנה: list of grain mixtures one may not keep on פסח
18. Statementרבי אליעזר adds women's cosmetics
19. StatementThe general rule: anything made from grain is included
20. StatementA warning but no כרת
21. StatementThree harmful effects of כותח הבבלי
22. StatementThe cause of each harmful effect
23. StatementThree foods that harm a person's health
24. StatementThree foods that are good for the body
25. StatementStarting to explain what fine bread means