Shabbos 35a

שבת ל״ה ע״א

Shabbat 35a

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

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Topic

How long בין השמשות lasts and how to judge it, the wicker-basket size dispute, and how the twilight opinions apply to כהנים' immersion and to שבת versus תרומה

Overview

This amud finishes the מחלוקת between רבה and רב יוסף about how long בין השמשות lasts: three-quarters of a מיל versus two-thirds, a gap of one-twelfth of a מיל. With a large wicker basket (חַלְּתָא), the two argue the other way around. There רב יוסף allows the bigger size, and אביי reports that in a real case רבה forbade even two כור, following a משנה that treats such huge containers as non-vessels. A story about אביי and רבא teaches that to judge twilight you watch the western sky, the side that makes the east turn red. רבי חנינא gives a way to feel רבי נחמיה's half-מיל measure at הר הכרמל, which leads to a side-teaching about בארה של מרים and a moving spring. שמואל then rules that כהנים may immerse during רבי יהודה's twilight, and the גמרא explains that this follows רבי יוסי, whose short twilight comes only after רבי יהודה's ends. Finally, רבי יוחנן rules like רבי יהודה for שבת and like רבי יוסי for תרומה. The גמרא challenges the תרומה half: if it is about immersion, that time is still a doubt. The answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (26)

1. Statementרב יוסף: twilight lasts two-thirds of a מיל
2. QuestionWhat is the actual difference between them?
3. ResponseThe gap is half of a sixth
4. StatementWith the wicker basket, their positions are reversed
5. Statementרבה: a basket of two כור may be moved, but not three
6. Statementרב יוסף: even three כור may be moved, but not four
7. Statementאביי: in a real case, רבה forbade even two כור
8. QuestionWhose view was רבה following?
9. ResponseLike the משנה: huge containers are not vessels
10. Statementאביי: the heap above the rim is one-third
11. Challengeאביי asks רבא why he looks west
12. ResolutionIt means the sky that makes the east red
13. StatementAnother version: רבא corrects אביי
14. ConclusionMnemonic: a window
15. Statementרבי נחמיה's measure of twilight
16. StatementA practical way to feel רבי נחמיה's measure
17. StatementSeeing בארה של מרים from הר הכרמל
18. StatementA moving spring is pure
19. StatementPriests may immerse during רבי יהודה's twilight
20. QuestionWhose view is this? Not רבי יהודה's own
21. ResponseIt follows רבי יוסי
22. ChallengeIsn't that obvious?
23. Resolutionרבי יהודה's twilight ends before רבי יוסי's begins
24. Statementרבי יוחנן splits the ruling between שבת and תרומה
25. QuestionThe שבת ruling makes sense, but what does the תרומה ruling refer to?
26. ChallengeIf it means immersion, that time is still a doubt