Today’s daf is dedicated by Racheli Mendelson in memory of her mother Shoshana Spitz z”l on her third yahrzeit.
Rabbi Yehuda doesn’t permit checking for chametz during the time that it is forbidden to eat chametz in case you may come to eat it. The rabbis permit. The gemara brings a contradiction from the new grain that is permitted after sacrificing the omer – as the shuk would immediately open with flour and toasted flour from the new crop – was this allowed or not? Should one be concerned that they may come to eat it while they were preparing the grain earlier? There the rabbis forbade and Rabbi Yehuda permitted? The rabbis bring three possible answers and questions are raised from other sources on each of these answers. From when is chametz forbidden on erev Pesach and by when does one need to burn the chametz? The rabbis forbid it earlier than it is actually forbidden so that people don’t make mistakes in the timing. The gemara bring the mishna in Sanhedrin 40 that describes a debate between Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda about contradictory witnesses – to what extent can we assume they make a mistake and therefore even though they contradict each other, we accept their testimony as they really are not saying anything different. Abaye explains what is the root of the debate between them.
