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Zevachim 31b

זבחים ל״א ע״ב

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

Open Zevachim 31b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Combining half-כזית intentions (slow eating, unusual food, eating vs. burning), and the new פרק on שחיטה by unfit people

Overview

The amud opens by finishing אביי's proof from the משנה: if two people are each meant to eat half a כזית, the two halves combine. רבא then asks whether intent to eat a כזית slowly, over more than כדי אכילת פרס, still counts. Is it like the מזבח's burning, which has no time limit, or like a person's eating, which does? אביי tries to prove there is no limit, but the גמרא answers that the משנה may mean a big fire that burns fast. Next the גמרא finds an apparent contradiction between two clauses of the משנה about food that is not normally eaten. רבי ירמיה says the later clause follows רבי אליעזר. אביי says the whole משנה follows the רבנן if we read the inference as being about normal food. The גמרא then shows why the eating-and-burning clause is still needed. The פרק ends with a הדרן, and a new משנה teaches that unfit people's שחיטה is valid, so their wrong intent can disqualify the קרבן.

Opening lines

הָא לֶאֱכוֹל וְלֶאֱכוֹל

But if the intent was to eat and to eat

דּוּמְיָא דְּלֶאֱכוֹל וּלְהַקְטִיר

set up like 'to eat and to burn'

וְהֵיכִי דָּמֵי – בִּשְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם

and what is that case? With two people

מִצְטָרֵף! שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ.

it combines! Learn from it.

The steps (14)

  1. ProofTwo people eating half each do combine
  2. QuestionDoes a very slow eating still count?
  3. Proofאביי's proof that there is no time limit
  4. RejectionMaybe the משנה means a big fire
  5. StatementInference from the eating-and-burning clause
  6. ChallengeThe first clause says only normal food combines
  7. Resolutionרבי ירמיה: the later clause follows רבי אליעזר
  8. Resolutionאביי: read the inference about normal food
  9. ChallengeIf the clause teaches about normally-eaten food, the first clause already teaches it
  10. ChallengeIf the clause teaches eating plus burning, a קל וחומר already teaches it
  11. ResolutionEating plus burning was needed, since each half follows its normal way
  12. ConclusionHadran — Closing the chapter of כל הזבחים שקבלו דמן
  13. StatementSlaughter by unfit people is valid
  14. StatementTheir wrong intent can disqualify the offering