Bava Basra 121a

בבא בתרא קכ״א ע״א

Bava Batra 121a

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Topic

What 'מועדי ה׳' excludes (שבת and הפרת נדרים), and why ט״ו באב was a day of great joy

Overview

The amud opens with the end of a ברייתא saying that 'מועדי ה׳' were stated but שבת בראשית (or, according to בן עזאי, הפרת נדרים) 'was not stated', even though both appear in the Torah. רבי יוסי בר נתן could not understand it, so he traveled to find רב ששת. רב ששת explained that these topics do not share a special rule of the מועדים: שבת needs no קידוש בית דין, and הפרת נדרים needs no מומחין. The גמרא challenges this from 'ראשי המטות' and answers that the פסוק teaches that even a single expert can release a vow. Then a new topic begins with a משנה: ט״ו באב and יום הכפורים were the most joyous days for ישראל. The גמרא asks what made ט״ו באב special. שמואל says the שבטים were allowed to marry each other, and רבי יוחנן says שבט בנימין was allowed back in. רב נחמן says it was the day the מתי מדבר stopped dying, and the supporting teaching continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (12)

1. StatementThe end of the ברייתא: Festivals were stated, Shabbat and vow-annulment were not
2. Questionרבי יוסי בר נתן travels to ask רב ששת what the ברייתא means
3. Responseרב ששת: Festivals need the court to sanctify them, Shabbat does not
4. QuestionWhat does בן עזאי's statement about vows mean?
5. ResponseFestivals need expert judges, annulling vows does not
6. ChallengeBut the Torah says 'heads of the tribes'
7. ResolutionOne expert alone is enough
8. StatementThe most joyous days: ט״ו באב and יום הכפורים
9. QuestionWhy is ט״ו באב so joyous?
10. Responseשמואל: the day the tribes could marry each other
11. Responseרבי יוחנן: the day שבט בנימין was let back in
12. ResponseThird answer: the day the wilderness deaths ended