Pesachim 5a

פסחים ה׳ ע״א

Learn Pesachim 5a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Pesachim 5a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The Torah sources for when בִּיעוּר חָמֵץ begins: midday on the 14th of ניסן

Overview

This amud is about when the duty to remove חמץ begins. It opens by finishing an answer: the night of the 15th needs no extra source, because a chain of הֶקֵּשׁ links removal to the איסור of eating חמץ, and that איסור to eating מצה, which starts that night. The גמרא then shows that removal does not start on the night of the 14th, because the פסוק says בַּיּוֹם. It also does not start in the morning, because אַךְ splits the day, so removal begins at midday. Next, דבי רבי ישמעאל and רב נחמן בר יצחק show that ראשון can mean the 14th, the day before the חג. The גמרא challenges this from several verses, mostly about סוכות, where ראשון clearly means the first day of the חג, and tries answers based on the seven-day count, the eighth day, and the extra ה. In the end it says those three ראשון are written for a lesson about reward: wiping out עשו, building the בית המקדש, and the name of משיח. רבא then gives a separate source: do not slaughter the קרבן פסח while חמץ still exists. A ברייתא supports this and adds two more proofs, from רבי עקיבא (no burning on יום טוב) and רבי יוסי (אַךְ divides the day). The ברייתא ends by completing רבי יוסי's 'אך' proof: the day that 'אך' splits is the 14th, not יום טוב, since חמץ is not permitted for any part of יום טוב. רבא's words on the next amud begin a new, separate teaching.

Opening lines

The steps (30)

1. ResolutionRemoval is linked to eating חמץ, and eating חמץ is linked to מצה
2. ProofSource for linking removal to eating חמץ
3. ProofSource for linking eating חמץ to eating מצה
4. ChallengeMaybe the extra word includes the night of the 14th
5. ResolutionThe פסוק says "day", so night is excluded
6. ChallengeMaybe removing חמץ starts from the morning of the 14th
7. ResolutionThe word אך splits the day
8. Statementדבי רבי ישמעאל: the 14th is called 'first'
9. Proofרב נחמן בר יצחק: ראשון means 'earlier'
10. ChallengeChallenge from the ארבעה מינים on סוכות
11. Resolutionסוכות is different because seven days are counted
12. Challengeפסח Also Counts Seven Days
13. ResolutionThe Extra Letter ה Shows 'Earlier'
14. Challengeסוכות Also Says הראשון
15. ChallengeAnother סוכות Verse Without Seven Days
16. ResolutionEighth Proves First Is of the חג
17. ResolutionThe ה on סוכות Excludes חול המועד
18. Challengeחול המועד Is Already Excluded
19. ResolutionThe ו Could Have Included חול המועד
20. ChallengeIf the ו and the ה cancel out, why write either one?
21. ChallengeA פסח verse where ראשון cannot mean the day before
22. ResolutionThe three times 'ראשון' appears are needed for a teaching about reward
23. ProofVerses showing each reward is called 'ראשון'
24. Statementרבא's different source: no קרבן פסח while חמץ exists
25. ChallengeMaybe each person only needs to be rid of חמץ when he slaughters
26. ResolutionThe Torah means the set time of slaughtering
27. ProofA ברייתא supports רבא: רבי ישמעאל uses the same פסוק
28. Statementרבי עקיבא: you cannot burn חמץ on יום טוב, so the מצוה must be the day before
29. Statementרבי יוסי: the word 'אך' splits the day
30. StatementWhy the split day cannot be יום טוב itself