Shabbos 55b

שבת נ״ה ע״ב

Shabbat 55b

Learn Shabbos 55b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Is there death without sin? The refutation of רב אמי, followed by רבי יונתן's defense of ראובן and בני עלי from the charge of sin

Overview

On the previous amud, רב אמי taught that there is no death without sin. The גמרא first challenges him from a ברייתא where the angels ask why משה and אהרן died, and answers that רב אמי follows רבי שמעון בן אלעזר, who says they died for their sin at the rock. A second ברייתא lists four people who died only 'בעטיו של נחש', with no sin of their own, including ישי, hinted at by the phrase 'אביגיל בת נחש'. That ברייתא turns out to follow רבי שמעון בן אלעזר himself, so even he admits there is death without sin, and רב אמי is refuted. The גמרא then moves to a series of teachings by רבי יונתן, defending biblical figures who seem to have sinned. ראובן did not sin with בלהה; he only moved his father's bed to protect his mother לאה's honor, and the תנאים argue over how to read the word פחז. Next, בני עלי are defended: חפני and פנחס only delayed the women's bird-offerings. רב proves that פנחס did not sin at all, and each פסוק that seems to include him is explained away. The amud ends as the next statement in the series, about בני שמואל, begins and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (40)

1. ChallengeThe angels ask why אדם הראשון was punished with death
2. ChallengeBut משה and אהרן kept the whole תורה and still died
3. Resolutionרב אמי follows the תנא who says משה and אהרן died for their sin
4. ChallengeFour people died only because of the serpent
5. Proofישי's sinless death is hinted in a פסוק
6. ChallengeWasn't אביגיל the daughter of ישי?
7. ResolutionDaughter of the one who died because of the serpent
8. QuestionWho wrote the ברייתא of the four?
9. ResponseThe author is רבי שמעון בן אלעזר
10. Conclusionרב אמי is refuted
11. Statementרבי יונתן says ראובן did not sin
12. ChallengeWhat about the פסוק saying he lay with בלהה?
13. ResolutionHe only moved his father's bed
14. Statementרבי שמעון בן אלעזר also says ראובן was saved from sin
15. ProofHis descendants would not curse their own ancestor
16. ChallengeAgain: what about the פסוק?
17. ResolutionHe protested his mother's insult
18. Statementאחרים: He moved two beds
19. ProofProof: read יצועי as יצועיי, 'my beds'
20. StatementThe תנאים argue over the word פחז, and the first two read it as sin
21. Statementרבן גמליאל reads פחז as ראובן's prayer and repentance
22. Statementרבי אלעזר המודעי reverses the letters to show ראובן escaped the sin
23. Statementרבא gives another reversed reading: ראובן held himself back from sin
24. StatementA memory aid listing the people defended in the next statements
25. Statementבני עלי did not sin, because the פסוק calls them כהנים לה׳
26. Statementרבי יונתן follows רב and links חפני to פנחס
27. ChallengeWhat about the verse saying they lay with the women?
28. ResolutionThey delayed the women's bird-offerings
29. Proofרב's proof: פנחס's grandson is named as a כהן
30. ProofA sinner would have no descendant offering sacrifices
31. ConclusionConclusion: פנחס did not sin
32. ChallengeBut the verse uses the plural 'they lay'
33. ResolutionThe word is written to be read in the singular
34. ChallengeChallenge from עלי's words 'my sons'
35. ResolutionThe word is written as 'my son', singular
36. ChallengeChallenge from 'you make them transgress' in the plural
37. ResolutionThe verb is written in the singular
38. ChallengeChallenge from 'sons of בליעל'
39. Resolutionפנחס is blamed for not protesting
40. StatementNew statement from רבי יונתן begins