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Pesachim 51b

פסחים נ״א ע״ב

Learn Pesachim 51b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Pesachim 51b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The cabbage ספיחין dispute between רבי שמעון and חכמים, a traveler's customs about working on ערב פסח, and the start of a discussion on יום טוב שני

Overview

This amud finishes a story that began on the previous דף. A teacher ate cabbage ספיחין during שביעית and let his student eat them, but only in the teacher's presence. The teacher had personally seen רבי שמעון בן יוחי eat them, and the student had not. The גמרא quotes a ברייתא in which רבי שמעון permits cabbage ספיחין and the חכמים forbid all ספיחין. It shows that both sides accept רבי עקיבא's source for the איסור of ספיחין. Their only disagreement is whether to make a גזירה on cabbage because of other ספיחין. The גמרא then returns to the משנה about a traveler between towns with different customs about working on ערב פסח, and asks how 'a person should not deviate because of dispute' fits the case of someone arriving in a town that works. אביי answers that the phrase applies only to the first case. רבא answers that refraining from work is no deviation, because onlookers will assume he is simply idle. Finally, רב ספרא begins a question to רבי אבא about יום טוב שני for communities that know the calendar, and the question continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְנָטַל סְפִיחֵי כְרוּב

And he took cabbage after-growths

וְאָכַל וְנָתַן לִי,

and ate, and gave to me,

וְאָמַר לִי: בְּנִי,

and he said to me: My son,

בְּפָנַי — אֱכוֹל,

in my presence, eat;

The steps (14)

  1. ProofThe teacher eats cabbage after-growths and lets his student eat only in his presence
  2. StatementWhy the student may eat only in the teacher's presence
  3. QuestionWhat is רבי שמעון's ruling?
  4. ResponseThe ברייתא: רבי שמעון permits cabbage after-growths, the חכמים forbid all
  5. StatementBoth sides follow רבי עקיבא
  6. Proofרבי עקיבא learns the איסור of ספיחין from a פסוק
  7. QuestionWhat is the actual point of disagreement?
  8. ResponseThe dispute is whether to make a decree on cabbage because of other after-growths
  9. ChallengeQuoting the משנה: the easy case first
  10. ChallengeThe hard case: should the visitor work?
  11. Resolutionאביי: the phrase refers only to the first case
  12. Resolutionרבא: the phrase can refer to the second case
  13. ResolutionWhy not working does not look like a deviation
  14. Questionרב ספרא asks about places that know the calendar