Gemara Clarity

Shevuos 25b

שבועות כ״ה ע״ב

Shevuot 25b

Learn Shevuos 25b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shevuos 25b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Must an oath about the past be one that could also be sworn about the future (רב and שמואל), and why does שבועת העדות have its own section?

Overview

רב and שמואל argue about a false oath about the past that could not be said about the future, such as 'so-and-so threw a stone into the sea.' שמואל exempts the person from a קרבן, and רב makes him liable. The גמרא first suggests that they follow an older argument between רבי יהודה בן בתירא and the רבנן about oaths on a מצוה. It rejects this and concludes that both follow the רבנן. They disagree only about whether the רבנן also require that an oath could work for both future and past. רב המנונא and רבא each challenge שמואל with a משנה, and each answers his own challenge: in those cases the person gets lashes, not a קרבן. אביי then explains where רב agrees, and asks why, according to רב, the תורה gave שבועת העדות its own section. The answer is that it brings a קרבן even when done on purpose. אביי and רבא then explain in different ways why one false oath never brings two קרבנות. Finally, the גמרא finds a contradiction between two statements of אביי. It answers that he retracted one, and it begins a second answer that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

דְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן בְּתֵירָא וְרַבָּנַן קָמִיפַּלְגִי?

Do they disagree in the dispute of Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira and the Rabbis?

דִּתְנַן: נִשְׁבַּע לְבַטֵּל אֶת הַמִּצְוָה

As we learned: one swore to cancel a מצוה

וְלֹא בִּיטֵּל – פָּטוּר.

and did not cancel it — he is exempt.

לְקַיֵּים אֶת הַמִּצְוָה וְלֹא קִיֵּים – פָּטוּר.

To fulfill a מצוה and did not fulfill it — he is exempt.

The steps (25)

  1. QuestionDo רב and שמואל argue like an older dispute?
  2. StatementThe משנה on oaths about a מצוה
  3. Statementרבי יהודה בן בתירא's קל וחומר
  4. RejectionThe רבנן reject the קל וחומר
  5. QuestionSuggesting רב follows רבי יהודה בן בתירא and שמואל follows the רבנן
  6. RejectionOn רבי יהודה בן בתירא's view, everyone agrees
  7. Resolutionרב and שמואל both follow the רבנן but disagree on how far they go
  8. ChallengeChallenge from the oath 'I did not put on תפילין'
  9. ResolutionThe two cases bring different punishments
  10. ChallengeChallenge from the oath that a stone pillar is gold
  11. Resolutionרבא answers his own question about the pointless oath
  12. Statementאביי: even רב agrees about 'I know testimony for you'
  13. StatementPast-tense testimony oaths depend on the argument
  14. ChallengeWhy did the Torah separate the oath of testimony, according to רב?
  15. ResolutionThe רבנן suggest: the separate section makes him bring two offerings
  16. Rejectionאביי rejects two offerings, based on a ברייתא
  17. ChallengeSo according to אביי, what is the separate section for?
  18. ResolutionThe answer: one who lied on purpose also brings the offering
  19. ChallengeThe רבנן suggest: one קרבן on purpose, two by mistake
  20. Resolutionאביי: the ״one only″ rule must be talking about a mistake
  21. Resolutionרבא: a case taken out of a general rule follows only its new law
  22. QuestionDoes אביי hold that the oath of ביטוי still exists here?
  23. Challengeאביי's own statement seems to contradict him
  24. Resolutionאביי changed his mind
  25. ResolutionOpening a second answer