Pesachim 66a

פסחים ס״ו ע״א

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Topic

Does the קרבן פסח and its preparation override שבת? The end of the מחלוקת between רבי אליעזר and רבי עקיבא, הלל's proofs to the בני בתירא, and the גמרא's analysis of those proofs.

Overview

This amud first finishes the משנה's debate between רבי אליעזר and רבי עקיבא. רבי עקיבא flips רבי אליעזר's קל וחומר and shows that the verse ״במועדו״ covers only the slaughter of the פסח. He concludes with a rule: anything that could have been done before שבת does not override שבת. The גמרא then brings a ברייתא about the time the בני בתירא forgot whether the פסח overrides שבת at all. הלל הבבלי proves that it does, with a גזירה שוה of ״מועדו״ from the תמיד and with a קל וחומר. He is made נשיא and rebukes them for not serving שמעיה ואבטליון. When he forgets what to do about a knife left behind before שבת, the people's practice of placing it in the animal's wool or between its horns reminds him of the הלכה. The גמרא then analyzes הלל's proofs. It finds that the תמיד's own source is ״עולת שבת בשבתו״. The קל וחומר is refutable, because the תמיד is תדיר and כליל, so הלל said it only as a rebuke. Finally the גמרא quotes the line about the knife in order to discuss it next.

Opening lines

The steps (27)

1. Challengeרבי עקיבא flips the argument around
2. Rejectionרבי אליעזר answers with the verse במועדו
3. Resolutionרבי עקיבא: the verse covers only the slaughter
4. Conclusionרבי עקיבא's general rule
5. StatementThe בני בתירא forget the law
6. ResponseThey are told about הלל
7. QuestionThey call הלל and ask him
8. Responseהלל: over two hundred offerings override שבת
9. QuestionThey ask הלל for his source
10. Proofהלל's proof from the word מועדו
11. ProofA logical proof from the daily offering
12. Conclusionהלל is appointed נשיא
13. Statementהלל rebukes them for not learning from their teachers
14. QuestionWhat if someone forgot to bring the knife before שבת?
15. Responseהלל forgot, so he says to trust the Jewish people
16. ConclusionThe people's practice reminds הלל of the הלכה
17. StatementQuoting הלל's גזירה שוה of מועדו
18. QuestionHow do we know the תמיד overrides שבת?
19. ChallengeThe word 'its appointed time' cannot be the source
20. ResponseThe source is the verse about the עולת שבת
21. StatementQuoting הלל's קל וחומר
22. ChallengeThe תמיד is frequent and fully burned
23. Resolutionהלל said the קל וחומר first, then the גזירה שוה
24. ChallengeWhy give a קל וחומר if he had a גזירה שוה?
25. Resolutionהלל was rebuking them for not reasoning it out
26. ConclusionThe בני בתירא reply that the קל וחומר is flawed
27. StatementThe people hide the knife on the animal