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Shevuos 47b

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Shevuot 47b

Learn Shevuos 47b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Oaths that cannot be taken, teachings of שמעון בן טרפון, the storekeeper's oath, and contradicting sets of witnesses

Overview

The amud opens as רבה finishes his proof. The Torah frees heirs from an oath, which only makes sense if the father himself would have had to pay. The גמרא asks what רב and שמואל learn from that verse, and answers with שמעון בן טרפון's teaching that a false oath counts against both sides. Because his name came up, the גמרא adds three more of his teachings: a warning against helping an adulterer, the spies' complaining 'in God's tent,' and why the פרת is called 'great.' Then it returns to the משנה of the storekeeper and the workers. רבי questions the double oath, and רבי חייא answers from the משנה. רבא then shows that רבי agreed, since the workers swear to the employer in front of the storekeeper. Next, רב הונא and רב חסדא argue about two sets of witnesses who contradict each other. The גמרא maps out loan cases with two documents and leaves the case of two borrowers and one lender as תיקו. The amud ends as רב הונא בר יהודה begins an objection, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

אִי אָמְרַתְּ בִּשְׁלָמָא

Granted, if you say

אָבִיו כִּי הַאי גַוְונָא מִיחַיַּיב,

that his father, in a case like this, is liable,

אִיצְטְרִיךְ קְרָא לְמִיפְטַר גַּבֵּי יוֹרְשִׁין;

then a verse was needed to exempt the heirs;

אֶלָּא אִי אָמְרַתְּ

but if you say

The steps (19)

  1. ProofWhy would the Torah need to exempt the heirs?
  2. QuestionWhat do רב and שמואל learn from the verse?
  3. ResponseThe oath counts against both sides
  4. StatementA warning against helping someone commit adultery
  5. StatementThe spies' murmuring was in God's tent
  6. StatementWhy the Euphrates is called the great river
  7. StatementA king's servant is like a king
  8. Challengeרבי asks why both sides must swear
  9. Resolutionרבי חייא: a משנה rules that both swear
  10. QuestionDid רבי accept this answer?
  11. ProofProof that רבי kept his own view
  12. RejectionWorkers swear to the employer, in front of the storekeeper
  13. StatementTwo contradicting sets of witnesses: רב הונא's view
  14. Statementרב חסדא: do not rely on lying witnesses
  15. StatementWhich loan case they argue about, and the one-lender case
  16. StatementTwo lenders and one borrower match our משנה
  17. QuestionWhat about two borrowers and one lender?
  18. ConclusionThe question stays unresolved
  19. Challengeרב הונא בר יהודה introduces an objection