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Temurah 4a

תמורה ד׳ ע״א

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Topic

The warning for cursing with ה׳'s name, and the dispute over lashes for separating תרומה before ביכורים

Overview

The גמרא finishes proving that the punishment verse in דברים 28 is about cursing another person with ה׳'s name. Only cursing has a clear לאו behind it: 'לא תקלל חרש'. A challenge from 'את ה׳ אלהיך תירא' is pushed off, because a positive command (עשה) cannot serve as the warning. The גמרא then explains רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא's ruling that one who separates תרומה before ביכורים gets lashes. His source is 'מלאתך ודמעך לא תאחר'. Next comes a dispute between רבי אלעזר and רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא over whether he gets lashes. The גמרא first assigns 'lashes' to רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא. Then, using רבי אלעזר's ruling on a משנה about tithing two baskets out of order, it concludes that רבי אלעזר is the one who says 'lashes'. That leaves רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא seeming to contradict himself, and the answer to this begins here and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

לָא מָצֵית אָמְרַתְּ,

You cannot say [that the verse is about saying ה׳'s name in vain],

דִּכְתִיב ״לֹא תְקַלֵּל חֵרֵשׁ״,

for it is written: "You shall not curse the deaf."

וְאִי אָמְרַתְּ בִּשְׁלָמָא לְקַלֵּל אֶת חֲבֵירוֹ

Granted, if you say [the verse is about] cursing one's fellow,

אַזְהַרְתֵּיהּ מֵהָכָא

its warning comes from here,

The steps (12)

  1. ProofThe punishment verse must be about cursing a fellow Jew
  2. ChallengeChallenge: fearing ה׳ could be the warning
  3. ResolutionA positive command does not count as a warning
  4. StatementQuoting רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא on תרומה before ביכורים
  5. QuestionWhat is his source?
  6. ResponseThe verse: 'Your fullness and your outflow, do not delay'
  7. StatementA dispute: lashes or no lashes?
  8. ProofSo רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא is the one who says lashes
  9. ProofOn the contrary: a משנה about two baskets of untithed produce
  10. Proofרבי אלעזר rules lashes for tithing out of order
  11. Challengeרבי יוסי ברבי חנינא now seems to contradict himself
  12. ResolutionThe answer begins: rethinking the earlier statement