Gemara Clarity

Shevuos 9b

שבועות ט׳ ע״ב

Shevuot 9b

Learn Shevuos 9b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shevuos 9b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

What the goats of ראש חודש and the רגלים atone for according to רבי יהודה and רבי שמעון, and the פסוקים behind each view

Overview

The גמרא first explains why the goats of the רגלים cannot be learned from the goat of יום הכפורים, even though ראש חודש was learned that way. For ראש חודש the פסוק already says the goat atones, so the comparison only fills in details. Instead, following רבי יהודה, the extra ו in 'ושעיר' links the goats of the רגלים to the goats of ראש חודש. Both kinds of goats atone only for a sin with no awareness at the beginning or the end. A ברייתא then shows that, for רבי יהודה, this even includes a sin that will become known later. Next the גמרא turns to רבי שמעון, who says the ראש חודש goats atone for a טהור person who ate impure קדשים. He learns this from the ציץ through the shared word 'עון'. Words in the פסוק, 'העדה', 'עון' and 'אותה', limit that comparison so the goat and the ציץ never take over each other's cases. רב אשי shows the same separation from the words 'עון העדה' and 'עון הקדשים'. Finally the גמרא asks for רבי שמעון's source for the רגלים goats and begins answering with the extra ו in 'ושעיר', an answer that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

הָא גָּמְרִינַן רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ

But don't we learn the New Moon goat

מִדְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים וְלָא פָּרְכִינַן;

from Yom Kippur, and we do not refute it?

הָתָם – כַּפָּרָה מִיכְתָּב כְּתִיבָא,

There, atonement is explicitly written,

גַּלּוֹיֵי מִילְּתָא בְּעָלְמָא הוּא;

it is merely revealing the matter;

The steps (16)

  1. ChallengeBut we did learn ראש חודש from יום הכפורים
  2. ResolutionFor ראש חודש the atonement is written; for the רגלים it is not
  3. ResolutionThe extra ו links the goats of the רגלים to the goats of ראש חודש
  4. QuestionDoes a sin that will become known later count as 'no awareness'?
  5. ResponseA ברייתא: the goats do atone for a sin that will become known later
  6. StatementQuoting רבי שמעון's opinion in the משנה
  7. StatementThe source: a word link between the ראש חודש goat and the ציץ
  8. ChallengeShould the goat be limited to meat that goes up on the מזבח?
  9. Resolution"The sin of the congregation" means people's eating
  10. ChallengeShould the goat also cover the ציץ's cases?
  11. Resolution"עון" means one sin, not two
  12. ChallengeMaybe the ציץ also covers the ראש חודש goat's cases
  13. ResolutionOnly the goat carries that sin
  14. Resolutionרב אשי: the פסוקים themselves keep the two apart
  15. QuestionWhat is the source for the רגלים goats?
  16. ResponseLearning from the extra "ו" in "ושעיר"