Pesachim 52b

פסחים נ״ב ע״ב

Learn Pesachim 52b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

ביעור of שביעית produce: the three lands, fruit taken out of ארץ ישראל, and whether unripe fruit may be destroyed

Overview

This amud opens with the end of a ברייתא: you may keep eating dates as long as some are still within reach of animals, but dates hidden among thorns do not count. The גמרא then quotes a משנה that splits ארץ ישראל into three lands for ביעור (יהודה, עבר הירדן, גליל). You may keep eating a crop in a land until it is gone from the last region of that land. The source is the פסוק 'ולבהמתך ולחיה אשר בארצך': you may keep produce at home only while wild animals can still find it in the field. Wild animals do not cross from one land to another, so each land is judged on its own. A ברייתא then argues about שביעית fruit taken out of ארץ ישראל. רבי שמעון בן אלעזר says it must be brought back for ביעור, and the גמרא shows how the same פסוק can teach both rules. In a story, רב ספרא gets two opposite reports of רבי אבהו's ruling and relies on the more precise one, from רב הונא; רב יוסף mocks him for picking the lenient view. Finally, the גמרא asks how רבי אילעאי could cut down a palm with unripe שביעית dates. That question leads to a debate over whether very young fruit already counts as fruit, and רב שימי's proof from a משנה about cutting trees continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (22)

1. StatementDates still reachable by animals versus dates hidden among thorns
2. StatementThe משנה of the three lands for ביעור
3. QuestionWhere is this rule learned from?
4. ResponseThe verse: wild animals in the field decide for animals at home
5. ResponseWild animals stay within their own land
6. StatementA dispute about שביעית fruit taken out of ארץ ישראל
7. ChallengeWasn't that verse already used for something else?
8. ResolutionThe verse can be read two ways
9. Questionרב ספרא asks what the הלכה is as he leaves ארץ ישראל
10. Responseרב כהנא: רבי אבהו ruled like רבי שמעון בן אלעזר
11. Responseרב הונא: רבי אבהו ruled against רבי שמעון בן אלעזר
12. Conclusionרב ספרא relies on רב הונא's report
13. ProofAn example of רחבה's precise wording
14. Challengeרב יוסף criticizes relying on the lenient view
15. Statementרבי אילעאי cuts down a tree with young dates
16. ChallengeHow could he destroy שביעית produce?
17. ResolutionSuggested defense: unripe dates are not yet fruit
18. Rejectionרב נחמן shows that very young dates already count as fruit
19. Resolutionרב נחמן follows רבי יוסי
20. ProofThe משנה: רבי יוסי says a סמדר is fruit
21. Challengeרב שימי: do the רבנן disagree about other trees?
22. ProofThe משנה about cutting trees in שביעית