Shabbos 16b

שבת ט״ז ע״ב

Shabbat 16b

Learn Shabbos 16b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Glass vessels, טומאה ישנה on metal vessels, and more of the eighteen decrees

Overview

This amud begins with רב אשי's answer about glass vessels. Glass is like כלי חרס, but it becomes impure from the outside because its inside can be seen through it. The גמרא then asks how שמעון בן שטח could 'decree' impurity on metal vessels, since the Torah already makes them impure. The answer is that the decree is about טומאה ישנה: a broken impure metal vessel that is remade returns to its old impurity. This is shown by the story of שלציון the queen. The reason given is to protect the use of מי חטאת. For the view that the decree covers all impurities, אביי and רבא each give a different reason, and they differ when the vessel was completely smashed. The גמרא then goes back to the eighteen decrees. It first names the case of rainwater collected in vessels under a drainpipe, where רבי מאיר and רבי יוסי disagree about whether a vote settled it. For רבי יוסי, the decree that daughters of כותים are נדות from birth fills the count instead. The amud ends with another decree, that movable objects as thick as an ox goad carry corpse impurity, and רבי טרפון's comment continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (23)

1. Resolutionרב אשי: Glass Is Like Earthenware, Yet Impure From Outside
2. Statementשמעון בן שטח's Two Enactments
3. ChallengeMetal Vessels Are Already Impure by Torah Law
4. ResolutionThe Decree Was About Returning Old Impurity
5. ProofThe Story of the Queen's Remade Vessels
6. QuestionWhy Was This Decree Made?
7. ResponseA Fence to Protect the Purification Waters
8. ChallengeThe Reason Works for the View Limiting the Decree to Corpse Impurity
9. ChallengeWhat is the reason for the opinion that applies the decree to all impurities?
10. Resolutionאביי: he may not break the vessel enough
11. Resolutionרבא: people will think same-day immersion works
12. QuestionWhat is the difference between אביי and רבא?
13. ResponseThe difference: when the vessel was smashed completely
14. QuestionWhat is the other decree?
15. ResponseVessels left under a drainpipe disqualify a מקוה
16. Statementרבי מאיר: בית שמאי won the vote but agree about the courtyard
17. Statementרבי יוסי: the dispute still stands
18. Statementדבי רב: the two cases where everyone agrees
19. StatementThe real dispute: clouds gathered, scattered, then gathered again
20. ChallengeAccording to רבי יוסי, the count of eighteen comes up short
21. ResolutionA replacement decree: daughters of כותים are נדות from birth
22. QuestionWhat is the other decree?
23. ResponseObjects as thick as an ox goad carry corpse impurity