Zevachim 97b

זבחים צ״ז ע״ב

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Topic

How a חטאת passes its status through absorption, why the עשה of eating does not override the prohibition, and how the list of offerings in ויקרא 7:37 spreads laws to all קדשים

Overview

This amud finishes a ברייתא on the פסוק 'כל אשר יגע בבשרה יקדש'. Food takes on a חטאת's status only if it absorbs from the חטאת's meat. Only the spot that absorbed is affected, and it is cut off. Touching the sinews, bones, horns or hooves does nothing. The food becomes like the חטאת: it is פסול if the חטאת was פסולה, and it is eaten under the חטאת's stricter rules if the חטאת was כשרה. The גמרא asks why the עשה of eating the sacrificial meat doesn't override the prohibition. רבא answers that an עשה does not override a לא תעשה connected to the מקדש, and he proves this from the bones of the קרבן פסח. רב אשי answers instead that 'יקדש' is itself an עשה, so one עשה cannot override a לא תעשה joined by another עשה. Next, שמואל in the name of רבי אליעזר applies the absorption rule to all קדשים, using the פסוק that lists all the offerings together. The גמרא explains two lessons from that list: every offering needs a knife, like an עולה (learned from אברהם at the עקידה), and every offering is eaten only by male כהנים, like a מנחה. When the גמרא asks which offering actually needs that second lesson, it answers 'תנאי היא', and the next amud explains this disagreement.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. StatementOnly absorption counts
2. StatementOnly the touching part becomes disqualified
3. StatementOnly the meat passes on the status
4. StatementThe touching food becomes like the חטאת
5. ChallengeWhy doesn't the מצוה of eating override the prohibition?
6. Resolutionרבא: no overriding for Temple prohibitions
7. ProofProof from the bones of the קרבן פסח
8. Resolutionרב אשי: an עשה and a לא תעשה stand together
9. QuestionDo other offerings also pass on status by absorption?
10. ResponseThe verse that lists all the offerings together
11. StatementFrom the עולה: every offering needs a utensil
12. ChallengeWhich utensil? Not the blood bowl
13. ResolutionThe utensil is the slaughtering knife
14. QuestionHow do we know an עולה itself needs a knife?
15. ResponseProof from אברהם at the עקידה
16. StatementSecond lesson: all offerings are eaten only by male כהנים
17. Challengeחטאת and אשם already have this rule written
18. Challengeשלמי ציבור already have their own source too
19. ResolutionIt depends on a disagreement between תנאים