Yevamos 74b
יבמות ע״ד ע״ב
Yevamot 74b
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Topic
The stages of purity after טומאה: טבילה for מעשר, sunset for תרומה, and the כפרה for קדשים, and whether someone who still owes a כפרה may eat תרומה.
Overview
The גמרא finishes showing that the holy food in the פסוק 'עד אשר יטהר' is תרומה. Only תרומה is equal for all of אהרן's descendants: a חוזרת rules out חזה ושוק, and a חללה does not count as זרע אהרן. Then the גמרא asks whether 'until he is pure' means sunset or bringing a כפרה. דבי רבי ישמעאל answers that the פסוק is about people who never bring a כפרה, so it means sunset. The גמרא pushes further: maybe someone who does owe a כפרה must wait for it before eating תרומה. It also asks for the source of the משנה's three stages. רב חסדא answers with three פסוקים: טבילה for מעשר, sunset for תרומה, and the כפרה for קדשים. The order is defended by weighing which food is stricter, and רבא adds a proof from the word נפש. When the question about someone who owes a כפרה comes back, אביי proves from the two פסוקים about a יולדת that sunset permits תרומה, while קדשים must wait for the קרבן, and רבא backs this from the wording of the פסוק. רב שישא objects that a גיורת and a freed שפחה are included in that section even though they cannot eat תרומה. רבא answers 'ולא?', and his explanation continues on the next amud.
Opening lines
בְּזַרְעוֹ שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן —
for all the seed of Aaron, both sons and daughters —
הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר זוֹ תְּרוּמָה.
you must say: this is terumah.
וְאֵימָא בְּחָזֶה וָשׁוֹק?
But say it refers to the breast and thigh?
אֵינָהּ בְּחוֹזֶרֶת.
It is not permitted to the one who returns.
The steps (24)
- ResponseThe holy food equal for all of אהרן's descendants is תרומה
- ChallengeMaybe it means the breast and thigh
- ResolutionA returning daughter cannot eat breast and thigh
- ChallengeBut תרומה is not allowed to a חללה either
- ResolutionA חללה does not count as זרע אהרן
- ChallengeMaybe 'until he is pure' means until he brings his offering
- ResolutionThe verse is about people who never bring an offering
- ChallengeMaybe sunset is enough only for someone who brings no atonement
- QuestionWhere does the three-level rule of the משנה come from?
- ResponseThree פסוקים, one for each level
- ChallengeWhy not switch מעשר and תרומה?
- Resolutionתרומה is stricter, so it gets the stricter rule
- ChallengeOn the contrary, tithe is the stricter one
- ResolutionEven so, the death penalty is the weightier strictness
- Resolutionרבא: the word 'soul' shows the immersion-only verse is about tithe
- ChallengeStill, maybe someone who owes an atonement offering must wait for it
- ResolutionTwo verses about a woman after childbirth: one for תרומה, one for holy offerings
- ChallengeWhy not reverse which verse goes with which food?
- ResolutionHoly offerings are stricter, so they get the stricter rule
- ChallengeBut תרומה has strictnesses too
- ResolutionHoly offerings have more strictnesses
- Resolutionרבא proves from the verse itself that the sunset rule is for תרומה
- ChallengeHow can the verse be about תרומה if it includes a convert and a freed maidservant?
- Resolutionרבא questions the assumption that these women can never eat תרומה