Bava Basra 116a

בבא בתרא קט״ז ע״א

Bava Batra 116a

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Topic

The defeat of the צדוקים on a son's daughter's inheritance, teachings about leaving a son or a student behind, three teachings of רבי פנחס בן חמא, and the grandfather-versus-uncle question.

Overview

This amud opens at the end of a debate with the צדוקים. רבן יוחנן בן זכאי breaks their קל וחומר: a son's daughter has a stronger right than a daughter, because she inherits even alongside brothers. The חכמים win, and the day becomes a festival. A פסוק about שבט בנימין is read as a one-time exception in which a son's daughter did not inherit. רבי שמעון בן יוחאי teaches that God is angry at one who leaves no son. רבי יוחנן and רבי יהושע בן לוי then argue over whether 'those with no replacements' means one with no son or one with no student, and the גמרא works out who said which view. Three teachings of רבי פנחס בן חמא follow: דוד 'slept' because he left a son as great as himself, poverty is harder than fifty plagues, and a חכם should be asked to pray for the sick. Finally the גמרא returns to the משנה's rule that a father comes before his descendants. It uses this rule to answer רמי בר חמא's question of whether a grandfather or an uncle inherits first, and then starts asking why he needed to ask at all, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (21)

1. RejectionBreaking the צדוקי's argument
2. ConclusionThe חכמים win and make the day a festival
3. StatementA special arrangement for שבט בנימין
4. StatementGod is angry at one who leaves no son
5. StatementA dispute over who has 'no replacements'
6. ProofA first guess: רבי יוחנן says 'student'
7. ChallengeChallenge: רבי יהושע בן לוי could not hold the 'son' view
8. ConclusionConclusion: רבי יהושע בן לוי says 'student'
9. Challengeרבי יוחנן seems to contradict himself
10. ResolutionOne view is his own, the other is his teacher's
11. StatementA memory aid for the next three teachings
12. QuestionWhy does דוד 'sleep' but יואב 'die'?
13. ResponseLeaving a son makes death like sleep
14. ChallengeBut יואב did have a son
15. ResolutionA son as great as himself
16. StatementPoverty is harder than fifty plagues
17. StatementAsk a wise person to pray for the sick
18. StatementThe משנה's general rule of inheritance order
19. QuestionGrandfather or uncle: who inherits first
20. Responseרבא: the father comes before his descendants
21. ChallengeWhy did Rami bar Chama need to ask