## Pesachim Daf 9b

###### Pesachim 9b:1
[Pesachim 9b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Pesachim/r/9b:1)

וּבָא כֹּהֵן וְהֵצִיץ בּוֹ לֵידַע אִם זָכָר הוּא אִם נְקֵבָה הִיא. וּבָא מַעֲשֶׂה לִפְנֵי חֲכָמִים, וְטִיהֲרוּהוּ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁחוּלְדָּה וּבַרְדְּלָס מְצוּיִין שָׁם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**and a priest came and glanced at** the baby **to ascertain whether it is male** or **whether it is female,** as a woman who has just given birth, even to a stillborn, is ritually impure for different lengths of time, depending on whether she gave birth to a male or a female (see Leviticus 12). **And** the **incident came before the Sages,** to rule whether or not the priest contracted ritual impurity when standing over the corpse, **and they deemed him ritually pure.** The basis for this ruling was **due to** the fact that as **a marten and a polecat [*bardelas*] are found there,** it is likely that the baby was dragged away before the priest arrived at the pit.


###### Pesachim 9b:2
[Pesachim 9b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Pesachim/r/9b:2)

וְהָא הָכָא — דְּוַדַּאי הֵטִילָה, וְסָפֵק גֵּרְרוּהוּ וְסָפֵק לֹא גֵּרְרוּהוּ הָהִיא שַׁעְתָּא, וְקָאָתֵי סָפֵק וּמוֹצִיא מִידֵי וַדַּאי! לָא תֵּימָא ״שֶׁהֵטִילָה נֵפֶל לְבוֹר״, אֶלָּא אֵימָא: ״שֶׁהִפִּילָה כְּמִין נֵפֶל לְבוֹר״, וְהָוֵי סָפֵק וְסָפֵק.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** yet **here, where it is certain that she threw** the stillborn baby into the pit, **and it is uncertain** whether a marten or polecat **dragged it** away **and it is uncertain** whether **it did not drag it** away **at that time,** the Sages nevertheless ruled that **an uncertainty comes and overrides a certainty.** The Gemara rejects this contention: **Do not say** in the *baraita* **that she** certainly **threw a stillborn into a pit; rather, say that she threw** an object **similar to a stillborn into a pit.** Perhaps it was not a stillborn baby; it might have simply been congealed blood, which does not transmit impurity. **And** therefore, **this is** a conflict between **uncertainty and uncertainty.** It is unclear whether there was anything in the pit that could have rendered the priest ritually impure, and even if there was, it might have already been dragged away.


###### Pesachim 9b:3
[Pesachim 9b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Pesachim/r/9b:3)

וְהָא ״לֵידַע אִם זָכָר הוּא אִם נְקֵבָה הִיא״ קָתָנֵי! הָכִי קָאָמַר: לֵידַע אִם רוּחַ הִפִּילָה, אִם נֵפֶל הִפִּילָה. וְאִם תִּמְצָא לוֹמַר נֵפֶל הִפִּילָה: לֵידַע אִם זָכָר הוּא וְאִם נְקֵבָה הִיא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara retorts: **But isn’t it taught** in the *baraita*: **To ascertain whether it is male** or **whether it is female,** indicating that the only uncertainty was with regard to gender; it was certainly a stillborn baby. The Gemara rejects this proof, as **this is** what the *baraita* **is saying:** The priest sought **to ascertain whether she miscarried** mere **wind,** i.e., an amorphous mass, or **if she miscarried a stillborn** baby. **And if you say** that **she miscarried a stillborn,** he sought **to ascertain whether it is male** or **whether it is female.**


###### Pesachim 9b:4
[Pesachim 9b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Pesachim/r/9b:4)

וְאִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא: הָתָם וַדַּאי וּוַדַּאי הוּא, כֵּיוָן דְּחוּלְדָּה וּבַרְדְּלָס מְצוּיִין שָׁם — וַדַּאי גֵּרְרוּהוּ בְּהָהִיא שַׁעְתָּא. נְהִי דְּשַׁיּוֹרֵי מְשַׁיְּירָא — מִיגְרָר מִיהַת וַדַּאי גֵּרְרוּם בְּהָהִיא שַׁעְתָּא. (לִישָּׁנָא אַחֲרִינָא: נְהִי דְּוַדַּאי אֲכָלוּם לָא אָמְרִינַן, וַדַּאי גֵּרְרוּהוּ לְחוֹרַיְיהוּ — אָמְרִינַן.)

