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Zevachim 46a

זבחים מ״ו ע״א

Learn Zevachim 46a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Why blood is excluded from מעילה, נותר and טומאה; the rule that a finished מצוה has no מעילה and its exceptions

Overview

The amud opens by finishing an earlier point: the פסוק calls נותר and טומאה two kinds of 'profaning,' so they work alike. Then the גמרא asks for the source of the משנה's words 'except for the blood.' First it brings three teachings from ויקרא 17:11 that blood has no מעילה: עולא ('to you'), דבי רבי ישמעאל ('to atone'), and רבי יוחנן ('it is,' so blood before כפרה is like blood after כפרה). The גמרא defends רבי יוחנן with the rule that once a מצוה is done, there is no מעילה. It then deals with the exceptions to that rule: תרומת הדשן, the יום הכפורים garments, and the עגלה ערופה. These are two cases that come as one, and each also has a limiting word in its פסוק, so they teach nothing for other cases. Finally, the גמרא explains that the three words about blood exclude it from מעילה, נותר and טומאה. פיגול needs no פסוק, because blood is itself the מתיר. The amud ends as רבי יוחנן asks why the תורה mentions כרת three times for eating שלמים while impure.

Opening lines

בִּשְׁנֵי חִילּוּלִין הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר;

The verse is speaking of two profanations;

אֶחָד פְּסוּל נוֹתָר,

one is the disqualification of notar,

וְאֶחָד פְּסוּל טוּמְאָה.

and one is the disqualification of ritual impurity.

חוּץ מִן הַדָּם כּוּ׳.

Except for the blood, etc.

The steps (18)

  1. ConclusionThe verse speaks of two kinds of profaning
  2. QuestionWhere do we learn that blood is excluded?
  3. Statementעולא: 'I have given it to you' means blood is yours
  4. Statementדבי רבי ישמעאל: Blood is given for atonement, not for מעילה
  5. Statementרבי יוחנן: Blood before atonement is like blood after atonement
  6. ChallengeWhy not compare the other way around?
  7. ResolutionOnce the מצוה is done, there is no מעילה
  8. ChallengeWhat about תרומת הדשן?
  9. ResolutionTwo verses that come as one do not teach
  10. ChallengeThis works for the רבנן, who say the garments must be buried
  11. ChallengeAccording to רבי דוסא, the garments are no longer a second example
  12. ResolutionThe second example is the עגלה ערופה
  13. ChallengeWhat about the view that two such verses do teach?
  14. ResolutionEach verse has a word that limits the rule
  15. QuestionWhy do we need three verses about blood?
  16. ResponseEach verse removes blood from a different law
  17. ResolutionNo verse is needed to exclude blood from פיגול
  18. QuestionWhy does the תורה say כרת three times about impure שלמים?