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Bava Basra 131a

בבא בתרא קל״א ע״א

Bava Batra 131a

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Topic

Whether רבי יוחנן בן ברוקה's inheritance rule applies to a בריא, and whether the כתובה clause for sons proves it

Overview

The amud opens with the end of רבא's instruction: a דיין rules only by what he himself understands. Then רבא asks a new question. Does רבי יוחנן בן ברוקה's rule, that a father may direct his ירושה to one son, work only for a שכיב מרע, or also for a healthy man (בריא)? רב משרשיא answers from the כתובה clause in which a wife's sons 'will inherit' her כתובה money on top of their share. רבי at first says the wording is 'יסבון' (they will take). He later takes that back and proves that the wording is 'ירתון' (they will inherit). Since a healthy man writes the כתובה at his wedding, this seems to show that רבי יוחנן בן ברוקה's rule works even for a בריא. רב פפא pushes back: nobody can transfer to sons who are not born yet, so the clause must work only because it is a תנאי בית דין, and it proves nothing. אביי first defends the proof from the word 'ירתון'. Then he retracts, because the daughters' clause next to it works like a gift, and in a case of 'gift to one, inheritance to another' even the רבנן agree. The amud ends as רב נחומי (or רב חנניה בר מניומי) begins a response to אביי, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מִגְמָר נָמֵי לָא תִּגְמְרוּ מִינֵּיהּ –

but do not learn from it either,

דְּאֵין לַדַּיָּין אֶלָּא מַה שֶּׁעֵינָיו רוֹאוֹת.

as a judge has only what his eyes see.

בָּעֵי רָבָא: בְּבָרִיא הֵיאַךְ?

Rava asks: with a healthy person, how is it?

כִּי קָאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן בְּרוֹקָה –

When Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Beroka said his rule,

The steps (13)

  1. StatementA judge rules only by what he himself sees
  2. QuestionDoes the rule apply to a healthy man too?
  3. ProofA proof from the כתובה clause about sons
  4. Rejectionרבי corrects the wording: 'they will take'
  5. Proofרבי takes back his reply and proves the wording is 'they will inherit'
  6. ConclusionThe משנה follows רבי יוחנן בן ברוקה, even for a healthy person
  7. Challengeרב פפא asks how anyone can transfer to unborn children
  8. ChallengeEven רבי מאיר does not allow giving to someone not yet born
  9. RejectionThe clause for future sons is a special court rule
  10. ResolutionThe proof comes from the word 'they will inherit'
  11. Rejectionאביי takes back his answer and points to the daughters' clause
  12. ConclusionA gift to one and an inheritance to another works for everyone
  13. ChallengeA new speaker turns to אביי