Shevuos 21a

שבועות כ״א ע״א

Shevuot 21a

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Topic

שבועת שקר vs. שבועת שוא: which לאו each breaks, and when swearing gets lashes

Overview

This amud first finishes explaining a ברייתא that called שבועת שוא and שבועת שקר 'one,' and gives a second answer: both bring a קרבן, following רבי עקיבא. A ברייתא then seems to define שבועת שקר differently from רבי יוחנן, and the גמרא answers by reading it as 'he swears and later goes against it.' Next, רבין reports in רבי יוחנן's name that a false oath about the past breaks 'לא תשבעו בשמי לשקר,' a broken future oath breaks 'לא יחל דברו,' and a שבועת שוא is swearing against a known fact. רב פפא says רבי אבהו only worked this out by inference. The starting point is a rule that there are no lashes for a לאו without an action, except for swearing and two other cases. The גמרא finds the source for lashes for swearing in 'כי לא ינקה ה׳,' and for שבועת שקר in the second 'לשוא.' רבי אבהו shows that the false oath that gets lashes must be about the past, and רבא explains that this is because it is modeled on שבועת שוא. Finally, רבי ירמיה challenges this from a משנה, and the גמרא answers that the משנה follows רבי ישמעאל, who excludes past-tense oaths only from the קרבן, not from lashes.

Opening lines

The steps (24)

1. ResolutionThe ברייתא teaches what אביי will explain
2. ResolutionSecond answer: both oaths bring a קרבן, following רבי עקיבא
3. ChallengeA ברייתא defines שבועת שקר differently
4. ResolutionRead it as 'swears and then contradicts'
5. Statementרבין's version of רבי יוחנן's rule
6. Statementרב פפא: רבי אבהו's statement was inferred, not stated outright
7. StatementThe general rule: no lashes for a prohibition without action, except three cases
8. QuestionWhat is the source that one who swears gets lashes?
9. ResponseFrom 'כי לא ינקה': Heaven does not clear him, but בית דין does
10. Challengeרב פפא: maybe the verse means he is never cleared at all
11. ResolutionThe word ה׳ limits it: only ה׳ does not clear him
12. QuestionWe have a source for שבועת שוא; what about שבועת שקר?
13. Response'לשוא' is written twice, so the second one teaches שבועת שקר
14. Questionרבי אבהו asks what case of false oath gets lashes
15. RejectionNot an oath not to eat that he then broke
16. ChallengeNot an oath to eat that he failed to keep
17. StatementThe two reasons there are no lashes
18. Responseרבי אבהו: it means a false oath about the past
19. QuestionWhy is a past oath different
20. Responseרבא: the Torah links false oaths to vain oaths, which are about the past
21. Challengeרבי ירמיה challenges from the משנה on repeated oaths
22. ChallengeWhat does 'this is' come to exclude?
23. ResolutionIt excludes past-tense oaths only from the offering
24. ResolutionThe משנה follows רבי ישמעאל