Yoma 77b

יומא ע״ז ע״ב

Learn Yoma 77b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

תשמיש as עינוי, washing and anointing on יום כיפור, crossing water for a מצוה, and the future river from the קדש הקדשים

Overview

The גמרא finishes proving that holding back marital relations is called עינוי. It reads לבן's warning to יעקב, 'אם תענה... ואם תקח', as two separate things and defends that reading against two challenges. רב פפא then asks how this fits the story of שכם, where the act itself is called עינוי. אביי answers that שכם's עינוי was unnatural relations. Next, a ברייתא teaches that on יום כיפור washing or anointing even part of the body is forbidden, unless it is done to remove dirt or as medicine. A mother may rinse one hand to feed her child, and the חכמים made שמאי הזקן feed his children with two hands. The גמרא then lists cases where a person may walk through water on יום כיפור: to greet a father or teacher, to guard fruit, to come to a שיעור, or to ask a halacha, as long as he does not lift his robe. רב יוסף asks whether such deep water may be crossed even on a weekday, based on the river in יחזקאל, and אביי answers that a fast-flowing river is different. The amud ends with teachings about that future river flowing from the קדש הקדשים: no swimmer, no boat, and not even the מלאך המות can cross it. A spring that starts tiny widens as it flows out, and a supporting משנה begins that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (40)

1. StatementReading לבן's warning as two separate things
2. ChallengeMaybe both halves are about rival wives
3. ResolutionThe extra 'and' shows a new topic
4. ChallengeMaybe the two halves are two kinds of rival wives
5. ResolutionThe order of the verse does not fit
6. Challengeרב פפא: relations themselves are called affliction
7. Resolutionאביי: שכם's act was unnatural relations
8. StatementWashing part of the body on יום כיפור
9. StatementAnointing part of the body on יום כיפור
10. StatementA woman may rinse one hand to give bread to her child
11. Statementשמאי הזקן is overruled and told to feed with two hands
12. QuestionWhy do the hands need washing at all?
13. Responseאביי: because of the evil spirit שיבתא
14. StatementCrossing water to greet one's father or teacher
15. QuestionMay a teacher cross water to visit his student?
16. ProofProof: זעירי crossed to his student
17. Rejectionרב אשי: actually the student went to the teacher
18. Statementרבא allows fruit guards to cross water
19. Proofאביי brings a ברייתא that supports רבא
20. Statementרב יוסף lets people come to his lecture but not go home
21. Challengeאביי: forbidding the return will stop them from coming
22. StatementSecond version: רב יוסף allowed both coming and going
23. Questionאביי asks why going home is allowed
24. ResponseAllowing the return keeps people coming
25. Questionרמי בר פפא calls across the river with a question
26. Responseרב יהודה: you may cross, but keep your hand down
27. ResponseSecond version: רב שמואל בר רב יהודה answers from a ברייתא
28. Challengeרב יוסף: even on a weekday, deep water seems forbidden
29. ChallengeWater may come up to the knees and the waist, but no higher
30. ResolutionA fast-flowing river is a special case
31. StatementThe future river cannot be crossed by swimming
32. QuestionWhat does 'מי שחו' mean?
33. Response'מי שחו' means water that needs a boat
34. StatementA small boat cannot cross it either
35. StatementEven a large ship cannot cross it
36. QuestionHow do we know which phrase means which boat?
37. Responseרב יוסף's Aramaic translation of the פסוק
38. StatementEven the מלאך המות cannot cross the river
39. StatementThe spring grows wider as it flows outward
40. ProofA משנה supports this description