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Bava Basra 126b

בבא בתרא קכ״ו ע״ב

Bava Batra 126b

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Topic

The בכור's double portion: owning it before division, whether a father can cancel it, how to prove who is the בכור, and the טומטום

Overview

The amud opens by finishing the question of a בכור who sold his extra share before the brothers divided the estate. Two Sages explain the ruling 'he did nothing' in different ways. A ruling from ארץ ישראל suggests the בכור owns nothing before division, but the גמרא rules that he does, and the story of מר זוטרא and רב אשי shows this in practice. Next, a new משנה teaches that a father cannot cancel a son's Torah inheritance or a בכור's double portion. He can still divide his property unequally if he gives it as a מתנה. The גמרא shows that this fits even רבי יהודה, because the son never agreed to give up his rights. רב יוסף then teaches which words of a father prove a son is his בכור, and two stories test that rule. Finally, רבי אמי and רב נחמן בר יצחק teach that a טומטום later found to be male is neither a בכור nor a בן סורר ומורה, because he must be a known son from birth.

Opening lines

מָר סָבַר: לֹא עָשָׂה כְּלוּם –

One Sage holds: he has done nothing

בְּפַלְגָא.

with regard to half.

וּמָר סָבַר: בְּכוּלְּהוּ.

And the other Sage holds: with regard to all of it.

שְׁלַחוּ מִתָּם:

They sent from there:

The steps (17)

  1. StatementTwo ways to understand 'he did nothing'
  2. StatementA ruling sent from ארץ ישראל
  3. ConclusionThe final ruling: the בכור does own his share before division
  4. Proofמר זוטרא splits the peppers equally
  5. StatementA father cannot cancel his son's Torah inheritance
  6. StatementDividing property as a gift works, but not as inheritance
  7. ChallengeDoes the משנה go against רבי יהודה?
  8. ProofThe source: the betrothal condition about food, clothing, and marital relations
  9. RejectionEven רבי יהודה agrees: the wife gave up her rights, the son did not
  10. Statementרב יוסף: 'My firstborn' versus 'a firstborn'
  11. ProofA witness before רבה בר בר חנה: 'His father called him a foolish firstborn'
  12. Rejectionרבה בר בר חנה rejects the nickname as proof
  13. ProofA witness before רבי חנינא: 'His saliva heals because he is a firstborn'
  14. ChallengeBut maybe he is only the mother's firstborn
  15. ResolutionOnly a father's firstborn has healing saliva
  16. StatementA טומטום later found male does not get the double portion
  17. StatementThe same rule applies to בן סורר ומורה