Zevachim 80a

זבחים פ׳ ע״א

Learn Zevachim 80a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Mixtures in רבי אליעזר's rulings: mixed blood needing different placements, mixed cups of fit and unfit blood, and plain water mixed into purification water.

Overview

The amud opens with a משנה about blood from two קרבנות that got mixed together. If both need the same number of placements, the כהן simply does that number. If one needs four placements and the other needs one, רבי אליעזר says to do four and רבי יהושע says to do one. They argue over בל תוסיף and בל תגרע, and רבי יהושע finally argues that adding is an active wrong while leaving out is passive. The גמרא then turns to cups of blood from blemished animals that were mixed with fit cups. רבי אלעזר says רבי אליעזר allowed the remaining cups only two at a time, and he reads the משנה's 'one' as 'one pair.' The גמרא explains why the משנה needed to teach the argument about both limbs and blood. Next it quotes a משנה from פרה about plain water that fell into a flask of purification water. It works out which rules רבי אליעזר must hold so that his advice of two sprinklings makes sense. ריש לקיש, רבא and רב אשי each give a different explanation. The amud ends with a ברייתא from רבי that seems to contradict ריש לקיש, and the discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (21)

1. StatementMixing blood that needs the same number of placements
2. StatementFour placements mixed with one placement: a dispute
3. Challengeרבי אליעזר: doing one placement means taking away
4. Challengeרבי יהושע: doing four placements means adding
5. Resolutionרבי אליעזר: adding only counts when the blood is alone
6. Rejectionרבי יהושע: the same logic works for taking away
7. Proofרבי יהושע: adding is an action, taking away is not
8. Statementרבי אלעזר limits רבי אליעזר's leniency to pairs of cups
9. Challengeרב דימי challenges from the words of the Rabbis
10. Resolution"One" means one pair
11. StatementWhy the argument is needed for limbs and for blood: the first side
12. ConclusionThe second side: both cases had to be taught
13. StatementA related case: plain water falls into a flask of purification water
14. StatementThe Rabbis' view is easy to explain
15. QuestionWhat does רבי אליעזר hold? He must hold there is mixing
16. Questionרבי אליעזר must hold a sprinkling needs a minimum amount
17. ChallengeEither way, two sprinklings still do not seem to work
18. Resolutionריש לקיש: the case is a half-and-half mixture
19. Resolutionרבא: The Second Sprinkling Is a Penalty
20. Resolutionרב אשי: No Mixing, So Sprinkle Twice
21. ChallengeA ברייתא: For רבי אליעזר, Any Amount Purifies