Bava Basra 129a

בבא בתרא קכ״ט ע״א

Bava Batra 129a

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Topic

Whom מר זוטרא's ruling rejects, and how mixing 'gift' and 'inheritance' wording works when a dying man divides his property

Overview

The גמרא first asks whose opinion מר זוטרא's ruling for רבי אבא is meant to reject. It finds that the ruling rejects רבי יוחנן's view about testifying to a בכור and מר בר רב אשי's objection. Next it turns to the משנה about a שכיב מרע who divides his property. רב דימי, in the name of רבי יוחנן, explains what a gift 'at the beginning, end, and middle' sounds like. He limits this to one person and one field, while רבי אלעזר allows it even when only the person or only the field is shared. רבין reports a different version of רבי יוחנן that allows even two people and two fields. When אביי objects, רבין answers that the two reporters hold different traditions of רבי יוחנן's view, and ריש לקיש adds his own condition. The sages of בבל split the same way: רב המנונא, רב נחמן and רב ששת. רב ששת then begins quoting a ברייתא about weekly money for children as his proof, and the proof continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (15)

1. ChallengeWhich opinion does מר זוטרא's ruling reject? Three options fail
2. ResolutionThe ruling rejects רבי יוחנן and מר בר רב אשי's objection
3. QuestionWhat does a gift at the beginning, middle, or end look like?
4. Responseרב דימי gives the three wordings in the name of רבי יוחנן
5. StatementThe ruling works only with one person and one field
6. Statementרבי אלעזר widens the rule
7. Statementרבין's report: a dispute about two people and two fields
8. Challengeאביי shows that רבי אלעזר's two statements fit together
9. ChallengeThe two reports of רבי יוחנן contradict each other
10. ResolutionTwo different traditions about רבי יוחנן
11. Statementריש לקיש requires everything to be spelled out
12. Statementרב המנונא limits the rule to one person and one field
13. Statementרב נחמן allows one shared detail
14. Statementרב ששת allows even two people and two fields
15. Proofרב ששת begins his proof from a ברייתא about weekly money for children