Bava Basra 124b

בבא בתרא קכ״ד ע״ב

Bava Batra 124b

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Topic

Following רבי against a group of חכמים, and whether a בכור takes a double share of improvements, loans and interest.

Overview

The amud opens by explaining why an earlier Sage was unsure whether to follow רבי. The question is whether the rule that the הלכה follows רבי against one colleague also holds against a group of חכמים. רב says it is forbidden to rule like רבי. רב נחמן says it is permitted. רבא says not to do it at the start, but a ruling already made stands. Two versions of a teaching on 'בכל אשר ימצא לו' follow: one matches רבי and one matches the רבנן on whether a בכור doubles property that improved on its own. The גמרא then asks whose view two rulings follow and settles both with the רבנן. שמואל's rule gives no double share of a loan. The ruling from ארץ ישראל gives double of the loan but not the interest, because it treats a loan as already collected. אמימר taught that same ruling, and רבינא explains that he follows the approach of נהרדעא, seen in רב נחמן's view that collected money is doubled while רבה says collected land is. The amud ends as אביי begins to challenge both רבה and רב נחמן, and his challenge continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (20)

1. ResponseWhy the earlier Sage was unsure about following רבי
2. Statementרב says it is forbidden to rule like רבי
3. Statementרב נחמן says it is permitted to rule like רבי
4. Statementרבא's middle path: don't rule like רבי, but a ruling already given stands
5. Proofרב נחמן's version of the teaching matches רבי
6. Proofרמי בר חמא's version of the teaching matches the רבנן
7. Statementשמואל: a בכור does not take a double share of a loan
8. QuestionWhose view is שמואל's rule? Not the רבנן
9. Responseשמואל's rule follows רבי
10. ChallengeA ברייתא that fits neither רבי nor the רבנן
11. Resolutionשמואל really follows the רבנן, and his rule was still needed
12. StatementRuling from ארץ ישראל: double of the loan but not the interest
13. QuestionWhose view is the ruling from ארץ ישראל?
14. ResponseThe ruling must follow רבי
15. ChallengeBut רבי gives a double share of the interest too
16. ResolutionIt follows the רבנן, since a loan counts as already collected
17. Statementאמימר taught the same ruling
18. ResponseThe scholars of נהרדעא follow their usual approach
19. Proofרבה and רב נחמן on debts paid in land or money
20. Challengeאביי says both opinions are difficult