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And if you wish, say** instead: **There it is** not a conflict between certainty and uncertainty; rather it is between **certainty and certainty. Since a marten and a polecat are found there, they certainly dragged it** away **at that time,** without delay. **Although** martens **leave** part of their food, **in any case they certainly dragged** the baby to their holes **at that time. Another version** of this answer: **Although we do not say that they certainly ate** the stillborn, **we do say that they certainly dragged it to their holes.** Consequently, the ruling in this case does not contradict the general principle that an uncertainty does not override a certainty.


###### Pesachim 9b:5
[Pesachim 9b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Pesachim/r/9b:5)

וּמִי אָמְרִינַן אֵין חוֹשְׁשִׁין שֶׁמָּא גֵּרְרָה חוּלְדָּה? וְהָא קָתָנֵי סֵיפָא: מַה שֶּׁמְּשַׁיֵּיר יַנִּיחֶנּוּ בְּצִנְעָה, שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא צָרִיךְ בְּדִיקָה אַחֲרָיו.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara proceeds to analyze a more fundamental aspect of the mishna: **And do we say** that **one** need **not be concerned** that **perhaps a marten dragged** the leaven? **But isn’t it taught in the last clause,** in the next mishna: With regard to the leaven **that** one **leaves** after the search, he should **place it in** a **concealed** location, so **that** it **will not require searching after it?** Apparently, there is concern lest a marten take some of the remaining leaven.


###### Pesachim 9b:6
[Pesachim 9b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Pesachim/r/9b:6)

אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: לָא קַשְׁיָא הָא — בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר, הָא — בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר. בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר דִּשְׁכִיחַ רִיפְתָּא בְּכוּלְּהוּ בָּתֵּי — לָא מַצְנְעָא. בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר דְּלָא שְׁכִיחָא רִיפְתָּא בְּכוּלְּהוּ בָּתֵּי — מַצְנְעָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Abaye said:** This is **not difficult; this** ruling is referring **to the fourteenth** of Nisan, whereas **that** ruling is referring **to the thirteenth.** The Gemara elaborates: **On the thirteenth** of Nisan, **when bread is** still **found in every house,** the marten **does not conceal** the leaven, and therefore there is no concern that perhaps the marten dragged the leaven elsewhere and concealed it. However, **on the fourteenth** of Nisan, **when bread is not found in any** of the **houses,** the marten **hides** the leaven.


###### Pesachim 9b:7
[Pesachim 9b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Pesachim/r/9b:7)

אָמַר רָבָא: וְכִי חוּלְדָּה נְבִיאָה הִיא! דְּיָדְעָא דְּהָאִידָּנָא אַרְבֵּיסַר, וְלָא אָפֵי עַד לְאוּרְתָּא, וּמְשַׁיְּירָא וּמְטַמְּרָא?! אֶלָּא, אָמַר רָבָא: מַה שֶּׁמְּשַׁיֵּיר — יַנִּיחֶנּוּ בְּצִנְעָה, שֶׁמָּא תִּטּוֹל חוּלְדָּה בְּפָנֵינוּ, וִיהֵא צָרִיךְ בְּדִיקָה אַחֲרָיו.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rava said** in surprise: **And is the marten a prophetess that knows that now** is **the fourteenth** of Nisan **and no** one will **bake until the evening, and it leaves** over bread **and conceals** it in its hole? **Rather, Rava** rejected Abaye’s answer and **said:** With regard to the leaven **that** one **leaves** after the search, he should **place it in** a **concealed** location, **lest a marten take it before us and** it **will require searching after it.** Only if one actually sees the marten take the leaven, is he required to search after it.


