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Bava Basra 102b

בבא בתרא ק״ב ע״ב

Bava Batra 102b

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Topic

Finishing the burial-cave and crowding contradictions of פרק המוכר פירות, then opening the new פרק on selling a בית כור with crevices and rocks

Overview

The גמרא has been trying to match the burial-cave measurements in the earlier משנה with the view of רבי שמעון. רב שישא בריה דרב אידי says the משנה does follow רבי שמעון, because one chamber was a smaller one built for נפלים, and that brings the total to twenty אמות. The גמרא asks why both chambers would not be small, which would make eighteen. It answers that we assume only one small chamber, not two. Next the גמרא points out that רבי שמעון and the רבנן seem to switch sides between crowded burials and a crowded vineyard in כלאים. It resolves both contradictions by looking at how people actually behave. Vines are planted to stay, but a farmer will thin out weak ones. A rushed burial may be temporary, and crowded graves are a disgrace. Then פרק המוכר פירות ends, and a new פרק opens with a משנה about selling a בית כור, where wording the sale as exact or as "about" decides whether crevices and rocks of ten טפחים are counted. The גמרא begins by quoting a parallel משנה from ערכין about redeeming a consecrated field, and that discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

רַב שִׁישָׁא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב אִידִי אָמַר:

Rav Sheisha, son of Rav Idi, said:

לְעוֹלָם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הִיא,

Actually, it is Rabbi Shimon,

וְהָכָא בְּמַאי עָסְקִינַן – בְּנִיפְלֵי.

and here, what are we dealing with? With non-viable newborns.

וּמִדְּהָא בְּנִיפְלֵי –

But since this one is for non-viable newborns,

The steps (12)

  1. Resolutionרב שישא: The משנה follows רבי שמעון, with a chamber for נפלים
  2. ChallengeIf one chamber is for נפלים, why not the other one too?
  3. ResolutionWe assume one chamber for נפלים, but not two
  4. ChallengeContradictions within the רבנן and within רבי שמעון
  5. ProofThe source: a crowded vineyard
  6. ChallengeStating the double contradiction
  7. ResolutionWhy רבי שמעון treats vines and graves differently
  8. ResolutionWhy the רבנן treat graves and vines differently
  9. ConclusionHadran — Closing פרק המוכר פירות
  10. StatementSelling an exact בית כור: big crevices and rocks are not counted
  11. StatementSelling about a בית כור: even big crevices and rocks are counted
  12. StatementThe גמרא brings a parallel משנה about a consecrated field