Bava Basra 118a

בבא בתרא קי״ח ע״א

Bava Batra 118a

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Topic

How ארץ ישראל was divided (יוצאי מצרים or באי הארץ): רב פפא's challenges from the פסוק, בנות צלפחד and בני יוסף, and אביי's rejected inference that everyone received a share.

Overview

The גמרא keeps testing the view that ארץ ישראל was divided among those who entered the land (באי הארץ) rather than those who left Egypt (יוצאי מצרים). First, the פסוק 'לרב תרבו נחלתו' seems to teach something obvious under that view, and the גמרא leaves it as a קשיא. Then רב פפא asks אביי why בנות צלפחד complained, since their father never entered the land. The answer is that they were claiming their share of their grandfather חפר's land when the portions were 'returned' to the generation that left Egypt. רב פפא next asks why בני יוסף complained about too small a portion. The answer is that they had many young children who got no share. אביי then infers that nobody else was left without land, because anyone left out would have protested and the protest would be recorded. The גמרא rejects his proof: the failed protest of בני יוסף was written only to teach a lesson about guarding against עין הרע, as יהושע told them to hide in the forests.

Opening lines

The steps (9)

1. ChallengeThe verse about larger families is hard to explain if the land went to those who entered
2. ChallengeWhy did בנות צלפחד complain?
3. ResolutionThey were claiming their grandfather's share when the land was returned
4. ChallengeWhy did בני יוסף complain?
5. ResolutionThey complained because of their many young children
6. Statementאביי infers that nobody was left without a share
7. Rejectionאביי blocks the idea that only successful protests were recorded
8. Rejectionבני יוסף were recorded to teach good advice
9. Proofיהושע told them to hide in the forests