Gemara Clarity

Temurah 2a

תמורה ב׳ ע״א

Learn Temurah 2a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Temurah 2a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

תמורה: Who can make a substitution, whether it is permitted, and the dispute between רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה about an heir doing סמיכה and תמורה

Overview

The משנה opens מסכת תמורה. It teaches that everyone, men and women, can swap a regular animal for a consecrated one. Doing so is forbidden, but if someone does it, the swap works and he gets מלקות. The גמרא first asks whether 'everyone substitutes' means it is allowed לכתחילה. It shows that reading is impossible, because a פסוק forbids תמורה. רב יהודה then explains that 'everyone' simply has the power to make holiness take hold through תמורה. Next the גמרא asks whom the word הכל adds, and answers: an heir. This follows רבי מאיר and not רבי יהודה. רבי יהודה says an heir can do neither סמיכה nor תמורה, learning the start of הקדש from its end. סמיכה is learned from the three times the תורה says 'קרבנו', and the גמרא explains how each side uses those words, including for partners. Finally, רבי מאיר learns from the doubled verb הָמֵר יָמִיר that an heir can do תמורה.

Opening lines

מַתְנִי׳ הַכֹּל מְמִירִין

MISHNAH: Everyone can substitute

אֶחָד אֲנָשִׁים וְאֶחָד נָשִׁים

both men and women.

לֹא שֶׁאָדָם רַשַּׁאי לְהָמִיר

Not that a person is permitted to substitute,

אֶלָּא שֶׁאִם הֵמִיר — מוּמָר

rather, that if he did substitute, it is substituted,

The steps (17)

  1. StatementThe משנה: Everyone can do substitution, but it is not permitted
  2. ChallengeThe משנה seems to contradict itself
  3. RejectionThe question's starting assumption cannot be right, because the verse forbids substitution
  4. Resolutionרב יהודה explains: everyone has the power to make holiness take hold through substitution
  5. QuestionWhat does the word 'everyone' come to include?
  6. ResponseIt includes an heir, against רבי יהודה
  7. ProofThe source: רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה argue about an heir
  8. QuestionWhy does רבי יהודה say an heir cannot do תמורה?
  9. ResponseHe learns the start of הקדש from its end
  10. QuestionWhere do we learn that an heir does no סמיכה?
  11. ResponseThree times 'his offering' — not a gentile, not a friend, not a father
  12. ChallengeChallenge to רבי מאיר from the third קרבנו
  13. Resolutionרבי מאיר uses the third קרבנו for partners
  14. Resolutionרבי יהודה: partners do not do סמיכה
  15. ResolutionSecond answer: רבי יהודה does include partners
  16. QuestionWhat is רבי מאיר's source that an heir can do תמורה?
  17. Responseהָמֵר יָמִיר includes the heir