###### Pesachim 9b:8
[Pesachim 9b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Pesachim/r/9b:8)

תַּנְיָא כְּווֹתֵיהּ דְּרָבָא: הָרוֹצֶה לֶאֱכוֹל חָמֵץ אַחַר בְּדִיקָה, כֵּיצַד יַעֲשֶׂה? מַה שֶּׁמְּשַׁיֵּיר יַנִּיחֶנּוּ בְּצִנְעָה, שֶׁלֹּא תָּבוֹא חוּלְדָּה וְתִיטּוֹל בְּפָנֵינוּ, וִיהֵא צָרִיךְ בְּדִיקָה אַחֲרָיו.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**It was taught** in a *baraita* **in accordance with** the opinion **of Rava: One who wishes to eat leavened bread after** his **search, what should he do?** With regard to the leaven **that** one **leaves** after the search, he should **place it in** a **concealed** location, **so that a marten will not come and take it before us, and he will need to search** the house **after it.**


###### Pesachim 9b:9
[Pesachim 9b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Pesachim/r/9b:9)

רַב מָרִי אָמַר: גְּזֵירָה שֶׁמָּא יַנִּיחַ עֶשֶׂר וְיִמְצָא תֵּשַׁע.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Mari said** that there is a different resolution of the apparent contradiction between the *baraitot*: One conceals the leaven that he found, due to **a decree lest he place ten** pieces of bread **and find** only **nine.** Since the tenth piece is missing, he will be obligated to conduct an additional search.


###### Pesachim 9b:10
[Pesachim 9b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Pesachim/r/9b:10)

תֵּשַׁע צִיבּוּרִין שֶׁל מַצָּה וְאֶחָד שֶׁל חָמֵץ, וַאֲתָא עַכְבָּר וּשְׁקַל. וְלָא יָדְעִינַן אִי מַצָּה שְׁקַל אִי חָמֵץ שְׁקַל — הַיְינוּ תֵּשַׁע חֲנוּיוֹת. פֵּירֵשׁ, וַאֲתָא עַכְבָּר וּשְׁקַל — הַיְינוּ סֵיפָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Apropos the issue of leaven taken by a rodent, the Gemara analyzes a series of similar cases. In a case where there were **nine piles of *matza* and one pile of leavened bread, and** one saw **a mouse come and take** a morsel from a pile, **and we do not know if it took *matza*** or **if it took leavened bread, this is** akin to the case of **nine stores** in the mishna cited below. If a portion became **separated** from one of the piles and we did not know if it was *matza* or leaven, **and** one saw **a mouse come and take it, that is** akin to the case mentioned in **the latter clause** of that mishna.


###### Pesachim 9b:11
[Pesachim 9b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Pesachim/r/9b:11)

דִּתְנַן: תֵּשַׁע חֲנוּיוֹת, כּוּלָּן מוֹכְרִין בְּשַׂר שְׁחוּטָה, וְאַחַת מוֹכֶרֶת בְּשַׂר נְבֵלָה, וְלָקַח מֵאַחַת מֵהֶן, וְאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ מֵאֵיזֶה מֵהֶן לָקַח — סְפֵיקוֹ אָסוּר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara elaborates. **As we learned** in a *baraita*: With regard to **nine stores** in a city, **all of which sell** kosher **meat** from **a slaughtered** animal, **and one** other store that **sells meat** from unslaughtered **animal carcasses, and** a person **took** meat **from one of them and he does not know from which one he took** the meat, in this case of **uncertainty,** the meat **is prohibited.** This ruling is based on the principle: The legal status of an item fixed in its place is that of an uncertainty that is equally balanced. In this case, when it comes to determining whether or not this meat comes from a kosher store, the two types of stores are regarded as though they were equal in number.


