Gemara Clarity

Shevuos 3b

שבועות ג׳ ע״ב

Shevuot 3b

Learn Shevuos 3b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shevuos 3b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Does our משנה follow רבי ישמעאל, with lashes even for an oath broken without action? And how does that fit with רבי יוחנן's rulings?

Overview

The גמרא wants to fit our משנה with רבי ישמעאל, who holds that a קרבן is brought only for oaths about the future. It first objects that the משנה lists its four oath cases just like the four shades of נגעים, so all four must carry liability. The answer is that past oaths bring מלקות instead of a קרבן, based on רבא's teaching that the Torah links a שבועת שקר to a שבועת שוא. Then the גמרא asks how 'I will eat' and not eating can bring lashes, since nothing was done. It answers that רבי ישמעאל gives lashes even for a לאו שאין בו מעשה. This creates a contradiction in רבי יוחנן's rulings. He says the הלכה follows an unnamed משנה, yet in the loaf case he rules that a לאו שאין בו מעשה brings no lashes. The גמרא answers that he followed a different unnamed משנה. A suggestion from פסחים is rejected, because it may follow רבי יהודה's separate reason. The גמרא then begins citing the real source, the משנה about swearing twice not to eat a loaf, and that discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

הָא דּוּמְיָא דְּמַרְאוֹת נְגָעִים קָתָנֵי –

But it teaches them similar to the shades of leprous marks –

מָה הָתָם כּוּלְּהוּ לְחִיּוּבָא,

just as there, all of them are for liability,

אַף הָכָא נָמֵי כּוּלְּהוּ לְחִיּוּבָא!

so too here, all of them are for liability!

לְעוֹלָם רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל;

Actually, it is Rabbi Yishmael;

The steps (15)

  1. ChallengeThe comparison to leprous marks shows all four cases are liable
  2. ResolutionIt is רבי ישמעאל: past oaths bring lashes, not a קרבן
  3. Proofרבא's source: a false oath about the past is like a vain oath
  4. ChallengeHow can 'I will eat' and not eating bring lashes?
  5. Resolutionרבי ישמעאל gives lashes even without an action
  6. ChallengeA contradiction within רבי יוחנן
  7. ProofFirst source: the הלכה follows an unnamed משנה
  8. ProofSecond source: רבי יוחנן says no lashes when nothing was done
  9. Statementריש לקיש's different reason: an uncertain warning
  10. Resolutionרבי יוחנן relied on a different unnamed משנה
  11. QuestionWhich unnamed משנה? A suggestion: leftover meat and broken bones of the קרבן פסח
  12. ProofWhy the leftover case shows no lashes without an action
  13. RejectionMaybe that משנה follows רבי יהודה for a different reason
  14. ProofThe ברייתא showing רבי יהודה and רבי יעקב argue about leftover פסח meat
  15. ResponseA different source: the משנה about swearing twice not to eat a loaf