Yevamos 6b

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Yevamot 6b

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Topic

Reverence for the מקדש, and whether the law of court executions on שבת shows that a מצות עשה overrides a לאו with כרת

Overview

This עמוד opens by finishing a ברייתא about מורא מקדש. We keep שבת out of respect for ה' who commanded it, and in the same way we revere the מקדש out of respect for ה', not for the building itself. The ברייתא lists the practical rules for הר הבית, such as no shoes, no staff and no shortcuts, and forbids spitting there by a קל וחומר. It then uses the פסוק in ויקרא to show this reverence applies forever, even after the חורבן. Next, the גמרא returns to its main question: why a special source is needed to teach that a מצות עשה does not override a לאו with כרת. It suggests we might have learned this from הבערה. A ברייתא from the school of רבי ישמעאל uses the word מושבות to teach that בית דין may not carry out executions on שבת, which seems to show that without that פסוק the execution would have overridden שבת. The גמרא argues over whether this works according to רבי יוסי, and רב ששת says the court's melting of a lead wick counts as real cooking. Finally, רב שימי בר אשי rejects the whole proof: the ברייתא's first thought came from a קל וחומר, which the גמרא spells out on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. StatementWe revere the One who commanded, not the place itself
2. StatementWhat reverence for the מקדש means in practice
3. QuestionDoes reverence apply even when the מקדש is destroyed?
4. ResponseReverence for the מקדש lasts forever, just like שבת
5. ResolutionA new reason the source was needed: you might learn from lighting fire
6. QuestionThe school of רבי ישמעאל asks why the פסוק about fire was written
7. ChallengeWhy ask? We already know why lighting fire is written
8. ProofThe source for the dispute of רבי יוסי and רבי נתן
9. Resolutionרבא: the question is about the word 'dwellings'
10. ChallengeWhy 'dwellings' seems unnecessary
11. ResolutionA student of רבי ישמעאל asks whether executions may happen on שבת
12. ProofThe word מושבות links שבת to the laws of the court
13. ConclusionThe court may not light an execution fire on שבת
14. ProofWithout this verse, the execution would have pushed aside שבת
15. RejectionMaybe the ברייתא follows רבי יוסי
16. ChallengeEven for רבי יוסי, the court's burning is cooking
17. Proofרב ששת: cooking a wick is like cooking dyes
18. Rejectionרב שימי בר אשי: the idea came from a קל וחומר
19. ResolutionHow the ברייתא reads the verse before the קל וחומר