Zevachim 27b

זבחים כ״ז ע״ב

Learn Zevachim 27b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Zevachim 27b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Disqualified offerings on the altar (wrongly placed blood, the inner versus outer altar), and a new משנה on wrong intent about place versus time

Overview

This amud starts by finishing a discussion about blood put on the wrong spot: above instead of below the red line on the altar, or inside instead of outside (or the reverse). The גמרא says our משנה fits the view that such blood may not be gathered up and redone. רב חסדא, quoting אבימי, says everyone agrees about above/below, and רבי יוסי and רבי שמעון argue only about inside/outside. רב נחמן בר יצחק then brings a ברייתא about which disqualified offerings must come down from the altar and which stay. Offerings that went wrong during the holy service stay, and animals that were unfit from the start come down. Since רבי יהודה does not argue about blood placed above or below, the altar must have 'taken hold' of it, so it may not be gathered up. Next, רבי אליעזר teaches that the inner altar also holds onto disqualified items, even a קומץ that never belongs there. The inner altar is like a כלי שרת, while the outer altar is like the floor. Finally, a new משנה teaches that a plan to do the service outside its place makes an offering פסול without כרת, while a plan to do it the next day makes it פיגול with כרת. The גמרא begins discussing the skin of the tail, and this continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. ConclusionOur משנה fits the view that the blood may not be gathered up
2. Statementרב חסדא's version: everyone agrees about above and below, the argument is only about inside and outside
3. Proofרב נחמן בר יצחק brings a ברייתא: רבי יהודה's three exclusions
4. Proofרבי שמעון's list of disqualified offerings that do not come down
5. ResponseThe words 'תורת העולה' include all disqualified offerings that went up
6. StatementThe word 'זאת' leaves out animals that were never fit
7. QuestionWhy include the first group and exclude the second?
8. ResponseDisqualified in holiness versus never fit at all
9. Proofרבי יהודה agrees, so the altar has taken hold of the blood
10. StatementThe inner altar also holds onto disqualified items
11. ChallengeWhy do we need this? We already learned it
12. ResolutionBlood fits the inner altar, but a קומץ does not
13. ChallengeA ברייתא says only the outer altar holds disqualified items
14. ResolutionReading the ברייתא correctly: only the outer altar is limited
15. QuestionWhy the difference between the two altars?
16. ResponseThe outer altar is like the floor, the inner altar is like a holy vessel
17. StatementPlanning to do the service outside its place: פסול, but no כרת
18. StatementPlanning to do the service the next day: פיגול, with כרת
19. StatementThe students' first assumption about the skin of the tail