Shevuos 26a

שבועות כ״ו ע״א

Shevuot 26a

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Topic

שבועת ביטוי: future vs. past oaths, and which kinds of forgetting bring a קרבן

Overview

The amud opens by noting that one of the earlier statements was really said by רב פפא. It then asks whether a שבועת ביטוי covers only oaths about the future, as רבי ישמעאל says, or also oaths about the past, as רבי עקיבא says. רבי יוחנן explains that they read the פסוק (ויקרא 5:4) with different methods learned from their teachers. רבי עקיבא uses ריבה ומיעט, so almost everything is included except a דבר מצוה. רבי ישמעאל uses כלל ופרט וכלל, so only future oaths count. רבי יצחק and רב יצחק בר אבין each explain why the 'future' feature of the detail is the one that matters. A ברייתא then teaches that the קרבן is not brought by an אונס, shown by the story of רב כהנא and רב אסי. Nor is it brought by a מזיד, or by someone who forgot only the item rather than the oath. The rest of the amud asks whether forgetting the item without forgetting the oath can even happen. רב יוסף and אביי debate the bread-basket case. רב אשי's reminder test for someone who forgot both is rejected by רבינא, and the גמרא concludes that there is no difference. A new question from רבא to רב נחמן begins and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (41)

1. ConclusionCorrecting who said one of the earlier statements
2. StatementQuoting רבי ישמעאל from the משנה: only future oaths
3. QuestionThe ברייתא asks about matters with no harm or good
4. ResponseThe opening words of the פסוק include all matters
5. Statementרבי עקיבא includes oaths about the past
6. Statementרבי ישמעאל: 'harm or good' means only the future
7. Challengeרבי עקיבא challenges: how do you include matters with no harm or good?
8. Resolutionרבי ישמעאל: from the widening of the פסוק
9. Challengeרבי עקיבא: the same widening includes the past
10. Challengeרבי עקיבא's argument seems correct
11. ResolutionEach sage follows his teacher's method of reading
12. QuestionWhere does רבי עקיבא use widening and narrowing here?
13. ResponseThe verse widens, narrows, and widens again
14. ResponseWhat is included and what is left out
15. Statementרבי ישמעאל reads the oath פסוק as general, specific, general
16. StatementWhat the general words add and what the specific words remove
17. ChallengeWhy not flip what the general and specific words do?
18. Resolutionרבי יצחק: the detail points to oaths that can be broken
19. ResolutionThe oath must come before the action
20. StatementA ברייתא: forced and on-purpose cases are left out
21. StatementHe must forget the oath, not the object
22. QuestionWhat case counts as forced?
23. ResponseThe story of רב כהנא and רב אסי swearing about what רב said
24. QuestionThe other student asks whether he swore falsely
25. Responseרב answers: your heart forced you
26. StatementThe ברייתא: liable for forgetting the oath, not for forgetting the item
27. ChallengeThe West asks how you could forget the item but not the oath
28. ResolutionA suggested case: he forgot which bread he swore about
29. RejectionForgetting what the oath covers is forgetting the oath
30. Statementרבי אלעזר: both kinds of forgetting are the same
31. Challengeרב יוסף: the bread-basket mix-up
32. Resolutionאביי: what matters is the bread he ate
33. ChallengeAnother version: אביי challenges רב יוסף
34. Resolutionרב יוסף: if knowing it is wheat would stop him, he forgot the item
35. Questionרבא asks: what if he forgot both?
36. Responseרב נחמן: he forgot the oath, so he is liable
37. Challengeרבא: on the contrary, he forgot the item, so he is exempt
38. Resolutionרב אשי: check what makes him stop
39. Challengeרבינא challenges the reminder test
40. ConclusionThere is no difference between the two
41. Questionרבא opens a new question to רב נחמן