Yoma 75b

יומא ע״ה ע״ב

Learn Yoma 75b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The מן and the שליו in the מדבר: mealtimes, reconciling פסוקים, the quail stories, and whether the מן left any waste

Overview

The גמרא continues discussing the מן and the שליו that ישראל ate in the מדבר. The bread was requested properly, so it came properly in the morning. From the meat coming at night, the גמרא learns that meat is properly eaten at night, as long as there is good light. Several pairs of פסוקים are reconciled: בינונים died at once from the quail while רשעים suffered for a month; the מן tasted like bread, oil or honey depending on the eater's age; and there was dew both under and over the מן, like a box. רבי יהושע בן קרחה reads שטוח as שחוט, but רבי says birds and שחיטה are known from other פסוקים, so for him שטוח means the מן fell in layers. The גמרא then tells of the four kinds of quail and of later חכמים who received quail, including רבא, who realized his quail had come in רב חסדא's merit. Finally, the תנאים discuss whether the מן was absorbed into all 248 limbs, and they disagree about why the תורה commands a peg for relieving oneself: either the waste came from outside food, or it was needed only after the sin. The amud ends by opening another explanation of 'לחם אבירים אכל איש', which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (42)

1. StatementBread was requested properly, so it came properly
2. StatementThe Torah teaches eating meat at night
3. Challengeאביי says a meal should be eaten in daytime
4. ResolutionDaytime means daylight-like conditions
5. Statementמשה set fixed mealtimes
6. ChallengeTwo verses disagree on when they died
7. ResolutionAverage people died at once, the wicked suffered a month
8. Statementריש לקיש reads וישטחו as וישחטו
9. Statementרבי יהושע בן קרחה reads שטוח as שחוט
10. Challengeרבי objects: this is already explicit
11. Proofרבי's source that משה was taught שחיטה
12. Conclusionרבי: שטוח means the מן fell in layers
13. ChallengeThree different descriptions of the manna's taste
14. ResolutionEach age group tasted something different
15. QuestionWhy is the word for quail written one way and read another?
16. ResponsePeace for the righteous, thorns for the wicked
17. StatementFour kinds of quail, from best to worst
18. StatementHow rich even the lowest quail was
19. StatementQuail found by רב יהודה and רב חסדא
20. StatementThe day the quail stopped coming to רבא
21. ConclusionThe student ate in his teacher's merit
22. ChallengeTwo verses about the dew seem to contradict
23. ResolutionDew above and dew below, like a box
24. Statementריש לקיש: it melted on the palm of the hand
25. Statementרבי יוחנן: absorbed into all 248 limbs
26. ChallengeBut the number is too big
27. ResolutionIt is written without a ו
28. Statementרבי עקיבא: the bread the angels eat
29. Challengeרבי ישמעאל: angels do not eat bread
30. Statementרבי ישמעאל: bread absorbed into the limbs
31. ChallengeThen why did they need to go outside to relieve themselves?
32. ResolutionThe waste came from food bought from gentile merchants
33. StatementThe manna dissolved even the merchants' food
34. ChallengeThen what is the peg verse for?
35. ResolutionAfter they sinned, they had to walk three parasangs
36. ProofProof that the camp was three parasangs long
37. ProofThey relieved themselves only behind the camp
38. ProofThe people's complaint shows the manna left no waste
39. Statementרבי ישמעאל: absorbed into 248 limbs
40. ChallengeThe peg verse, asked of רבי ישמעאל
41. ResolutionThe waste came from food brought from overseas
42. StatementOpening a new reading of the verse about the bread of the mighty