Gemara Clarity

Shevuos 2b

שבועות ב׳ ע״ב

Shevuot 2b

Learn Shevuos 2b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shevuos 2b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

What the יום הכיפורים and other goat offerings atone for, how the כהנים are atoned for, and why מסכת שבועות follows מכות.

Overview

This amud finishes the first משנה of שבועות, which explains what atones for each kind of sin. רבי מאיר says all the extra goat offerings atone for the same thing: טומאת מקדש וקדשיו. רבי שמעון gives each goat its own case, from ראש חודש through the רגלים to יום הכיפורים. The חכמים ask whether a goat set aside for one day may be brought on another. He says yes, because all of them come to atone for טומאת מקדש וקדשיו. רבי שמעון בן יהודה reports a second version of רבי שמעון's view, in which each set of goats covers more cases than the one before. The same question and answer then repeat for that version. The משנה then rules that deliberate טומאת מקדש וקדשיו is atoned for by the inside goat and the day of יום הכיפורים, and that the שעיר המשתלח atones for all other sins. The תנא קמא and רבי שמעון disagree about how far the כהן גדול's פר does for the כהנים what the goats do for Israel. Finally the גמרא opens by asking why שבועות follows מכות, and begins an answer that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

עַל הַטָּהוֹר שֶׁאָכַל אֶת הַטָּמֵא.

For a pure person who ate impure food.

רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר:

Rabbi Meir says:

כָּל הַשְׂעִירִין כַּפָּרָתָן שָׁוָה,

All the goats, their atonement is the same,

עַל טוּמְאַת מִקְדָּשׁ וְקָדָשָׁיו.

for impurity of the Temple and its sacred foods.

The steps (18)

  1. ResponseWhat the ראש חודש goats atone for
  2. Statementרבי מאיר: all the goats atone for the same thing
  3. Statementרבי שמעון lists the job of each goat
  4. QuestionCan one goat be brought in place of another?
  5. Responseרבי שמעון: yes, they may be swapped
  6. ChallengeHow can they be swapped if they atone differently?
  7. ResolutionAll the goats share one category
  8. StatementA second version of רבי שמעון's view, where each set of goats adds on to the one before
  9. QuestionThe חכמים ask whether goats from different days can replace each other
  10. Responseרבי שמעון answers yes
  11. ChallengeSwapping makes sense in only one direction
  12. ResolutionAll the goats share one purpose: טומאת מקדש וקדשיו
  13. StatementWhat atones for deliberate טומאת מקדש וקדשיו
  14. StatementThe scapegoat atones for all other sins
  15. StatementIsraelites and priests share the same atonement
  16. Statementרבי שמעון: the bull does for priests what the goats do for Israel
  17. QuestionWhy does שבועות come right after מכות?
  18. ResponseThe link begins: 'liable for two on the head'