Gemara Clarity

Yoma 40b

יומא מ׳ ע״ב

Learn Yoma 40b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Yoma 40b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

How long the שעיר המשתלח must stay alive, and attempts to prove whether the הגרלה is מעכב

Overview

The גמרא quotes a ברייתא on the פסוק 'יעמד חי לפני ה׳ לכפר עליו', which asks how long the goat for עזאזל must stay alive. רבי יהודה says it must stay alive until the blood of the other goat is applied. רבי שמעון says it must stay alive until the וידוי דברים. Their disagreement depends on the word 'לכפר': רבי יהודה reads it as כפרת דמים, and רבי שמעון reads it as כפרת דברים. The גמרא then tries to prove whether the הגרלה (the lottery) is מעכב. The first proof comes from a question asked to רבי עקיבא about a lot that came up in the left hand, but רבא shows the question was only about moving the lot and its goat to the right side. The second proof comes from a ברייתא on the word 'עלה', but רבא rereads it as saying only that the lot need not stay on the goat until שחיטה. A third source, 'ועשהו חטאת', teaches that only the גורל, and not a verbal naming, makes the goat a חטאת, even though a קל וחומר might suggest otherwise.

Opening lines

״יׇעֳמַד חַי לִפְנֵי ה׳ לְכַפֵּר עָלָיו״,

"It shall be stood alive before ה׳, to atone over it"

עַד מָתַי יִהְיֶה זָקוּק לַעֲמוֹד חַי?

Until when must it be required to stand alive?

עַד שְׁעַת מַתַּן דָּמוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵירוֹ —

Until the time of the application of the blood of its partner

דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה.

These are the words of Rabbi Yehuda.

The steps (16)

  1. Statementרבי יהודה: The goat lives until the other goat's blood is applied
  2. Statementרבי שמעון: The goat lives until the spoken confession
  3. QuestionWhat is the root of their disagreement?
  4. Responseרבי יהודה reads 'to atone' as atonement through blood
  5. Responseרבי שמעון reads 'to atone over it' as atonement through words
  6. Proofרבי עקיבא's students ask about a lot that came up in the left hand
  7. Responseרבי עקיבא: Do not give heretics an opening
  8. ProofInference from רבי עקיבא's reason: the lot could be switched
  9. Rejectionרבא: the question was only about moving the lot and goat to the right side
  10. ProofNew proof: once the lot came up, it need not be placed on the goat
  11. QuestionWhat does 'not necessary' mean? It cannot mean 'not even a מצוה'
  12. ProofProposed proof: the lottery is indispensable, placing the lot is not
  13. Rejectionרבא: the lot only needs to touch the goat for a moment
  14. ProofNew proof: only the lot makes the goat a sin-offering
  15. ChallengeThe ברייתא's logical argument that naming should also work
  16. ResolutionThe verse overrides the logic: only the lot works