Taanis 27a

תענית כ״ז ע״א

Taanit 27a

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Topic

Leniency in the blessing כהן's comparisons, and the history and workings of the משמרות and מעמדות

Overview

This amud opens by finishing a discussion about the כהן who recites ברכת כהנים. He is compared both to a נזיר and to a כהן serving in the מקדש. The comparisons are only an אסמכתא for rules מדרבנן, so they are used only to be lenient. The גמרא then turns to the משנה about the מעמדות. Because the daily קרבנות belong to all of ישראל, the נביאים set up twenty-four משמרות, and each one had a matching מעמד of כהנים, לוים and ישראלים. A ברייתא explains that half of each משמר lived in יריחו and supplied food and water. שמואל and רבי שמעון בן אלעזר disagree about who is required for the קרבן, depending on whether the לוים' song is mainly sung or played. The גמרא then traces how the משמרות grew to twenty-four, which is a מחלוקת תנאים about whether משה started with eight or sixteen. Finally, a ברייתא begins to tell how only four משמרות returned from בבל, and the story continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (25)

1. ChallengeShould a blemished כהן also be barred from blessing?
2. ResolutionHe is also compared to a נזיר
3. ChallengeWhy use the comparisons leniently instead of strictly?
4. ResolutionThese are only supports for a rabbinic rule, so we are lenient
5. StatementQuoting the משנה about the מעמדות
6. QuestionWhat is the משנה saying?
7. ResponseThe פסוק is the reason the מעמדות were set up
8. QuestionHow can a person's קרבן be brought without him there?
9. ResponseThe נביאים set up twenty-four משמרות with matching מעמדות
10. StatementA ברייתא: twenty-four משמרות in ארץ ישראל and twelve in יריחו
11. ChallengeTwelve more in יריחו would be too many
12. ResolutionTwelve of the twenty-four were in יריחו
13. Statementשמואל: כהנים, לוים and ישראלים are required for the קרבן
14. Statementרבי שמעון בן אלעזר: כהנים, לוים and musical instruments
15. QuestionWhat is their disagreement about?
16. ResponseIs the song mainly by voice or by instrument?
17. Statementמשה made eight משמרות, שמואל sixteen, דוד twenty-four
18. ChallengeA ברייתא says דוד and שמואל made twenty-four together
19. ResolutionBuilding on what דוד and שמואל founded, it reached twenty-four
20. StatementAnother ברייתא: משה set up sixteen watches
21. QuestionWhy bring a second פסוק?
22. ResponseThe second פסוק shows איתמר's side never grew
23. ChallengeThis refutes רב חמא בר גוריא
24. ResolutionIt is a מחלוקת between תנאים
25. StatementOnly four משמרות came back from the exile