Gemara Clarity

Shevuos 46a

שבועות מ״ו ע״א

Shevuot 46a

Learn Shevuos 46a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shevuos 46a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Who swears in a dispute over an agreed wage (שמואל, רבי יהודה and the חכמים), and the robbed person's oath

Overview

The amud opens by finishing an earlier point: both clauses of a ברייתא about a hired worker need proof, but it only mentions proof that makes the employer pay. Then רב's students ask שמואל who swears when a craftsman says the agreed wage was two coins and the employer says one. שמואל rules that the employer swears, because people remember the wage they agreed on. רב נחמן defends this against a ברייתא of רבה בר שמואל. A second ברייתא, about a cloak, lets the craftsman swear and collect. רב נחמן בר יצחק answers that this ברייתא follows רבי יהודה, and the גמרא finds the source in another ברייתא. רב שישא objects that the חכמים should agree with רבי יהודה here. רבא explains that the two sides differ in principle: רבי יהודה does not make a fix on top of a fix, while the חכמים hold that an agreed price is remembered. The amud then turns to the משנה's case of a robbed person, explaining that the witnesses saw him actually take small items hidden under his clothes. רב יהודה begins a related ruling that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

רֵישָׁא וְסֵיפָא בִּרְאָיָה;

Both the first clause and the last clause involve proof;

רְאָיָה דִּלְשַׁלֵּם קָתָנֵי,

it teaches proof that makes him pay,

רְאָיָה דִּשְׁבוּעָה לָא קָתָנֵי.

but proof that leads to an oath, it does not teach.

אָמַר רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה בַּר אַבָּא,

Rabbi Yirmeya bar Abba said:

The steps (21)

  1. ResolutionBoth clauses need proof, but only proof that leads to payment is mentioned
  2. Questionרב's students ask שמואל: who swears in a dispute over the agreed wage?
  3. Responseשמואל: the employer swears, because people remember the wage they agreed on
  4. ChallengeChallenge from רבה בר שמואל's ברייתא: no oath is mentioned
  5. Resolutionרב נחמן: the ברייתא lists two options
  6. ChallengeChallenge from the ברייתא of the cloak given to a craftsman
  7. ChallengeWhy does the craftsman swear instead of the employer?
  8. ResolutionThe ברייתא follows רבי יהודה
  9. QuestionWhich statement of רבי יהודה is meant?
  10. ResponseIt is רבי יהודה in a ברייתא
  11. ResponseEnd of רבי יהודה's ברייתא: if the employer denies everything, the worker needs proof
  12. Challengeרב שישא asks: how can the agreed-price case follow only רבי יהודה?
  13. RejectionBut it cannot be the חכמים either, or רבה בר שמואל's ברייתא fits no one
  14. Resolutionרבא: רבי יהודה limits the worker's oath because we do not add a fix on top of a fix
  15. ResolutionThe רבנן help the worker even for a rabbinic oath, but not in a dispute over the agreed price
  16. StatementQuoting the משנה: the case of the robbed person
  17. ChallengeMaybe he never took anything: people threaten without acting
  18. ResolutionRead the משנה as: and he did take collateral
  19. ChallengeThen let the witnesses say what he took
  20. ResolutionThe items were small enough to hide under his clothes
  21. Statementרב יהודה begins: someone seen hiding items under his clothes