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Shabbos 86b

שבת פ״ו ע״ב

Shabbat 86b

Learn Shabbos 86b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

טבול יום at מתן תורה, how long שכבת זרע stays טמא, and the dispute over the date and weekday of מתן תורה

Overview

The גמרא asks how the תורה could be given when some women may have been טבולי יום at Sinai. Two אמוראים answer that the תורה can be given to a טבול יום, and מרימר clarifies that this only means it was fit to be given that way. רבי יצחק then explains why the immersion was not moved to twilight or to שבת morning: the תורה had to be given in daylight, and the whole nation had to arrive together. Next, רבי יוחנן reports that חכמים require six full עונות, and רב חסדא limits the dispute to semen discharged from a woman, defending this against רב ששת's challenge. רב פפא asks about semen inside a גויה and inside a בהמה, and both questions end in תיקו. Finally, a ברייתא records a מחלוקת over whether the עשרת הדברות were given on the 6th or 7th of סיון. רבא shows that both sides agree the people arrived at סיני on ראש חודש and that the תורה was given on שבת. The real dispute is which weekday ראש חודש fell on, and רבי יוסי's day-by-day timeline begins here and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְהָא טְבוּלֵי יוֹם נִינְהוּ?

But weren't they people who had immersed that day?

אַבָּיֵי בַּר רָבִין וְרַב חֲנִינָא בַּר אָבִין

Abaye bar Ravin and Rav Chanina bar Avin

דְאָמְרִי תַּרְוַויְיהוּ:

who both said:

נִיתְּנָה תּוֹרָה לִטְבוּל יוֹם.

The Torah was given to one who immersed that day.

The steps (19)

  1. ChallengeWeren't some of the people only immersed that same day?
  2. ResolutionThe תורה may be given to a טבול יום
  3. Questionרבינא asks מרימר what exactly the teaching means
  4. Responseמרימר answers: it was only fit to be given
  5. ChallengeWhy not immerse and receive the תורה at בין השמשות?
  6. ResolutionThe תורה is not given in darkness
  7. ChallengeWhy not immerse and receive the תורה on שבת morning?
  8. ResolutionEveryone must come to receive the תורה together
  9. Statementחכמים require six complete עונות
  10. StatementThe time limit applies only to semen inside a woman
  11. Challengeרב ששת: the Torah excludes foul semen
  12. ResolutionNo, the exclusion refers to semen from a woman
  13. Questionרב פפא's question: a Jew's semen inside a non-Jewish woman
  14. QuestionA follow-up question: semen inside an animal
  15. ConclusionThe questions remain unresolved
  16. StatementA dispute over the date the עשרת הדברות were given
  17. StatementEveryone agrees the Jews reached סיני on ראש חודש
  18. StatementEveryone agrees the תורה was given on שבת
  19. StatementThe real dispute: which weekday was ראש חודש, and רבי יוסי's timeline begins