Shevuos 16a

שבועות ט״ז ע״א

Shevuot 16a

Learn Shevuos 16a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shevuos 16a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Whether the first קדושה of ירושלים and the בית המקדש lasts forever, and what that means for adding to the holy areas

Overview

The daf first finishes an earlier point: at the ceremony for adding to ירושלים, a נביא decided which תודה loaves were eaten and which were burned. Then רב הונא and רב נחמן argue about the wording of the משנה. רב הונא reads 'with all these' procedures, and רב נחמן reads 'with one of all these.' Behind this is a bigger question: did the first קדושה of the בית המקדש last forever, or did it end when the first בית המקדש was destroyed, so that עזרא had to make it holy again? A ברייתא of אבא שאול about two ponds on the Mount of Olives seems to prove that every procedure is needed. The גמרא answers that this is a מחלוקת between תנאים, and it tries to show that רבי אליעזר and רבי יהושע disagree. רבינא suggests they may not really disagree. So the גמרא brings רבי ישמעאל ברבי יוסי, who says the first walled cities lost their status in the exile. A second ברייתא in his name says the opposite. The גמרא resolves this in two ways: either two תנאים reported his view differently, or one teaching really belongs to his brother רבי אלעזר בר יוסי.

Opening lines

The steps (30)

1. ConclusionA prophet decided which loaves were eaten and which were burned
2. StatementTwo versions of the משנה: all procedures or just one
3. Statementרב הונא's reason: the first holiness lasts forever
4. Statementרב נחמן's reason: עזרא truly consecrated without the אורים ותומים
5. Challengeרבא challenges רב נחמן from the משנה's words
6. Resolutionרב נחמן rereads the משנה as 'one of all these'
7. Challengeאבא שאול's two ponds on the Mount of Olives
8. StatementThe lower pond had full holiness
9. StatementThe upper pond did not have full holiness
10. ChallengeWhy the upper pond was not made holy: every procedure is needed
11. QuestionWhy did they make the upper pond holy?
12. ChallengeCorrecting the question: why did they bring it inside the walls?
13. ResponseIt was a weak spot in the city's defense
14. ResolutionDefending רב נחמן: this is a מחלוקת between תנאים
15. Proofרבי אליעזר: curtains were used while building
16. Statementרבי יהושע: the first קדושה lasts forever
17. ProofSo רבי אליעזר must hold the first קדושה ended
18. Rejectionרבינא: maybe there is no מחלוקת at all
19. ChallengeThen why did רבי אליעזר need curtains?
20. ResolutionThe curtains were only for privacy
21. StatementA תנא who says the first holiness ended
22. ProofSo he holds the first holiness was temporary
23. ChallengeA second statement by the same תנא
24. ChallengeWhy would they need to make them holy?
25. ResolutionThey only listed them
26. StatementAny city known to be walled since יהושע counts
27. ChallengeThe two statements clash
28. ResolutionTwo students reported his view differently
29. ResolutionOne of the teachings really belongs to his brother
30. ProofProof that רבי אלעזר בר יוסי holds the wall status stays