Gemara Clarity

Zevachim 67b

זבחים ס״ז ע״ב

Learn Zevachim 67b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Zevachim 67b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Testing רבי יהושע's principle that a bird עולה offered below can become a חטאת העוף, against the משניות in קנים

Overview

The גמרא tests the principle of רבי יהושע, as רב אדא בר אהבה explained it: a bird עולה offered below the red line can switch over and become a חטאת העוף. First it brings a משנה from קנים about two women whose birds got mixed up. In that משנה, if one bird was offered above and one below, both are פסול. The גמרא answers that רבי יהושע only said his principle about one person's own offering, not when the bird belongs to someone else. Then it brings a second משנה about three pairs of birds. There, the specified pair is פסול even though it has a set owner. The גמרא insists that you cannot simply say קנים disagrees with רבי יהושע. To show this, it starts quoting a third משנה about a woman who owes a vow pair and a birth pair, and the כהן offered them wrongly. That quote continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

תָּא שְׁמַע:

Come and hear:

חַטָּאת לָזוֹ וְעוֹלָה לָזוֹ;

a sin offering for this one and a burnt offering for that one;

עָשָׂה שְׁתֵּיהֶן לְמַעְלָה –

if he did both of them above,

מֶחֱצָה כָּשֵׁר וּמֶחֱצָה פָּסוּל.

half is valid and half is invalid.

The steps (10)

  1. ProofA משנה about two women's mixed-up birds
  2. ChallengeThe עולה done below should turn into a חטאת
  3. Rejectionרבי יהושע spoke about one person, not two
  4. ProofA second משנה about three pairs of birds
  5. ChallengeWhy aren't the specified birds valid?
  6. RejectionYou can't say this משנה ignores רבי יהושע
  7. ProofA woman who vowed a pair of birds and also owed one
  8. ProofThe priest offered two above and two below
  9. ProofShe named the kind of bird for her vow and then forgot it
  10. ProofOpening the case where she also fixed how her vow was to be offered