01
Structure of a source question
- 1A law is presented (in a mishnah or statement).
- 2Question: "mena hani milei?" / "menalan?"
- 3Answer: "de-amar kra..." - a verse; or "sevara hi" - reasoning.
- 4Sometimes: one source is rejected and another proposed.
Course map
Chapter 6 · Sources inside the Gemara
Mena hani milei - searching for the source
Lesson 26 of 37 15 min
One of the Gemara's most common questions: where does this law come from? We learn the fixed structure of a source question and its possible answers.
Lesson goals
- 01Recognise source questions
- 02Know the answer types: verse, reasoning, tradition
- 03Understand "sevara hi"
02
When reasoning is the source
Not every law needs a verse. When the Gemara answers "sevara hi", it says the logic itself requires the law. It may even ask: "why do I need a verse? It is reasoning!" - why a verse, if it is self-evident?
Insight
The Gemara respects logic. A learner who seeks the reasoning thinks like the Gemara.
Practice
Choose a familiar law (e.g. returning a lost object) and frame it as a "mena hani milei" question with two possible answers.
Lesson wrap-up
Ask "mena hani milei" and you build the law from its foundation.
Check your understanding
Test yourself before marking the lesson complete.
Question 1 of 3
What does "mena hani milei" mean?