Gemara Clarity

Sanhedrin 36a

סנהדרין ל״ו ע״א

Learn Sanhedrin 36a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Does אביי's reading of the פסוק "מֵעִם מִזְבְּחִי" (that it is about a קרבן יחיד) hold up? A קל וחומר from יום טוב, and רבא's proof that the פסוק is about the תמיד.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a discussion of the פסוק "מֵעִם מִזְבְּחִי תִּקָּחֶנּוּ לָמוּת". אביי had read it as being about a כהן offering a קרבן יחיד. The גמרא attacks this reading with a קל וחומר from יום טוב. רבא then shows that "My altar" means the תמיד, so אביי's reading fails according to every opinion. Next the גמרא turns to the משנה's rule that money and purity cases begin with the greatest judge. It explains that רבי's court was an exception, because there the vote always started from the side. This leads to praise of רבי: from משה until רבי, no one person had unmatched תורה and worldly greatness for all his years. The גמרא tests this claim against יהושע, the kings and עזרא, and רב אדא בר אהבה extends it from רבי to רב אשי. Then the גמרא brings two sources for starting capital cases from the side: "לא תענה על ריב" and דוד girding his sword last. Finally, רב rules that a teacher may judge capital cases with his student, and a ברייתא that counts them as one vote challenges him. The answer comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

מָה יוֹם טוֹב שֶׁנִּדְחֶה מִפְּנֵי קׇרְבַּן יָחִיד,

Just as a Festival, which is pushed aside for an individual's offering,

אֵין רְצִיחָה דּוֹחָה אוֹתוֹ.

is not pushed aside by murder,

קׇרְבַּן יָחִיד שֶׁהוּא דּוֹחֶה אֶת יוֹם טוֹב,

then an individual's offering, which pushes aside a Festival,

אֵינוֹ דִּין שֶׁלֹּא תְּהֵא רְצִיחָה דּוֹחָה אוֹתוֹ?

is it not logical that murder should not push it aside?

The steps (38)

  1. ChallengeA קל וחומר from יום טוב against אביי's reading
  2. ChallengeThe challenge only works according to one opinion
  3. Rejectionרבא: according to one view, the פסוק makes no sense at all
  4. RejectionEven according to the other view, "My altar" means the תמיד
  5. Statementרב says they started with him in רבי's court
  6. ChallengeBut the משנה says to start with the greatest
  7. Resolutionרבי's court always began from the side
  8. StatementNo one combined תורה and greatness from משה until רבי
  9. ChallengeWhat about יהושע?
  10. Resolutionאלעזר was there
  11. ChallengeWhat about פנחס?
  12. ResolutionThe זקנים were there
  13. ChallengeWhat about King שאול?
  14. Resolutionשמואל was equal to him in תורה
  15. ChallengeBut שמואל died during שאול's reign
  16. ResolutionWe mean all the years of his leadership
  17. ChallengeWhat about King דוד?
  18. Resolutionעירא היאירי was equal to him
  19. ChallengeBut עירא died during דוד's reign
  20. ResolutionAgain: all the years
  21. ChallengeWhat about King שלמה?
  22. Resolutionשמעי בן גרא was equal in תורה
  23. ChallengeBut שלמה killed him
  24. ResolutionAgain: all the years
  25. ChallengeWhat about King חזקיה?
  26. Resolutionשבנא was equal to him
  27. ChallengeBut שבנא was killed
  28. ResolutionAgain: all the years
  29. ChallengeWhat about עזרא?
  30. Resolutionנחמיה was equal to him
  31. StatementNo one matched רב אשי in both תורה and greatness
  32. ChallengeChallenge from הונא בר נתן
  33. Resolutionהונא בר נתן was below רב אשי
  34. QuestionSource for starting from the side in capital cases
  35. ResponseSource from "לא תענה על ריב"
  36. ResponseSecond source from דוד and his men
  37. StatementA teacher may judge capital cases with his student
  38. ChallengeChallenge from a ברייתא counting teacher and student as one