Zevachim 86b

זבחים פ״ו ע״ב

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Topic

The source for the midnight cutoff on burnt-offering limbs: רב's split of the night, רב כהנא's challenge, and רבי יוחנן's new derivation

Overview

The משנה taught that hardened limbs of an עולה that fall off the מזבח before חצות are put back. The גמרא asks for the source of this midnight line. רב points to two phrases about 'all night': one for burning and one for removing the ashes. He splits the night, giving the first half to burning and the second half to removing the ashes. רב כהנא challenges this with a משנה about the times of תרומת הדשן. On ordinary days it was done at the rooster's crow, on יום הכיפורים at midnight, and on רגלים at the first watch. If midnight were a Torah rule, the time could not move earlier or later. So רבי יוחנן gives a new source: the extra words 'until morning' add a 'morning' inside the night, with no fixed Torah hour. The משנה's three times then become practical choices: weakness of the כהן גדול on יום הכיפורים, and early crowds on רגלים. Finally the גמרא opens a new dispute about limbs that came off before midnight and were put back after midnight, and רבה's ruling continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (8)

1. QuestionWhere does the midnight rule come from?
2. ResponseTwo phrases about 'all night' seem to clash
3. ResolutionSplit the night in half
4. Challengeרב כהנא quotes a משנה about when the ashes were removed
5. ChallengeHow can the times be earlier or later than midnight?
6. Responseרבי יוחנן gives a new source from the extra words 'until morning'
7. ResolutionWhy the משנה gives three different times
8. StatementNew dispute: limbs that came off before midnight and were put back after