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Yevamos 5a

יבמות ה׳ ע״א

Yevamot 5a

Learn Yevamos 5a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Yevamos 5a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The search for the רבנן's source of עשה דוחה לא תעשה: attempted proofs from a מצורע's shaving (ראשו, זקנו, and נזיר), each rejected

Overview

The גמרא learned עשה דוחה לא תעשה from ציצית overriding כלאים, but that proof works only for the תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל. So it asks where the רבנן learn the rule. First it tries the word "ראשו" by a מצורע: he shaves his head even though הקפת הראש is forbidden. That proof falls, because the לאו of הקפה does not apply to everyone, since women are not included. Next it tries "זקנו": a כהן מצורע shaves his beard. The גמרא argues the word is extra and so teaches about a לאו השוה בכל, but then shows the word is needed, because כהנים might have been treated more strictly. Then it tries another תנא's reading of "ראשו": a מצורע who is a נזיר shaves. This fails too, because a נזיר can cancel his vow through שאלה, the same reason we never learn from נזיר that an עשה pushes aside a לא תעשה ועשה. The amud ends as the גמרא begins a new answer, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

תִּינַח לְתַנָּא דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל.

This works out well according to the תנא of the school of רבי ישמעאל.

לְרַבָּנַן, מְנָא לְהוּ?

According to the רבנן, from where do they learn it?

נָפְקָא לְהוּ מֵ״רֹאשׁוֹ״.

They learn it from "his head."

דְּתַנְיָא: ״רֹאשׁוֹ״ מָה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר?

As it is taught: "His head" — why does the verse need to say it?

The steps (12)

  1. QuestionThe earlier proof only works for one opinion, so where do the רבנן learn it?
  2. ResponseThe רבנן learn it from the word 'his head' about the מצורע
  3. StatementThis תנא holds that shaving the whole head counts as rounding
  4. RejectionThe proof is rejected: the rounding ban does not apply to everyone
  5. ResponseA new source: the word 'his beard' by a מצורע
  6. ProofSince the word is extra, apply it to a prohibition that applies to everyone
  7. RejectionThe word is still needed because כהנים might have been stricter
  8. ResponseAnother source: 'his head' read as teaching about a נזיר
  9. RejectionThe נזיר proof is rejected because a נזיר can cancel his vow
  10. ProofSupport for the rejection: otherwise an accepted rule would be contradicted
  11. ConclusionSince we never learn from נזיר, we cannot learn this rule from it either
  12. ResponseA new approach begins