Shevuos 19b

שבועות י״ט ע״ב

Shevuot 19b

Learn Shevuos 19b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shevuos 19b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Partial and uncertain awareness of impurity in the מקדש, the end of פרק ידיעות הטומאה, and the opening of פרק שבועות שתים on oaths about eating.

Overview

A person walked on two paths. One of them was definitely impure, but nobody knows which one, and he entered the מקדש after walking on them. רבא explains that the dispute about the first case depends on whether partial awareness (מקצת ידיעה) counts as full awareness. In the case where he purified himself between the two paths, the first תנא still makes him liable. רבי יוחנן says that here uncertain awareness (ספק ידיעה) was treated like real awareness. ריש לקיש says the ברייתא follows רבי ישמעאל, who needs no awareness at the beginning. The גמרא then shows that each of them seems to say the reverse in their readings of רבי's view on eating possible חלב. It resolves both contradictions: טומאת מקדש is a special case, and ריש לקיש chose רבי ישמעאל to teach that he needs no awareness at the beginning even from tradition. After the הדרן, a new פרק opens with four kinds of oaths about eating and רבי עקיבא's ruling that any amount breaks a 'not eat' oath. The גמרא then begins to discuss what 'שבועה שאוכל' means, and אביי's answer continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (23)

1. ChallengeHow can he be exempt when he walked both paths?
2. Resolutionרבא: he forgot the first path, so his awareness was only partial
3. ResolutionThe dispute: does partial awareness count as full awareness?
4. StatementThe case where he purified between the two paths
5. ChallengeWhy liable, when each entry was only a doubt?
6. Resolutionרבי יוחנן: here uncertain awareness was treated as full awareness
7. Resolutionריש לקיש: this follows רבי ישמעאל
8. ChallengeEach אמורא seems to contradict himself
9. StatementThe ברייתא about eating possible forbidden fat twice
10. Proofריש לקיש: uncertain awareness splits sin-offerings
11. Proofרבי יוחנן: uncertain awareness splits only guilt-offerings
12. Resolutionרבי יוחנן's two statements fit together
13. ChallengeWhy didn't ריש לקיש explain the ברייתא according to רבי?
14. Resolutionריש לקיש wanted to teach רבי ישמעאל's view
15. ChallengeBut that is obvious
16. ResolutionWe might have thought רבי ישמעאל has it as a tradition
17. ConclusionHadran — Closing ידיעות הטומאה
18. StatementNew chapter: two oaths that are really four
19. Statementרבי עקיבא: even a tiny bite breaks the oath
20. ChallengeThe Rabbis object: no eating law works with a tiny amount
21. Resolutionרבי עקיבא answers: this whole law is already unusual
22. ChallengeDoes 'שבועה שאוכל' really mean 'I will eat'?
23. Resolutionאביי: it depends on whether he is being pressed to eat