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Shabbos 156b

שבת קנ״ו ע״ב

Shabbat 156b

Learn Shabbos 156b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shabbos 156b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

אין מזל לישראל: צדקה and יראת שמים can overcome fate. Then a new משנה on מוקצה, and the dispute over whether the הלכה follows רבי יהודה or רבי שמעון.

Overview

This amud finishes the idea of אין מזל לישראל: the stars do not lock in a Jew's fate. First 'ה tells אברהם that He will move the planet צדק (Jupiter) from west to east, and a פסוק in ישעיהו is read as a hint to this. Then come three stories. A man predicted to die from a snakebite is saved because he spared a poor friend embarrassment, and שמואל teaches that צדקה saves from death itself. רבי עקיבא's daughter is saved on her wedding day because she gave her portion to a poor man, and רבי עקיבא teaches the same lesson. רב נחמן בר יצחק was predicted to be a thief, and his mother protected him with a head covering and תפילה; the one time it slipped off, his nature showed itself. Next a new משנה allows cutting food for animals on שבת, but רבי יהודה forbids an animal that died on שבת because it is מוקצה. The גמרא lists who rules like רבי יהודה (עולא, רב, לוי) and who rules like רבי שמעון (שמואל, זעירי, רבי יוחנן). It then challenges רבי יוחנן's view from his rule to follow a סתם משנה, and that challenge continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

דְּקָאֵי צֶדֶק בְּמַעֲרָב —

Is it because Jupiter stands in the west?

מְהַדַּרְנָא וּמוֹקֵימְנָא לֵיהּ בְּמִזְרָח.

I will turn it back and set it in the east.

וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב:

And this is what is written:

״מִי הֵעִיר מִמִּזְרָח

"Who raised up from the east,

The steps (25)

  1. StatementGod moves Jupiter from west to east for אברהם
  2. ProofA פסוק in ישעיהו hints that Jupiter was moved for אברהם
  3. Proofשמואל and אבלט: a man predicted to die comes back alive
  4. QuestionThe snake is found dead in his bundle, and שמואל asks what he did
  5. ResponseHe secretly spared a poor man embarrassment
  6. ConclusionCharity saves from death itself
  7. ProofAstrologers predict רבי עקיבא's daughter will die on her wedding day
  8. ProofHer hairpin accidentally kills the snake
  9. Questionרבי עקיבא asks his daughter what she did
  10. ResponseShe gave her portion to a poor man
  11. Conclusionרבי עקיבא teaches that charity saves from death itself
  12. Proofרב נחמן בר יצחק was predicted to be a thief
  13. ProofHis head is uncovered and he takes dates
  14. StatementNew משנה: cutting food for animals on שבת
  15. Statementרבי יהודה forbids an animal that died on שבת
  16. Statementעולא rules like רבי יהודה
  17. Statementשמואל rules like רבי שמעון
  18. Statementרב also rules like רבי יהודה
  19. ProofProof for רב: the mats on ships
  20. Statementלוי also rules like רבי יהודה
  21. ProofProof for לוי: checking a possible טריפה by the garbage heap
  22. Statementשמואל rules like רבי שמעון, and זעירי agrees
  23. ProofProof for זעירי: he limits the משנה to a sacred animal
  24. Statementרבי יוחנן also rules like רבי שמעון
  25. ChallengeChallenge: does רבי יוחנן really say this?