Zevachim 78a

זבחים ע״ח ע״א

Learn Zevachim 78a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Mixtures: blood of a קרבן mixed with other liquids, and forbidden foods that cancel each other out

Overview

The amud first finishes the משנה about blood that got mixed with other things. רבי יהודה holds that blood never cancels out other blood. Good blood mixed with blood of פסולין, or with דם התמצית, is poured into the drain. רבי אליעזר allows the תמצית mixture, and if the כהן already put it on the מזבח without asking, the קרבן still counts. In the גמרא, רבי יוחנן says the 'looks like blood' rule works only when water fell into blood; blood that drips into water is cancelled drop by drop. רב פפא adds that this is not so for כיסוי הדם, because אין דחוי במצוות. Then ריש לקיש rules that someone who eats a mixture of פיגול, נותר and טמא meat gets no מלקות, and the גמרא learns three rules from him. רבא attacks one of those rules, that נותן טעם with a majority is not from the Torah, using a משנה about a wheat-and-rice dough. The answer that the חלה obligation is only מדרבנן runs into the end of that משנה, which lets this dough count for the Torah מצוה of מצה. The discussion of this challenge continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (10)

1. Statementרבי יהודה: Blood does not cancel out blood
2. StatementMixed with unfit blood or with seeping blood
3. StatementIf the כהן already placed it, it is valid
4. StatementOnly when water fell into blood
5. StatementFor covering the blood, the rule is different
6. StatementEating a mixture of three forbidden meats brings no lashes
7. ConclusionThree lessons learned from ריש לקיש
8. Challengeרבא challenges with a dough of wheat and rice
9. ResolutionThe חלה obligation there is only rabbinic
10. ChallengeThe end of the משנה lets this dough be used for the Torah מצוה of מצה