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Zevachim 21a

זבחים כ״א ע״א

Learn Zevachim 21a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Zevachim 21a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Whether טומאה cancels קידוש ידים ורגלים, dipping inside the כיור, and when the כיור's water becomes disqualified

Overview

The amud opens by trying to prove from the פרה אדומה that טומאה does not cancel a כהן's קידוש ידים ורגלים, since the כהן who burns the פרה is made טמא on purpose. The גמרא rejects the proof: the פרה is special, because even a טבול יום may perform it. The washing there is required only so that it resembles Temple service. Next comes a new question: may a כהן wash by dipping his hands and feet inside the כיור, or must the water come out of it? רב נחמן בר יצחק tries to prove from a ברייתא about cave water that dipping is fine, but the גמרא shows the ברייתא had its own reason to mention cave water. Then רבי חייא בר יוסף, רב חסדא and רבי יוחנן give three views on when water left in the כיור becomes disqualified. The גמרא explains רבי יוחנן's rule in light of another teaching in his name, from אילפא. It ends by noting that this makes רבי יוחנן's view identical to רבי חייא בר יוסף's, and the discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְהָא פָּרָה – דְּטַמּוֹיֵי מְטַמֵּינַן לֵיהּ,

But with the heifer, we deliberately make him impure,

דִּתְנַן: מְטַמְּאִין הָיוּ הַכֹּהֵן

as we learned: they would make impure the priest

הַשּׂוֹרֵף אֶת הַפָּרָה וּמַטְבִּילִין אוֹתוֹ,

who burns the heifer, and immerse him,

לְהוֹצִיא מִלִּבָּן שֶׁל צַדּוּקִין

to remove the idea from the hearts of the Sadducees

The steps (13)

  1. ProofA proof from the red heifer that impurity does not cancel the washing
  2. RejectionThe red heifer is a special case
  3. ChallengeThen why wash for the heifer at all?
  4. ResolutionThe washing makes it resemble Temple service
  5. QuestionMay a priest wash by dipping inside the basin?
  6. ProofA proof from cave water
  7. RejectionCave water was mentioned for a different reason
  8. StatementThe כיור's water is disqualified at different times for different services
  9. Statementרב חסדא: the water expires only at dawn for everything
  10. Statementרבי יוחנן: once the כיור is sunk, it is not raised again
  11. ChallengeChallenge: רבי יוחנן himself allows an unsunk כיור for night service
  12. ResolutionNot raising the כיור only applies to the day's service
  13. ChallengeThen רבי יוחנן says the same as רבי חייא בר יוסף