Gemara Clarity

Sanhedrin 4b

סנהדרין ד׳ ע״ב

Learn Sanhedrin 4b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Sanhedrin 4b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Does halacha follow the Torah's reading (יש אם למקרא) or its spelling (יש אם למסורת)? The גמרא tests both views against earlier disputes and against the ruling of בשר בחלב.

Overview

This amud asks whether halacha follows the way the Torah is read aloud (יש אם למקרא) or the way it is written (יש אם למסורת). It opens by finishing a proof from בשר בחלב: everyone reads חלב as 'milk', so everyone seems to follow the reading. The גמרא then re-explains five earlier disputes so that none of them depends on reading versus writing. These are רבי and רבנן on judges, רבי יהודה בן רועץ, בית הלל on חטאת blood, the סוכה walls, and blood from two dead bodies. For בית הלל it quotes a ברייתא where two logical comparisons cancel out, so the threefold 'וכפר' teaches that even one placement of blood atones. Next a ברייתא about טוטפות shows that רבי ישמעאל does follow the spelling, so the תנאים really do argue. The גמרא first limits the argument to cases where reading and spelling differ. The case of יראה/יראה knocks down that limit. Finally רב אחא בריה דרב איקא explains the milk ruling from the word 'cook', since cooking is done in a liquid. The amud ends by opening a new ברייתא saying monetary cases need three judges.

Opening lines

אָמַרְתָּ: יֵשׁ אֵם לַמִּקְרָא.

You must say: the reading is the authority.

אֶלָּא, דְּכוּלֵּי עָלְמָא יֵשׁ אֵם לַמִּקְרָא,

Rather, everyone holds the reading is the authority,

וְרַבִּי וְרַבָּנַן בְּהָא קָמִיפַּלְגִי:

and Rabbi and the Rabbis argue about this:

רַבִּי סָבַר ״יַרְשִׁיעֻן אֱלֹהִים״ – אַחֲרִינֵי,

Rabbi holds that "the judges shall condemn" means other judges,

The steps (18)

  1. ProofFinishing the proof: everyone follows the reading
  2. ResolutionNew explanation of the argument between רבי and רבנן
  3. Resolutionרבנן do not argue with רבי יהודה בן רועץ
  4. Resolutionבית הלל's source is a ברייתא about 'וכפר'
  5. ProofLogic suggests one placement of blood is enough, learned from the bird offering
  6. RejectionA rival comparison: learn from the inner offerings, where missing one placement ruins everything
  7. ProofWeighing the comparisons: outside should be learned from outside
  8. RejectionCounter-weighing: learn a four-corner חטאת from another four-corner חטאת
  9. ConclusionThe three times 'And he shall atone' settle the question
  10. ResolutionThe real argument about סוכה walls
  11. ResolutionThe real argument about blood from two dead bodies
  12. ChallengeDoes everyone really hold יש אם למקרא? The case of תפילין
  13. Challengeרבי עקיבא's different source for the four compartments
  14. ResolutionThey do argue, but only when the reading and the spelling are different
  15. ChallengeBut 'will see' and 'will be seen' are spelled the same, and they argue
  16. ProofSomeone blind in one eye is exempt from appearing in the בית המקדש
  17. ResolutionThe Torah forbade the normal way of cooking
  18. StatementA ברייתא: monetary cases need three judges