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Bava Basra 119a

בבא בתרא קי״ט ע״א

Bava Batra 119a

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Topic

The division of ארץ ישראל: the sons of the מרגלים, the בכור's double share for בנות צלפחד, and whether ארץ ישראל counts as מוחזק

Overview

This amud deals with how ארץ ישראל was divided, with a focus on בנות צלפחד. First, the גמרא finishes explaining what a פסוק is counting, and learns that בנות צלפחד received their father's בכורה share, so ארץ ישראל counts as already מוחזק. Next it looks at the sons of the מרגלים and מתלוננים. One ברייתא says they took land through their grandfathers, and another says they took it on their own merit. The גמרא gives two answers: the ברייתות follow different views (יוצאי מצרים or באי הארץ), or the difference is whether the son was twenty. Then the גמרא asks how צלפחד could take a double בכור share of land that חפר never held, since a בכור does not take double in ראוי. רב יהודה, quoting שמואל, says the משנה means movable things like tent pegs. רבה rejects this from a ברייתא about the daughters' four land portions, and says instead that ארץ ישראל counts as מוחזק. The גמרא then begins a challenge from a ברייתא of רבי שמעון השקמוני: משה knew the daughters inherit but was unsure about the בכורה share, and the parallel case of the מקושש. That ברייתא continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

לְעוֹלָם בָּתֵּי אָבוֹת קָא חָשֵׁיב,

Actually, it is counting fathers' houses,

וְהָא קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן –

and this is what it teaches us:

דִּבְנוֹת צְלָפְחָד נָטְלוּ חֵלֶק בְּכוֹרָה;

that the daughters of Zelophehad took the firstborn's portion;

אַלְמָא אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל מוּחְזֶקֶת הִיא.

evidently, Eretz Yisrael is considered already possessed.

The steps (11)

  1. ResolutionThe verse counts fathers' houses and teaches that בנות צלפחד took the בכורה share
  2. ChallengeDid the sons take land through their grandfathers or on their own merit?
  3. ResolutionEach ברייתא follows a different view of who the land was divided among
  4. ResolutionBoth follow באי הארץ: the difference is whether the son was twenty
  5. ChallengeHow could צלפחד take a double share of property that was only ראוי?
  6. ResolutionThe משנה is talking about tent pegs
  7. Challengeרבה challenges the tent pegs answer
  8. Resolutionרבה: ארץ ישראל counts as already owned
  9. ChallengeA ברייתא: משה was unsure about the firstborn share
  10. StatementThe inheritance section was written through the daughters' merit
  11. StatementThe parallel case of the wood-gatherer