Gemara Clarity

Pesachim 79a

פסחים ע״ט ע״א

Learn Pesachim 79a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Pesachim 79a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Which תנא agrees with רב and with the משנה about sprinkling the blood when part of an offering is impure, and when the קרבן פסח is brought in טומאה

Overview

The גמרא first gives a second answer for whose view רב follows. רב ruled that a פסח whose meat became טמא should not have its blood sprinkled, but if it was sprinkled, it counts. The גמרא shows from a ברייתא that רבי יהושע holds exactly this, unless the owners themselves are טמא מת. Next, the גמרא shows that the משנה's line about other קדשים also follows רבי יהושע: a כזית of pure meat or a כזית of pure fat is enough to sprinkle the blood. The גמרא finds the source for this in the פסוק 'והקטיר החלב לריח ניחח', and explains why both 'חלב' and 'ריח ניחוח' are needed. Then a new משנה teaches that when most of the community, or the כהנים, are טמא, the פסח is brought in טומאה. If only a minority is טמא, that minority waits for פסח שני. רב חסדא and רבא argue about an impure knife, and the debate turns on whether טומאה is only pushed aside (דחויה) for the ציבור. The עמוד ends with רב and רב כהנא arguing whether an exact half counts as a majority, and a second version of רב כהנא's view that continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

וְאִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא,

And if you wish, say:

רַב דְּאָמַר כְּרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ.

Rav, who said (if he sprinkled it is accepted), holds like Rabbi Yehoshua.

דְּתַנְיָא, רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר:

As it was taught in a baraita, Rabbi Yehoshua says:

כׇּל הַזְּבָחִים שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה

All the offerings in the Torah:

The steps (29)

  1. ResolutionA second answer: רב follows רבי יהושע
  2. Proofרבי יהושע's general rule for all offerings
  3. Proofנזיר and פסח: don't sprinkle, but after the fact it counts
  4. StatementIf the owners became impure from a corpse, it does not count
  5. QuestionWho wrote the משנה about other offerings?
  6. ResponseThe answer: it follows רבי יהושע
  7. StatementSpecial rules for an עולה and a מנחה
  8. QuestionWhy is a מנחה mentioned here?
  9. ResponseIt is the מנחה brought with the libations
  10. QuestionWhat is the source that fat alone is enough?
  11. ResponseThe פסוק: 'and he shall burn the fat'
  12. QuestionWhat is the source for the liver lobe and kidneys?
  13. QuestionWhere did we say these parts allow sprinkling?
  14. ResponseThe rule comes from a דיוק in the ברייתא
  15. Responseרבי יוחנן: 'For a pleasing aroma' includes all burned parts
  16. ConclusionWhy the Torah needed both 'fat' and 'pleasing aroma'
  17. StatementNew משנה: When the פסח is brought in impurity
  18. Statementברייתא: Impure vessels also allow bringing the offering in impurity
  19. Statementרב חסדא limits the vessel case to a knife impure from a corpse
  20. StatementWhy the knife matters: it makes the person impure
  21. StatementA knife made impure by a שרץ: only pure people may take part
  22. ConclusionThe גמרא infers that רב חסדא holds impurity is only pushed aside for the community
  23. Proofרבי יצחק states the same principle outright
  24. Statementרבא disagrees: even impure people may take part
  25. Conclusionרבא's reading: the two halves of the פסוק go together
  26. StatementDispute: Does exactly half count as a majority?
  27. Statementרב's view in practice: each half brings its own פסח
  28. Statementרב כהנא's view in practice: the impure wait for פסח שני
  29. StatementA second version of רב כהנא's view begins