Zevachim 117b

זבחים קי״ז ע״ב

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Topic

Which קרבנות could be brought on a private במה in the time of גלגל: the views of רבי מאיר and the רבנן, שמואל's statement about a נזיר, and the source of the חכמים

Overview

This amud opens with the last words of a ברייתא listing what was brought on the big public מזבח at גלגל. The גמרא explains רבי מאיר, who learns from a פסוק that only voluntary ('fitting') offerings could go on a private במה. He counts מנחות and קרבנות of a נזיר as voluntary. The רבנן disagree: a מנחה is never brought on a private במה, and a נזיר's offerings count as חובות. שמואל first limits their argument to the נזיר's חטאת and אשם. רבה challenges this from a ברייתא that leaves out the נזיר's cooked foreleg. The גמרא then reverses שמואל's statement: the argument is about the נזיר's עולה and שלמים, and all agree his חטאת and אשם are never brought on a private במה. Finally, the גמרא gives the source of the חכמים: ״איש הישר בעיניו״ limits an individual to voluntary offerings, while the צבור may bring even obligatory ones.

Opening lines

The steps (10)

1. StatementEnd of the list: fixed-time public obligations
2. QuestionAsking for רבי מאיר's source
3. ResponseThe פסוק: fitting offerings yes, obligations no
4. ResponseWhy the רבנן leave out מנחות and נזירות
5. Statementשמואל limits the dispute to the נזיר's sin and guilt offerings
6. Challengeרבה quotes a ברייתא that leaves out the נזיר's foreleg
7. ChallengeNo one fits the ברייתא under שמואל's version
8. Resolutionשמואל's statement is reversed
9. QuestionAsking for the source of the רבנן's view
10. ResponseThe פסוק: an individual brings only what he chooses to give