Pesachim 70b

פסחים ע׳ ע״ב

Learn Pesachim 70b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Immersing the knife but not the cleaver; whether the חגיגה overrides שבת (בן דורתאי vs. the רבנן); and שלמים slaughtered on ערב יום טוב.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a question from the previous amud: why would someone immerse his סכין on the 13th of ניסן but not his קופיץ, which is needed only for the חגיגה? The גמרא tries three cases: the פסח meat was plentiful, the פסח was brought בטומאה, and the נשיא died. Each one fails because nobody could know it in advance. The final answer is that the נשיא was a גוסס on the 13th. The knife then involves one doubt, so it is immersed, while the cleaver involves two doubts, so it is not. Next, a ברייתא tells of יהודה בן דורתאי, who broke away from the חכמים because he held that the חגיגה overrides שבת. רב finds his source in 'צאן ובקר', but רב אשי refuses to explain the view of those who broke away, and reads the פסוק as teaching that a מותר הפסח is brought as שלמים. The גמרא then asks why the רבנן do not let the חגיגה override שבת. רבי אילעא answers from 'seven days' in the פסוק about סוכות, and אביי defends this proof against רבין's challenge. Finally, עולא quotes רבי אלעזר that שלמים slaughtered on ערב יום טוב count for neither שמחה nor חגיגה, and the source for this continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. ResolutionThe Paschal meat was plentiful
2. ChallengeHow would they know in advance
3. ResolutionThe offering was brought in impurity
4. ChallengeStill, how would they know in advance
5. ResolutionThe נשיא died
6. ChallengeIf he died on the 13th, why immerse the knife
7. ChallengeIf he died on the 14th, why treat knife and cleaver differently
8. ResolutionThe נשיא was dying on the 13th: one doubt versus two doubts
9. Statementיהודה בן דורתאי breaks away over the חגיגה on שבת
10. Statementרב explains the source for בן דורתאי
11. Rejectionרב אשי refuses to explain the reasoning of those who broke away
12. QuestionThe פסוק is really for רב נחמן's rule about leftover פסח
13. Response'צאן ובקר' teaches that a leftover פסח becomes a שלמים
14. ChallengeWhy don't the רבנן let the חגיגה override שבת?
15. ResolutionThe verse says seven days, not eight
16. Challengeרבין: sometimes there are only six days
17. Resolutionאביי: seven is the usual case, eight never happens
18. StatementPeace offerings slaughtered before the festival do not count
19. ProofSource for rejoicing: slaughter must be at the time of rejoicing