Gemara Clarity

Yoma 20b

יומא כ׳ ע״ב

Learn Yoma 20b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The timing of תרומת הדשן, the meaning of קריאת הגבר, and side teachings about great voices and sounds

Overview

The גמרא rejects the idea that doing תרומת הדשן from חצות is a Torah law, because the משנה lets us do it earlier on רגלים and later on regular days. רבי יוחנן brings a different source from the פסוק: the extra words 'עד הבקר' mean rising before dawn, with no fixed hour. The גמרא then explains the three times in the משנה (regular days, יום הכפורים, רגלים) as practical choices based on need. Next comes a dispute about קריאת הגבר: רב says it is a man's call, and רבי שילא says it is a rooster's crow. A story follows in which רב serves as רבי שילא's speaker, defends his reading, and refuses to step down out of respect for the role. A ברייתא about גביני the crier supports רב, and this leads to comparisons of how far גביני's voice and the כהן גדול's voice carried. The גמרא ends with side teachings about why voices carry less by day and which great sounds travel across the world. That list continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְאִי סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ

And if it enters your mind (to say)

מֵחֲצוֹת דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא הִיא,

that 'from midnight' is Torah law,

הֵיכִי מַקְדְּמִינַן

how do we do it earlier

(וְהֵיכִי מְאַחֲרִינַן)?

(and how do we do it later)?

The steps (19)

  1. ChallengeIf midnight were Torah law, how could we move the time?
  2. Resolutionרבי יוחנן: 'until morning' means rise before morning
  3. ConclusionApplying the rule to regular days, יום הכפורים, and רגלים
  4. QuestionWhat does קריאת הגבר mean?
  5. Responseרב says a man's call, רבי שילא says a rooster's call
  6. Statementרב serves as רבי שילא's speaker and explains 'the call of a man'
  7. Challengeרבי שילא corrects רב: say 'rooster'
  8. Resolutionרב defends himself with a parable and with רבי חייא's silence
  9. Questionרבי שילא realizes it is רב and asks him to stop
  10. Responseרב refuses to step down
  11. StatementThere is a ברייתא supporting each side
  12. ProofThe crier גביני supports רב
  13. Statementאגריפס המלך hears גביני from far away
  14. StatementThe כהן גדול's voice carried even farther
  15. StatementThe כהן גדול was weak and spoke by day
  16. ProofWhy voices carry less during the day
  17. StatementThe dust in sunbeams is called 'לא'
  18. StatementThe sun and the noise of Rome cancel each other out
  19. StatementThree sounds that travel across the whole world