Gemara Clarity

Sanhedrin 25a

סנהדרין כ״ה ע״א

Learn Sanhedrin 25a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Sanhedrin 25a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Witnesses disqualified for gambling, taking interest and selling טריפה meat, and how such a person can become valid again.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a challenge to רמי בר חמא about whether the חכמים argue with רבי יהודה over a dice player (משחק בקוביא). The גמרא answers that different אמוראים simply hold different views. A ברייתא that disqualifies every dice player is then shown to follow רבי טרפון, who holds that an uncertain commitment does not take effect. Next, רבא rules that a borrower with interest is also disqualified, and the גמרא reads the משנה as 'a loan with interest' to include him. In the story of בר ביניתוס, רבא accepts the borrower's testimony against the lender, because a person cannot make himself a רשע. A butcher who sold טריפה meat cannot be trusted again just by looking sorry. He must give up something valuable in a place where no one knows him. Finally, the גמרא explains מפריחי יונים in two ways, betting on pigeon races or luring pigeons from other people's property (ארא). It then begins to show why the משנה needs both the dice case and the pigeon case, a discussion that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

״אֵימָתַי״ וּ״בַמֶּה״

'When' and 'In what case'

אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא לְפָרֵשׁ דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים.

is only to explain the words of the Sages.

רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר:

Rabbi Yoḥanan said:

״אֵימָתַי״ – לְפָרֵשׁ,

'When' is to explain,

The steps (25)

  1. StatementWhen and In What Case only explain
  2. ChallengeEven רבי יוחנן agrees that 'When' only explains
  3. ResolutionDifferent אמוראים, different views
  4. ChallengeA ברייתא shows they do argue
  5. ResolutionThe dice-player ברייתא follows רבי טרפון
  6. Statementרבא: the borrower with interest is also disqualified
  7. ChallengeThe משנה mentions only the lender
  8. ResolutionRead the משנה as "a loan with interest"
  9. Statementרבא disqualifies בר ביניתוס
  10. ChallengeHow could רבא accept the borrower as a witness?
  11. ResolutionA person cannot make himself wicked
  12. StatementThe butcher who sold טריפה meat
  13. ChallengeMaybe he is only pretending
  14. QuestionSo how can he fix his status?
  15. ResponseThe test of real regret
  16. QuestionWhat does 'those who fly pigeons' mean?
  17. ResponseFirst explanation: betting on pigeon races
  18. ResponseSecond explanation: luring other people's pigeons
  19. QuestionWhy doesn't the first view accept the luring explanation?
  20. ResponseLuring is forbidden only for the sake of peace
  21. QuestionWhy doesn't the second view accept the betting explanation?
  22. ResponsePigeon betting is the same as dice playing
  23. QuestionHow does the other view answer?
  24. ResponseTwo different kinds of gambling
  25. ResponseWhy both cases are needed: the dice case alone