Zevachim 31a

זבחים ל״א ע״א

Learn Zevachim 31a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Zevachim 31a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Half-measures and wording in פיגול intentions: combining thoughts, eating by dogs or fire, and one olive-bulk shared by two people

Overview

The גמרא first finishes an earlier discussion about whether, for רבי יהודה, a person's words count as one combined statement (כלל) or as separate statements (פרט). It gives two versions of how one question makes the other unnecessary. Next comes a case of three half-olive-bulk intentions: time, then place, then time again. רבא says the two time-halves join and the offering is פיגול. רב המנונא says the middle thought makes it עירוב מחשבות. Each brings a proof from the laws of impurity, and each proof is pushed aside. בר קפרא's teaching, reported in three versions by רב דימי, רבין and רב אשי, rules that a lone half-olive-bulk place-thought cannot stop a full olive-bulk of time-thought from making פיגול. רבי ינאי says a thought that dogs will eat the meat tomorrow is פיגול. רבי אמי challenges this from fire, and the גמרא answers that it depends on whether he used the language of eating or of burning. Finally, רב אשי asks about one olive-bulk eaten by two people, and אביי starts an answer that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (16)

1. ChallengeIf 'An Olive-Bulk and an Olive-Bulk' Is One Statement, the Other Case Is Obvious
2. ChallengeAnother Version: If 'Tomorrow Outside' Is Separate, the Other Case Is Obvious
3. StatementHalf for Time, Half for Place, Half for Time: Does It Become פיגול?
4. Proofרבא's Proof from Mixing Foods with Different Levels of Impurity
5. Proofרבא's proof from the later part of the משנה
6. Rejectionרב המנונא: impurity is different because there was a full measure
7. Proofרב המנונא's proof: mixed impurity joins at the lighter level
8. RejectionThe proof is pushed aside: maybe the measure was not made up again
9. Statementרב דימי's report: a half-olive-bulk 'place' thought does not block פיגול
10. StatementRavin's version: the same ruling with the order switched
11. Statementרב אשי's version: a half and a mixed full olive-bulk
12. StatementIntending that dogs eat the קרבן the next day
13. ChallengeIf dogs count as eating, does fire count too?
14. ResolutionIt depends on the words he used
15. QuestionOne olive-bulk shared by two people
16. Proofאביי brings the eating-and-burning משנה