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Zevachim 17b

זבחים י״ז ע״ב

Learn Zevachim 17b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Zevachim 17b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Can a מחוסר כפורים of a זב burn the פרה אדומה, and where do we learn that a כהן missing his clothes invalidates the עבודה?

Overview

The גמרא explains that רבה's view rests on the idea that a זב who immersed but has not yet brought his קרבן (a מחוסר כפורים) is still considered like a זב. It then suggests this idea is a מחלוקת תנאים, citing a ברייתא where the תנא קמא lets a מחוסר כפורים burn the פרה אדומה and יוסף הבבלי does not. The גמרא rejects that suggestion: everyone agrees he is like a זב. The real argument is about how far the פסוק "וְהִזָּה הַטָּהֹר" goes. The תנא קמא says it covers impurity from anywhere in the תורה. יוסף הבבלי says it covers only the impurity of the פרה section, so lighter cases come in by קל וחומר but the זב, whose impurity comes from his own body, does not. The גמרא then turns to a new topic from the משנה: the source that a כהן missing his priestly clothes invalidates the עבודה. רבי יוחנן learns from a פסוק in שמות that without the clothes there is no כהונה. The גמרא challenges this with a ברייתא that seems to learn the rule from the wine passage in ויקרא, and the discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

קָסָבַר מְחוּסַּר כִּפּוּרִים דְּזָב –

He holds that one missing atonement, of a zav,

כְּזָב דָּמֵי.

is considered like a zav.

וּמְחוּסַּר כִּפּוּרִים דְּזָב כְּזָב דָּמֵי –

And whether one missing atonement, of a zav, is considered like a zav

תַּנָּאֵי הִיא; דְּתַנְיָא:

is a dispute of Tannaim, as it was taught:

The steps (10)

  1. ResolutionWhy רבה holds his view: a מחוסר כפורים of a זב is like a זב
  2. ProofThis idea may be a מחלוקת תנאים: a ברייתא about burning the פרה
  3. QuestionSuggesting that the תנאים argue over רבה's principle
  4. RejectionNo: everyone agrees he is like a זב; the argument is about the פסוק
  5. ResolutionHow far the פסוק reaches: all impurity or only this section's impurity
  6. ConclusionWhy the light cases are included but the זב is not
  7. QuestionWhere do we learn that missing priestly clothes disqualifies the service?
  8. ResponseNo clothes, no כהונה
  9. ChallengeIsn't this learned from the wine פסוק instead?
  10. QuestionThe ברייתא asks about missing clothes and unwashed hands