Gemara Clarity

Sanhedrin 33a

סנהדרין ל״ג ע״א

Learn Sanhedrin 33a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Sanhedrin 33a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Reversing a mistaken money ruling: several answers to the contradiction between our משנה and the משנה in בכורות

Overview

The amud opens by finishing an earlier teaching: in דיני נפשות, the court begins its discussion with reasons to acquit. Then the גמרא quotes our משנה, which says a money ruling can be reopened. It contrasts this with a משנה in בכורות, which says a judge's mistaken ruling stays in place (מה שעשה עשוי) and the judge pays from his own money. רב יוסף splits the cases by expert versus non-expert, but this answer is rejected. רב נחמן then splits them by whether a greater court exists to review the ruling. רב ששת splits them by the type of mistake: an error in דבר משנה is reversed, while an error in שיקול הדעת stands. The גמרא then defines both terms. רב המנונא challenges רב ששת from the story of רבי טרפון and the cow, and רבא explains the force of that challenge. Finally, רב חסדא splits the cases by whether the judge physically handed over the item. The גמרא rereads our משנה to fit his answer, and the comparison to capital cases continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מִיכָּן שֶׁפּוֹתְחִין בְּדִינֵי נְפָשׁוֹת

From here we learn that in capital cases they open

תְּחִלָּה לִזְכוּת.

first with a reason to acquit.

דִּינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת מַחֲזִירִין כּוּ׳.

Money cases: they bring back for retrial, etc.

וּרְמִינְהוּ:

And they contrasted it with another source:

The steps (22)

  1. ConclusionCapital cases open with reasons to acquit
  2. StatementQuoting the משנה: money cases can be reopened
  3. ChallengeA contradiction: a judge's mistaken ruling stays in place
  4. Resolutionרב יוסף: expert judge versus non-expert judge
  5. ChallengeChallenge: an expert's ruling also stays in place
  6. Resolutionרב נחמן: it depends on whether a greater court exists
  7. Resolutionרב ששת: It depends on the kind of mistake
  8. QuestionHow far does 'a clear source' reach?
  9. Responseרב אשי: Our teachings count too
  10. QuestionWhat counts as an error in weighing opinions?
  11. Responseרב פפא defines an error in judgment
  12. Challengeרב המנונא begins a challenge from the cow of בית מנחם
  13. ChallengeThe rest of the cow story: the חכמים permit it and רבי עקיבא exempts רבי טרפון
  14. ChallengeWhy didn't רבי עקיבא just say the ruling is reversed?
  15. Resolutionרבי עקיבא gave one reason and then added a second
  16. ChallengeHow could the cow story challenge רב ששת at all?
  17. Resolutionרבא explains what רב המנונא was really proving
  18. Resolutionרב חסדא: did the judge physically carry out the ruling?
  19. ChallengeHow can 'exempting the liable' involve handing anything over?
  20. ResolutionSaying 'you are exempt' counts as handing it over
  21. ChallengeThen how can our משנה ever reverse a ruling to make someone liable?
  22. ResolutionThe משנה is really teaching one reversal, not two