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Bava Basra 118b

בבא בתרא קי״ח ע״ב

Bava Batra 118b

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Topic

The עין הרע and זרע יוסף, and how ארץ ישראל was divided: the portions of the מרגלים, the מתלוננים, עדת קרח and בנות צלפחד

Overview

This amud finishes the story of בני יוסף, who tell יהושע they do not need to fear the עין הרע. Two sources are brought for this: רבי אבהו reads 'עלי עין' as 'עולי עין', and רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא compares יוסף's descendants to fish hidden under water. The גמרא then goes back to the ברייתא about how ארץ ישראל was divided. עולא proves from the word 'חיו' that יהושע and כלב took the portions of the מרגלים. Two ברייתות disagree about whether the מתלוננים and עדת קרח had portions, and the גמרא explains that they disagree about a היקש comparing the מתלוננים to the מרגלים. רב פפא then asks אביי a series of questions. He asks how the ten portions of מנשה add up under each view of who the land was divided among, and the גמרא answers that בנות צלפחד inherited from uncles the פסוק does not name. The amud ends with רב פפא asking what the פסוק is actually counting when it lists those ten portions.

Opening lines

אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: אֲנַן מִזַּרְעָא דְּיוֹסֵף,

They said to him: We are from the seed of Yosef,

דְּלָא שָׁלְטָא בֵּיהּ עֵינָא בִּישָׁא –

over whom the evil eye has no power,

דִּכְתִיב: ״בֵּן פֹּרָת יוֹסֵף,

as it is written: "Yosef is a fruitful son,

בֵּן פֹּרָת עֲלֵי עָיִן״,

a fruitful son by a spring,"

The steps (22)

  1. Responseיוסף's descendants say the evil eye cannot harm them
  2. ProofA second source: יוסף's descendants are like fish
  3. StatementThe ברייתא: יהושע and כלב took the spies' portions
  4. QuestionAsking for the source
  5. Responseעולא brings the verse 'they lived'
  6. Challenge'Lived' cannot just mean they survived
  7. Resolution'Lived' means they lived in the spies' portions
  8. StatementThe ברייתא: the complainers and קרח's group had no portion
  9. ChallengeAnother ברייתא says their portions went to יהושע and כלב
  10. ResolutionThe two ברייתות disagree about a היקש
  11. ProofThe ברייתא that lists the spies, the complainers and קרח's group together
  12. ConclusionOne Sage compares the complainers to the spies and the other does not
  13. ChallengeDid יהושע and כלב take the entire land?
  14. ResolutionOnly the complainers in קרח's group
  15. ChallengeThe ten portions of מנשה fit the view that the land went to those who left מצרים
  16. ChallengeFor the view of those who entered the land, there are only eight portions
  17. RejectionThe other view has the same problem, with only nine portions
  18. ResolutionThey had uncles who are not mentioned in the פסוק
  19. ProofA ברייתא reads the פסוק as giving them several inheritances
  20. Proofרבי אליעזר בן יעקב: they also took their uncle's portion
  21. ResolutionWhere the second uncle comes from
  22. ChallengeWhat is the verse counting when it lists the portions?