Shabbos 87b

שבת פ״ז ע״ב

Shabbat 87b

Learn Shabbos 87b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The calendar from יציאת מצרים to מתן תורה: was ראש חודש סיון on Sunday (רבי יוסי) or Monday (רבנן)? A series of challenges come from ברייתות and פסוקים.

Overview

Background: everyone agrees the תורה was given on שבת. רבנן say it was the 6th of סיון, so ראש חודש סיון was a Monday. רבי יוסי says it was the 7th, so ראש חודש סיון was a Sunday. The amud opens by finishing a side dispute between רבא and רב אחא בר יעקב about counting from רפידים, which depends on whether תחומין were commanded at מרה. Then the גמרא brings a ברייתא with Exodus dates that puts ראש חודש סיון on Sunday. רבנן answer that אייר had 30 days that year. When a second ברייתא says outright that אייר was short, the גמרא answers that it follows רבי יוסי. רב פפא proves from the מן story that the 15th of אייר was שבת, and רבנן again answer that אייר was lengthened. Finally, רב חביבי uses the day the משכן was set up (a Sunday) and the four-day rule of אחרים to put ראש חודש סיון on שבת, which is hard for both views. The גמרא begins answering that for רבי יוסי the year had seven short months, and the answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. StatementCounting from the camping or from the journey
2. StatementThe root of the dispute: what was commanded at מרה
3. Statementשבת only, or תחומין too
4. ChallengeA ברייתא about the dates of יציאת מצרים
5. QuestionStruck in the evening, after they left?
6. ResponseCorrection: the evening before
7. ChallengeThe calendar puts ראש חודש סיון on Sunday
8. ResolutionThat year אייר was made 30 days
9. ChallengeA second ברייתא: אייר was not lengthened
10. Challengeניסן full, אייר short: difficult for רבנן
11. ResolutionThis ברייתא follows רבי יוסי
12. Challengeרב פפא shows from the מן story that the 15th of אייר was שבת
13. ChallengeSo ראש חודש סיון was Sunday, which is hard for רבנן
14. Resolutionרבנן answer that אייר was lengthened that year
15. Challengeרב חביבי: the משכן was set up on a Sunday, ראש חודש ניסן
16. StatementSo the year before, ראש חודש ניסן was a Wednesday
17. ProofThe source: a year moves dates by four weekdays
18. ChallengeThen ראש חודש סיון was שבת, which is hard for everyone
19. ResolutionFor רבי יוסי: that year had seven short months