###### Pesachim 9b:12
[Pesachim 9b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Pesachim/r/9b:12)

וּבַנִּמְצָא — הַלֵּךְ אַחַר הָרוֹב.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
This *baraita* continues: **And in** the case of meat **found** outside, **follow the majority.** If most stores in the city sell kosher meat one can assume that the meat he found is kosher, based on the principle: Any item separated, i.e., not fixed in its place, is presumed to have been separated from the majority. By the same token, if most stores in that city sell non-kosher meat, the meat found is presumed to be non-kosher. These two principles can be applied to the cases involving piles of *matza* and leaven: If the morsel was separated from the piles when taken by the mouse, follow the majority. However, if the mouse took the morsel from one of the piles, the legal status of the morsel is that of an equally balanced uncertainty concerning whether it was taken from a pile of *matza* or a pile of leaven, and the owner is required to conduct an additional search.


###### Pesachim 9b:13
[Pesachim 9b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Pesachim/r/9b:13)

שְׁנֵי צִיבּוּרִין, אֶחָד שֶׁל מַצָּה וְאֶחָד שֶׁל חָמֵץ. וְלִפְנֵיהֶם שְׁנֵי בָתִּים, אֶחָד בָּדוּק וְאֶחָד שֶׁאֵינוֹ בָּדוּק. וַאֲתוֹ שְׁנֵי עַכְבָּרִים, אֶחָד שְׁקַל מַצָּה, וְאֶחָד שְׁקַל חָמֵץ. וְלָא יָדְעִינַן הֵי לְהַאי עָיֵיל וְהֵי לְהַאי עָיֵיל, הַיְינוּ שְׁתֵּי קוּפּוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara discusses another case: There are **two piles, one of *matza* and one of leavened bread, and before them** there are **two houses, one** which was **searched and one** which was **not searched, and two mice came,** and in our presence **one took *matza* and one took leavened bread.** Each mouse went into a different house, **and we do not know which** mouse **entered this** house **and which** mouse **entered that** house. It is unclear whether or not the mouse that took the leaven entered the house that was searched. **This** situation **is** akin to the case of **two baskets.**


###### Pesachim 9b:14
[Pesachim 9b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Pesachim/r/9b:14)

דִּתְנַן: שְׁתֵּי קוּפּוֹת, אַחַת שֶׁל חוּלִּין וְאַחַת שֶׁל תְּרוּמָה. וְלִפְנֵיהֶם שְׁנֵי סְאִין, אֶחָד שֶׁל חוּלִּין וְאֶחָד שֶׁל תְּרוּמָה. וְנָפְלוּ אֵלּוּ לְתוֹךְ אֵלּוּ — מוּתָּרִין. שֶׁאֲנִי אוֹמֵר, חוּלִּין לְתוֹךְ חוּלִּין נָפְלוּ, וּתְרוּמָה לְתוֹךְ תְּרוּמָה נָפְלָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**As we learned** in the *Tosefta*: There are **two baskets, one** filled with **non-sacred** produce **and** the other **one** filled with ***teruma*, and before them** are **two** vessels each containing a ***se’a*** of produce, **one** filled with **non-sacred** produce **and** the other **one** filled with ***teruma*. And these,** the contents of each of the baskets, **fell into those,** each of the *se’a* vessels. It is possible that the *teruma* fell into the non-sacred produce, and it is prohibited for non-priests to eat a mixture of *teruma* and non-sacred produce. Nevertheless, the contents of the *se’a* vessel containing the non-sacred produce **is permitted, as I say** that **the non-sacred produce fell into the non-sacred produce and the *teruma* fell into the *teruma*.** Likewise, with regard to leaven, presumably the mouse took the leaven into the house that had not been searched, and there is no need to conduct an additional search of the house that was already searched.


###### Pesachim 9b:15
[Pesachim 9b:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Pesachim/r/9b:15)

אֵימוֹר דְּאָמְרִינַן ״שֶׁאֲנִי אוֹמֵר״

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara rejects this comparison: **Say that we state** and apply the principle: **As I say,** and assume that everything occurred in a way that preserves the produce in its permitted state