Gemara Clarity

Sanhedrin 24a

סנהדרין כ״ד ע״א

Learn Sanhedrin 24a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Sanhedrin 24a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Disqualifying judges and witnesses through מיגו, how the חכמים treat each other, and backing out of accepting unfit judges or a lighter vow

Overview

The amud opens by finishing an explanation of the משנה where רבי מאיר lets a litigant disqualify judges and witnesses. Proving one group פסולין makes him believed about the other group too (מיגו). רבא objects that disqualifying the only witnesses would end the case. The answer is that there is another set of witnesses, and this explanation still differs from רב דימי's over whether we say מיגו. The גמרא then returns to ריש לקיש, who rereads the משנה as 'his witness' out of reverence for רבי מאיר. This leads to stories and פסוקים about how the חכמים of ארץ ישראל treat each other gently, while those of בבל argue sharply. Next come teachings about arrogance going to בבל and then עילם, and two views of the Torah of בבל. A new משנה follows: can someone who accepted unfit judges, or a vow instead of an oath, back out? רבי מאיר says yes, and the חכמים say no. The גמרא discusses which kind of offer the argument covers, and רב אחא בר תחליפא begins a challenge to רבא that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

בְּעֵדִים פְּסוּלִין וְדַיָּינִין כְּשֵׁרִין,

[The first clause] is about disqualified witnesses and fit judges,

מִיגּוֹ דְּפָסְלִי עֵידֵי –

since he disqualifies the witnesses,

פָּסְלִי נָמֵי דַּיָּינֵי.

he also disqualifies the judges.

סֵיפָא: בְּדַיָּינִין פְּסוּלִין וְעֵדִים כְּשֵׁרִין,

The last clause is about disqualified judges and fit witnesses,

The steps (32)

  1. StatementProving one group disqualified knocks out the other group too
  2. ChallengeDisqualifying witnesses without proof would wipe out the case
  3. ResolutionThere is another set of witnesses
  4. ChallengeThen this is just רב דימי's explanation
  5. ResolutionThe two explanations differ over מיגו
  6. Statementריש לקיש changes the משנה to say one witness
  7. ChallengeWas ריש לקיש really so humble?
  8. Resolutionרבי מאיר was even greater
  9. ResolutionThe question was really praise for how the scholars love each other
  10. Proofרבי gives way to the ruling of רבי יוסי
  11. Statementרב פפא explains why the story is so striking
  12. StatementPleasantness and Binders: the scholars of ארץ ישראל and בבל
  13. StatementOil and olives: gentle scholars and sharp scholars
  14. StatementThe women carrying the measure to שנער
  15. ChallengeDidn't arrogance go mostly to עילם?
  16. ResolutionIt came to בבל but moved on to עילם
  17. ProofThe wording 'to build her a house' supports this
  18. ChallengePoverty went to בבל, so arrogance should be there too
  19. ResolutionThe poverty meant is poverty in Torah
  20. ProofA פסוק shows that עילם is the place poor in Torah
  21. StatementThe name בבל means 'mixed' with all parts of Torah
  22. Statementרבי ירמיה calls the Talmud of בבל 'dark places'
  23. Statementמשנה: Accepting unqualified judges, can he back out?
  24. Statementמשנה: Accepting a vow instead of an oath, can he back out?
  25. StatementThe relative was accepted as one of three judges
  26. Statementשמואל: the argument is only about "it is forgiven to you"
  27. Statementרבי יוחנן: the argument is about "I will give you"
  28. QuestionWhat does רבי יוחנן hold about "it is forgiven to you"?
  29. Responseרבא: "it is forgiven to you" cannot be taken back, by everyone
  30. ProofHow רבא's statement shows what רבי יוחנן meant
  31. RejectionMaybe רבא was giving his own opinion
  32. Challengeרב אחא בר תחליפא challenges רבא from the oath case