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Zevachim 33a

זבחים ל״ג ע״א

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Topic

Whether partial entry counts as entry, and the מצורע's סמיכה at שער ניקנור: which parts of סמיכה and תכף לסמיכה שחיטה are from the Torah

Overview

This amud opens by closing an earlier discussion: both אביי and רבא hold that טומאה is only pushed aside (דחויה) for the ציבור, not fully permitted. The גמרא then returns to עולא's view that partial entry into the עזרה counts as entry. It offers a ברייתא as support: every סמיכה is followed right away by שחיטה, except a מצורע's, which happens at שער ניקנור because he may not enter yet. If reaching in with his hands were not 'entry', he could simply lean and have the animal slaughtered right there. רב יוסף rejects the proof: the ברייתא follows רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה, for whom the northern slaughtering area is far from the gate, and the מקדש's design cannot be changed to add an opening. In another version, רב יוסף says proper סמיכה needs head and most of the body inside, so hands alone will not do. The גמרא then asks why the מצורע does not just go in, if the Torah requires both סמיכה and the immediate slaughter. רב אדא בר מתנה answers with a גזירה against extra steps. Another version says the immediate slaughter is not from the Torah. A ברייתא disproves that version, so the גמרא reverses it: the מצורע's סמיכה is rabbinic, while תכף לסמיכה שחיטה is from the Torah.

Opening lines

מִכְּלָל דְּתַרְוַיְיהוּ סְבִירָא לְהוּ:

By inference, both of them hold:

טוּמְאָה דְּחוּיָה הִיא בְּצִבּוּר.

impurity is overridden in the case of the public.

לֵימָא מְסַיַּיע לֵיהּ:

Let us say that a source supports him:

כׇּל הַסְּמִיכוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ שָׁם

All the placings of hands that were there

The steps (12)

  1. ConclusionBoth אביי and רבא hold that impurity is only pushed aside for the public
  2. ProofA ברייתא about סמיכה at שער ניקנור is offered as support for עולא
  3. ProofHow the ברייתא proves that partial entry counts as entry
  4. Rejectionרב יוסף: the ברייתא follows רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה, so there is no proof
  5. ChallengeWhy not make a small opening in the wall?
  6. ResolutionThe Temple's design cannot be changed
  7. RejectionLeaning needs head and most of the body inside
  8. ChallengeIf it's all from the Torah, let him just go in
  9. ResolutionA rabbinic decree against extra steps
  10. ResolutionSlaughtering right after leaning is not from the Torah
  11. ChallengeA ברייתא shows slaughtering right after סמיכה must be from the Torah
  12. ResolutionReverse the version: the מצורע's סמיכה is rabbinic, and the immediate slaughter is from the Torah