Pesachim 87b

פסחים פ״ז ע״ב

Learn Pesachim 87b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Pesachim 87b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

הושע's lesson that הקב"ה never abandons ישראל, followed by teachings on לשון הרע and on the purpose of גלות and the exile to בבל

Overview

This amud finishes the גמרא's story about the נביא הושע, who had told הקב"ה to replace ישראל with another nation. The גמרא explains the names of his wife גמר בת דבלים and quotes the פסוקים about her three children, whose names are signs of punishment. הקב"ה tells הושע to separate from his wife, as משה did. When הושע says he cannot leave the mother of his children, הקב"ה turns this back on him: how could He abandon ישראל, one of His four acquisitions? הושע prays for ישראל, and the three punishing names become blessings. More teachings follow from פסוקים in הושע: authority shortens its holders' lives, ירבעם was honored for refusing לשון הרע about עמוס, God remembers רחמים even in anger, and גלות brings גרים. The amud then explains why scattering ישראל among the nations was a kindness, and gives several reasons why the exile was to בבל. עולא's reason begins at the end and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (40)

1. StatementExplaining the name דבלים as bad reputation
2. Statementשמואל: sweet like a fig cake
3. Statementרבי יוחנן: trampled like a fig cake
4. Statementרבי יהודה: the name גמר means enemies tried to finish ישראל's wealth
5. Statementרבי יוחנן: they actually plundered and finished it
6. StatementThe three children of הושע and their names
7. ChallengeGod tells הושע to learn from משה and separate from his wife
8. Resolutionהושע answers that he cannot send away the mother of his children
9. ChallengeGod turns הושע's own answer back on him
10. ProofThe four acquisitions of God, and the final rebuke
11. StatementPray for ישראל before praying for yourself
12. ConclusionThe decree is cancelled and the punishments become blessings
13. StatementAuthority buries those who hold it
14. ProofProof from the opening פסוק of ישעיהו
15. StatementWhy ירבעם was listed with the kings of יהודה
16. QuestionWhere do we see ירבעם was counted?
17. ResponseThe opening פסוק of הושע lists ירבעם
18. QuestionWhere do we see he rejected לשון הרע?
19. Responseאמציה reports עמוס to the king
20. Conclusionירבעם refuses to believe or punish עמוס
21. StatementEven in anger, God remembers compassion
22. ProofA second source for compassion in anger
23. StatementExile happened so that converts would join Israel
24. ProofPlanting a little to harvest a lot
25. Proofרבי יוחנן's source for converts joining Israel
26. ChallengeWhy are the slander verse and the cursing generation verse placed together?
27. ResolutionEven a wicked generation must not be slandered
28. ProofThe source for this lesson is הושע
29. StatementScattering Israel was a kindness
30. ChallengeA heretic boasts that Rome is kinder than Israel
31. Statementרבי חנינא lets a student answer
32. ResolutionRome simply cannot destroy a scattered people
33. ConclusionThe heretic admits this is Rome's constant problem
34. StatementBabylon was chosen because Rome's decrees were too harsh
35. StatementBabylon is deep like the netherworld
36. StatementBabylon's language is close to the תורה's
37. Statementרבי יוחנן: God sent them back to their mother's house
38. Proofרבי אלכסנדרי: three things returned to their origin
39. ProofProving each of the three returns
40. Statementעולא begins a new reason: so they could eat