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Yevamos 114a

יבמות קי״ד ע״א

Yevamot 114a

Learn Yevamos 114a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Must adults stop a קטן from doing an איסור? A series of proofs and rejections, and the meaning of 'warning adults about minors.'

Overview

The עמוד asks whether a בית דין must stop a קטן who does an איסור on his own. רבי פדת's advice to let children find lost keys on שבת suggests the answer is no. A ברייתא seems to support him, but אביי pushes it off: that case involves only rabbinic איסורים. A ברייתא about a child putting out a fire seems to say we must stop him. רבי יוחנן answers that the child there acts for his father, unlike a גוי, who acts for himself. Next comes a ברייתא about a חבר's son eating at his עם הארץ grandfather's house. רבי יוחנן pushes it off as דמאי, and the גמרא concludes that רבי יוחנן was unsure and simply pushed off each proof. Further proofs are also pushed off: from impure תרומה, answered as rabbinic תרומה, and from a baby nursing from a non-kosher source, answered as a case of danger. Along the way the גמרא explains אבא שאול's custom of nursing from an animal on יום טוב. Finally, three פסוקים that warn adults about minors are each read as forbidding only actively giving a child the איסור. The גמרא then begins to explain why all three פסוקים are needed, which continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

דְּבַר טְלֵי וְטַלְיָא

and lead boys and girls

וְלִיטַיְּילוּ הָתָם,

and let them walk around there,

דְּאִי מַשְׁכְּחִי לְהוּ,

for if they find them,

מַיְיתֵי לְהוּ.

they will bring them.

The steps (31)

  1. StatementSend children to look for the lost keys
  2. ConclusionWhat this shows about stopping a child from sinning
  3. ProofSupport from a ברייתא about a child on שבת
  4. Rejectionאביי: the ברייתא may only involve rabbinic איסורים
  5. ChallengeChallenge: we tell a child not to put out a fire
  6. Resolutionרבי יוחנן: the child is acting for his father
  7. ChallengeThen a גוי acting for a Jew should be forbidden too
  8. ResolutionA גוי acts for himself
  9. ProofThe son of a חבר eating at his grandfather's house
  10. Rejectionרבי יוחנן: the leniency is only for דמאי
  11. ChallengeThis answer clashes with רבי יוחנן's earlier answer
  12. Resolutionרבי יוחנן was unsure, so he pushed off each proof
  13. ProofA כהן child and impure תרומה at his grandfather's house
  14. RejectionIt is only rabbinic תרומה
  15. ProofA baby nursing from a non-kosher source
  16. ProofThe proof: a baby may nurse from a non-kosher source
  17. RejectionThe nursing case is about danger
  18. ChallengeThen an adult should also be allowed
  19. ResolutionAn adult needs an expert check
  20. ChallengeA child should also need an expert check
  21. ResolutionA baby is always in danger without milk
  22. QuestionWhat case is אבא שאול talking about?
  23. ResponseThe case is suffering, not danger
  24. ResolutionWhy the רבנן were stricter on שבת
  25. ProofProof from the verse about creeping creatures
  26. RejectionRejection: the verse only forbids feeding the child directly
  27. ProofProof from the verse about blood
  28. RejectionRejection: again, only no direct feeding
  29. ProofProof from the double wording about כהנים and impurity
  30. RejectionRejection: only no making them impure directly
  31. StatementWhy all three verses are needed: starting with creeping creatures