Pesachim 68b

פסחים ס״ח ע״ב

Learn Pesachim 68b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Pesachim 68b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Wart removal on שבת for the קרבן פסח, שמחת יום טוב, and רב אשי's challenge to רבי אליעזר

Overview

The amud opens with a ברייתא where רבי שמעון praises doing a מצוה at its proper time: the fats are burned on שבת even though they could wait until night. Next, the גמרא sets our משנה, which says cutting a wart off the קרבן פסח does not override שבת, against a משנה in עירובין that allows cutting a wart in the מקדש. רבי אלעזר and רבי יוסי בר חנינא resolve this in two ways. One splits moist versus dry, and the other splits by hand versus with a tool. Each side then explains why it rejects the other's answer. The גמרא then turns to the debate between רבי אליעזר and רבי יהושע in the משנה. רבי יהושע holds that שמחת יום טוב is a מצוה, and a ברייתא and the two פסוקים 'לה׳' and 'לכם' show the root of their disagreement. Everyone agrees that שבועות, שבת and פורים require eating and celebrating, and stories about מר בריה דרבינא, רב יוסף and רב ששת show the joy of these days and of תורה. Finally, רב אשי builds a קל וחומר from יום טוב to challenge רבי אליעזר's view that a שבות may be set aside on שבת for a מצוה.

Opening lines

The steps (23)

1. Statementרבי שמעון praises doing a מצוה at its proper time
2. ChallengeContradiction about cutting a wart in the Temple
3. ResolutionFirst answer: moist wart versus dry wart
4. ResolutionSecond answer: by hand versus with a tool
5. QuestionWhy didn't the second אמורא use the moist-dry answer?
6. ResponseA dry wart crumbles off by itself
7. QuestionWhy didn't the moist-versus-dry answer use hand-versus-tool?
8. ResponseThe tool case is already stated in עירובין
9. QuestionHow does the other אמורא handle the repetition?
10. ResponseOur משנה mentions a tool to show the מחלוקת
11. Statementרבי יהושע's argument fits his general view
12. Proofברייתא proving רבי יהושע's view of יום טוב
13. StatementBoth opinions come from the same pair of verses
14. StatementEveryone agrees שבועות needs celebrating too
15. StatementEveryone agrees שבת needs enjoyment too
16. StatementEveryone agrees פורים needs feasting too
17. Statementמר בריה דרבינא fasted all year except three days
18. ProofWhy eating on ערב יום כיפור counts like fasting
19. Statementרב יוסף's special שבועות feast
20. Statementרב ששת rejoices over his monthly review
21. ChallengeBut the whole world exists because of תורה
22. ResolutionAt first a person learns for himself
23. Challengeרב אשי's קל וחומר against רבי אליעזר