Shabbos 56a

שבת נ״ו ע״א

Shabbat 56a

Learn Shabbos 56a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Rereading the apparent sins of בני שמואל and דוד, and the dispute between רב and שמואל over whether דוד accepted לשון הרע

Overview

This amud continues the statements of רבי שמואל בר נחמני in the name of רבי יונתן that people the פסוקים seem to call sinners did not sin in the simple sense. First, בני שמואל: their 'chasing gain' means they stayed in their own cities instead of traveling to judge like their father, and the תנאים give four different definitions of that 'gain'. Next, דוד: since the שכינה was with him, he did not sin with בת שבע. Each phrase of נתן הנביא's rebuke is reread. 'To do evil' means he only wanted to. He should have tried אוריה in the סנהדרין. בת שבע was already divorced, because every soldier gave his wife a גט before going to war. And אוריה was a מורד במלכות, so his death was not punished. רב sums up that the אוריה matter was דוד's only flaw. אביי קשישא points out that רב also said דוד accepted לשון הרע, and this contradiction remains a קשיא. The גמרא then studies רב's claim from the story of ציבא and מפיבשת, and brings שמואל's view that דוד acted on what he saw himself. שמואל's proof continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (25)

1. Statementבני שמואל did not truly sin
2. ChallengeBut the verse says they pursued gain
3. ResolutionThey stayed home instead of traveling to judge
4. Statementתנאים disagree on what their gain was
5. Statementדוד did not sin
6. ChallengeHow do we explain נתן's rebuke?
7. ResolutionHe wanted to sin but did not
8. Proofרבי proves it from the word 'to do'
9. Resolutionאוריה should have been tried in court
10. Resolutionבת שבע was permitted to דוד
11. ProofSoldiers gave their wives a divorce
12. QuestionWhat does the word 'ערובתם' mean?
13. Responseרב יוסף: it means the things that bind husband and wife
14. ResolutionKilled 'with the sword of בני עמון': no punishment for אוריה's death
15. QuestionWhy is דוד not punished for אוריה?
16. Responseאוריה was a rebel against the king
17. Statementרב: the אוריה matter is דוד's only flaw
18. Challengeרב seems to contradict himself about דוד
19. ConclusionThe contradiction stays unresolved
20. Statementרב's statement and proof that ציבא first lied about מפיבשת
21. Proofציבא slanders מפיבשת a second time
22. QuestionHow do we know דוד believed ציבא?
23. Responseדוד gives מפיבשת's property to ציבא
24. Statementשמואל: דוד saw evidence himself
25. Proofמפיבשת's neglected appearance and his explanation