Shevuos 4a

שבועות ד׳ ע״א

Shevuot 4a

Learn Shevuos 4a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shevuos 4a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Lashes for an oath broken by doing nothing, how to treat two conflicting סתם משניות, and whose view the first משנה of שבועות follows.

Overview

This amud opens with the end of a later משנה (דף כז:). That משנה says a שבועת ביטוי brings מלקות when broken on purpose and a קרבן עולה ויורד when broken by mistake. From the word "this", the גמרא learns that swearing "I will eat" and then not eating brings no מלקות, which supports רבי יוחנן. The גמרא asks why we should follow this סתם משנה over the first משנה (דף ב.). It answers that רבי changed his mind: the later משנה is his final view, and the earlier one stayed because a משנה does not move from its place. The גמרא then goes back to its earlier reading of the first משנה as רבי ישמעאל and talking about מלקות. It defends that reading for נגעים and for carrying on שבת, but finally drops it because of the משנה's own words: "two that are four", forgetting in between, and a קרבן עולה ויורד. רב יוסף then explains that רבי followed רבי ישמעאל for ידיעות and רבי עקיבא for שבועות. רב כהנא adds that רבי holds these views for his own reasons, and he begins to prove it from a ברייתא where רבי disagrees with רבי עקיבא's source. That proof continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. StatementThe later משנה: lashes for intentional violation, an offering for unwitting
2. ProofInference: "I will eat" and not eating brings no lashes
3. ChallengeWhy follow this unattributed משנה over the other one?
4. ChallengeHow could רבי himself set down two conflicting unattributed rulings?
5. Resolutionרבי changed his mind, but the first משנה stayed in place
6. ChallengeIf the first משנה is about lashes, where are the lashes for נגעים?
7. ResolutionLashes for cutting off a נגע
8. ChallengeWhere are the lashes for carrying on שבת?
9. ResolutionThat is exactly why we said רבי ישמעאל
10. ChallengeCould the משנה otherwise follow רבי עקיבא? The ידיעות list is a problem
11. Resolutionרבי עקיבא also works if the משנה is about lashes
12. ChallengeIf the list is about lashes, why does it say awareness?
13. ResolutionRead it as awareness that comes from warnings
14. RejectionThree reasons the lashes reading cannot work
15. Resolutionרב יוסף: רבי followed different תנאים in different parts
16. Rejectionרב כהנא: do not think רבי himself did not agree
17. Statementרבי explains his own reasoning
18. Proofרבי עקיבא learns the rule from the word 'concealed' written twice
19. Statementרבי says that proof is not needed