Gemara Clarity

Zevachim 101b

זבחים ק״א ע״ב

Learn Zevachim 101b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Zevachim 101b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Why only the ראש חודש goat was burned, when פינחס became a כהן, and רב's claim that משה was a כהן גדול

Overview

This amud finishes the story of the חטאת that was burned at the inauguration of the משכן. משה admits he heard the law and forgot it. The גמרא then checks the words "היום" and "הן היום" against both רבנן and רבי נחמיה. Next it explains the ברייתא's challenges to רבי נחמיה. Three goats were offered that day, but only the ראש חודש goat was burned, because אנינות does not disqualify one-time offerings. אנינות at night is also Torah law. And פינחס could not eat the offering because he was not yet a כהן, though רבי אלעזר and רב אשי disagree about when he became one. Finally, רב teaches that משה was a כהן גדול who shared in the offerings. The גמרא brings challenges against him, and the last one, about who quarantined מרים, continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וַיִּיטַב בְּעֵינָיו״ –

"And it was good in his eyes":

לֹא בּוֹשׁ מֹשֶׁה לוֹמַר

Moses was not embarrassed to say

״לֹא שָׁמַעְתִּי״,

"I did not hear,"

אֶלָּא ״שָׁמַעְתִּי וְשָׁכַחְתִּי״.

rather: "I heard, and I forgot."

The steps (30)

  1. StatementMoses admits he heard and forgot
  2. ChallengeWhy not wait and eat it at night?
  3. ResolutionIt became impure by accident
  4. ChallengeWhat does "today" mean for רבי נחמיה?
  5. Resolution"Today" means today's obligation
  6. ChallengeWhat does "behold, today" mean for the Rabbis?
  7. Resolution"Did they offer? I offered!"
  8. QuestionWhich three offerings should have been burned?
  9. ResponseThe three goats hinted at in the פסוק
  10. StatementOnly one was burned, and משה asked twice
  11. StatementThe burned one was the ראש חודש goat
  12. ChallengeThe question against רבי נחמיה is a strong one
  13. ResolutionMourning does not disqualify one-time offerings
  14. ChallengeWhy not eat it at night?
  15. ResolutionMourning at night is Torah law
  16. ChallengeWasn't פינחס there to eat it?
  17. Resolutionפינחס was not yet a כהן
  18. Statementרב אשי: Even later, after making peace
  19. ChallengeWhat about the covenant פסוק?
  20. ResolutionThe covenant was a blessing for later
  21. ChallengeHow does the other view explain 'פינחס the כהן' in יהושע?
  22. ResolutionThe title is there to link his descendants to him
  23. Statementרב: מֹשֶׁה was a כהן גדול who got a share of the offerings
  24. ChallengeWhy didn't the ברייתא say 'מֹשֶׁה was with them'?
  25. Resolutionמֹשֶׁה was busy with the שכינה
  26. ChallengeA new ברייתא: why does the פסוק name both kinds of offerings?
  27. ResponseWhy the פסוק needs both kinds of offerings
  28. ChallengeWho is the non-כהן allowed to eat the holiest offerings?
  29. Resolutionרב ששת: the ברייתא means a non-כהן at a private altar
  30. ChallengeA new challenge: who quarantined מרים?