(Mishnah) R' Akiva responds: Sprinkling proves it, as it is a Mitzvah which is Rabbinically prohibited and it does not override Shabbos; so too, do not be surprised about these, that even though they are a Mitzvah and are Rabbinically prohibited, they should not override Shabbos.

R' Eliezer responds: I also disagree about sprinkling - if slaughtering which is a full Melachah overrides Shabbos, should sprinkling which is merely Rabbinically prohibited not override Shabbos?

R' Akiva responds: Or perhaps it is the opposite - if sprinkling which is Rabbinically prohibited, does not override Shabbos; slaughtering, which is a full Melachah, should certainly not override Shabbos!

R' Eliezer responds: By doing so, you have uprooted a law of the Torah that permits its slaughtering in the afternoon, at its correct time, whether on a weekday or on Shabbos!

R' Akiva responds: There is no fixed time for these things and they could have been done before Shabbos (and about sprinkling also, it does not state that it must be performed "at its correct time'')!

A rule of R' Akiva: Any Melachah that could be done before Shabbos does not override Shabbos; slaughtering cannot be done before Shabbos - it therefore overrides Shabbos.

For thirteen years R' Akiva served in the Beis HaMidrash of R' Eliezer without his attention.

This response of R' Akiva (that sprinkling can prove it) was the start of their debates. R' Yehoshua said to R' Eliezer - (Shoftim 9, 38) "Is this not the nation from which you were repulsed? Please go now and wage war with it'' - (i.e. Respond to R' Akiva's question!)

Mishnah (further on): What is considered to be enough of a distance (from Yerushalayim to be exempt from Pesach Rishon and obligated in Pesach Sheni)? R' Akiva said - From 'Modi'it' outwards and the same distance away from Yerushalayim in all directions. R' Elazar says - from the threshold of the Temple courtyard and outwards.

R' Yochanan: R' Eliezer only spoke in order to prevent a person from receiving Kares.

R' Elazar (Amora): Our Mishnah is a clear proof for R' Yochanan.

The Mishnah had taught: R' Akiva responded that sprinkling proves it as it is a Mitzvah.

Question: Is it actually a Mitzvah to sprinkle?

Answer #1: We can be referring here to when the 7th day of his Taharah process occurred on the 14th which was Shabbos. If it would have been a weekday, he would have been sprinkled and then come to slaughter his Pesach offering; he would then come in and eaten it in the evening. Since it was Shabbos, he could not be sprinkled and he was prevented from performing the Mitzvah of Korban Pesach.

Answer #2 (R' Hoshiya): If the 7th day his Taharah occurred on the 13th which was Shabbos; if it would have been a weekday, he would have been sprinkled and come the next day to slaughter the Pesach and then eaten it that evening. Since it (the 13th) was Shabbos, he was not sprinkled and he was prevented from performing the Mitzvah.

A Beraisa was discovered that support the first answer (and was a question on R' Hoshiya).

Answer (R' Yuda ben Pazi): That Beraisa can follow the opinion (R' Elazar earlier (i)) that holds that from the threshold of the Temple courtyard and outwards is considered distant.

Question: Is there a person who responds (with brazenness) to his Rav by saying "or perhaps it is the opposite''?

Answer: He responded this way as R' Eliezer had taught him that the sprinkling does not override Shabbos, but R' Eliezer had forgotten this when expounding the Kal Vechomer.

(Beraisa - R' Eliezer): Just as slaughtering overrides Shabbos, so preparations for slaughtering override Shabbos.

R' Akiva responds: No - slaughtering could not be done before Shabbos, so it overrides Shabbos; preparations for slaughtering could be done before Shabbos, so they do not override Shabbos.

R' Eliezer responds: Burning the fats of a public sacrifice prove it, as it could be done after Shabbos, but it nevertheless overrides Shabbos. What is the difference between preparations for slaughtering before the slaughtering and acts associated with the slaughtering after the slaughtering?

R' Akiva responds: Acts associated with slaughtering override Shabbos after the slaughtering as they are coming after the slaughtering had overridden Shabbos; but will preparations before the slaughtering override Shabbos - slaughtering had not yet overridden Shabbos?!

An alternative response: Perhaps sacrifice will be disqualified and Shabbos had been overridden without slaughtering!

What could be the concern about allowing the preparations before a circumcision to be done on Shabbos? Perhaps the baby will become sick and Shabbos had been overridden without circumcising!

Question against R' Akiva: If the altar collapsed on Shabbos, it should be permitted to rebuild it as it could not have been done before Shabbos (but we know that it is prohibited)?!

Answer: Usually one can build the altar before Shabbos.

Question: If a wart appeared on Shabbos, it should be permitted to cut it off on Shabbos!

Answer: Usually one can cut off a wart on Erev Shabbos

Question: If the 7th day of his Taharah occurred on Shabbos, it should be permitted to sprinkle on Shabbos!

Answer: Usually one can sprinkle on Erev Shabbos.