Gemara Clarity

Sanhedrin 35b

סנהדרין ל״ה ע״ב

Learn Sanhedrin 35b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Sanhedrin 35b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Which overrides which: burial of a מת מצוה, court executions, the עבודה, and שבת.

Overview

This amud finishes a ברייתא showing that a person on his way to a major מצוה may not become טמא for his own relative, but must become טמא to bury a מת מצוה. So burying a מת מצוה overrides the עבודה. ריש לקיש builds a קל וחומר from this: עבודה overrides שבת, so burying a מת מצוה should override שבת too. רבי יוחנן refutes it with רציחה. Executing a murderer overrides עבודה, yet it does not override שבת. The גמרא asks why executions shouldn't override שבת by the same logic. רבא answers from a ברייתא of רבי ישמעאל's school. Through the word 'מושבות', that ברייתא shows that 'לא תבערו אש' is addressed to בית דין, so there are no executions on שבת. אביי then argues that if an execution can't override שבת, it surely can't override עבודה. The פסוק 'מעם מזבחי תקחנו למות' is limited to a קרבן יחיד. רבא begins to challenge even that, and his argument continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְשָׁמַע שֶׁמֵּת לוֹ מֵת,

and he heard that a relative of his died,

יָכוֹל יִטַּמֵּא?

you might think he should become impure?

אָמַרְתָּ: ״לֹא יִטַּמֵּא״.

You said: "He shall not become impure."

יָכוֹל, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִטַּמֵּא לַאֲחוֹתוֹ

You might think: just as he may not become impure for his sister,

The steps (14)

  1. ProofA relative's death does not let him become impure
  2. ProofHe must become impure to bury a מת מצוה
  3. QuestionShould burying a מת מצוה override שבת?
  4. RejectionExecuting a murderer shows the logic fails
  5. ChallengeMaybe executing a murderer should override שבת too
  6. Resolutionרבא says a תנא already ruled on this
  7. ChallengeThe question on 'לא תבערו אש' seems already answered
  8. ResolutionThe real question is about the word 'מושבות'
  9. QuestionThe student's doubt: two פסוקים that pull in opposite directions
  10. Response'מושבות' means בית דין, so there are no executions on שבת
  11. Statementאביי: an execution should not override the Temple service either
  12. ChallengeChallenge from 'take him from My altar to die'
  13. ResolutionThe פסוק is about an individual's offering
  14. Challengeרבא: by this logic, execution should not override even an individual's offering