Yoma 85a

יומא פ״ה ע״א

Learn Yoma 85a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

פיקוח נפש on שבת: saving a person in doubt (the abandoned baby and the rockslide victim), how we check for life, and the source that saving a life overrides שבת.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a discussion of a תינוק מושלך (an abandoned baby) found in a city of Jews and non-Jews. The גמרא shows that שמואל was being lenient: even where most people are non-Jews, we break שבת to dig the baby out, because we do not follow the majority when a life is at stake. It then explains what each status of the baby affects. A non-Jewish majority affects feeding him נבלות, a Jewish majority affects returning his lost objects, and a half-and-half city affects נזקין. Next the גמרא explains the משנה of the מפולת (rockslide). It builds up from one doubt to two, and teaches that we dig even for חיי שעה. The גמרא asks why the משנה needs to say 'if dead, leave him'. It tries to answer from רבי יהודה בן לקיש, then rejects that answer. A ברייתא then discusses how far we dig to check for life, the nose or the heart, and רב פפא limits that מחלוקת. Finally, sages on the road are asked for the source that פיקוח נפש overrides שבת. רבי ישמעאל gives a קל וחומר from the thief breaking in. רבי עקיבא begins a proof from a murderer at the מזבח, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (26)

1. Challengeשמואל seems to apply the majority rule to saving a life
2. Resolutionשמואל's statement was on the first clause and was a leniency
3. QuestionWhat law does 'majority non-Jews' affect?
4. Responseרב פפא: we may feed him non-kosher food
5. QuestionWhat law does 'majority Jews' affect?
6. ResponseWe must return his lost objects
7. QuestionWhat law does 'half and half' affect?
8. Responseריש לקיש: it is about damages
9. ChallengeIf a Jew's ox gored his ox, he would need proof
10. ResolutionThe case is where his ox gored a Jew's ox
11. QuestionWhat is the משנה's list of doubts trying to say?
12. ResponseThe משנה builds up from easy doubts to harder ones
13. ChallengeWhy say 'if found alive, keep clearing'? That is obvious
14. ResolutionWe clear even if he will only live a short time
15. ChallengeWhy say 'if dead, leave him'? That is also obvious
16. ResolutionNeeded because of רבי יהודה בן לקיש, who allows saving a body from a fire
17. ConclusionEven רבי יהודה בן לקיש agrees for a rockslide
18. StatementHow far do we dig to check for life: the nose or the heart?
19. StatementDo not assume the lower victims are dead
20. QuestionIs this the same as the מחלוקת about where a baby begins to form?
21. RejectionNo link: even אבא שאול agrees life is shown in the nose
22. Statementרב פפא: the מחלוקת applies only when digging from the feet up
23. QuestionThe sages on the road are asked for the source that saving a life overrides שבת
24. Responseרבי ישמעאל's קל וחומר from the thief breaking in
25. Responseרבי עקיבא begins: a murderer is taken from beside the altar, not from on top of it
26. Statementרבי יוחנן limits the rule: not removing him from the altar applies only for execution