Zevachim 74a

זבחים ע״ד ע״א

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Topic

Mixtures with a forbidden item: whether a lost item can be assumed to be the forbidden one, and whether a double doubt (ספק ספיקא) of עבודה זרה is permitted

Overview

The גמרא tries to prove from רבי אליעזר's ruling about the heads of mixed-up עולות that slaughtered offerings caught in a mixture can become fit again. It pushes the proof away: רבי אליעזר follows חנן המצרי, who holds that slaughtered animals are never permanently rejected. Next comes רב's rule that if a ring of עבודה זרה is mixed with a hundred rings and one falls into the sea, we assume the lost one was the forbidden one. רבא challenges this, and רב נחמן answers that רב follows רבי אליעזר. Like רבי אליעזר, רב permits the rings only two at a time. רב then rules about a mixture of rings that split into forty and sixty, and the גמרא rereads him: the whole group of sixty, as the majority, carries the איסור. שמואל objects that with עבודה זרה even a ספק ספיקא stays forbidden forever. This leads to a dispute between רבי יהודה and רבי שמעון, and the גמרא concludes that שמואל follows רבי יהודה only for עבודה זרה. The amud ends by quoting רבי שמעון's 'from ten thousand to three' case again, to examine it on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (18)

1. ProofProof from רבי אליעזר about the heads of burnt offerings
2. Rejectionרבי אליעזר follows חנן המצרי
3. Statementרב: a lost ring is assumed to be the forbidden one
4. Challengeרבא challenges רב from animals that must all die
5. Resolutionרב's ruling follows רבי אליעזר
6. Challengeרבי אליעזר allowed it only two at a time
7. Resolutionרב also means two at a time
8. StatementA forbidden ring mixed in a hundred that split into forty and sixty
9. ChallengeWhy should a single ring from the sixty be different?
10. ResolutionRereading רב: the whole group of forty or sixty moved
11. Statementשמואל says עבודה זרה stays forbidden even through many doubts
12. ChallengeA ברייתא says a double doubt of עבודה זרה is permitted
13. ResolutionIt is a dispute between תנאים: רבי יהודה forbids even a double doubt
14. Proofרבי שמעון permits once the doubt spreads further
15. ChallengeWhose opinion does שמואל follow?
16. ChallengeBlocking the idea that רבי שמעון splits between עבודה זרה and other איסורים
17. Resolutionשמואל agrees with רבי יהודה on one point and disagrees on another
18. StatementQuoting רבי שמעון's 'from ten thousand to three' ruling again