Bava Basra 134a

בבא בתרא קל״ד ע״א

Bava Batra 134a

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Topic

שמאי's protest and the בית חורון gift rule, the greatness of הלל's students, and a new משנה on believing a man about his son or brother

Overview

The amud opens as יונתן בן עוזיאל finishes his answer to שמאי. A man had given יונתן his property to keep it away from his sons, and יונתן gave part of it back to them. יונתן argues that if his sale and his dedication to the מקדש stand, his return to the sons stands too, and שמאי admits defeat. The גמרא explains that שמאי had relied on the case of בית חורון. There, a son gave a courtyard and a meal to a friend only so his vowing father could attend a wedding. From that case the חכמים ruled that a gift the receiver cannot dedicate is not a real gift. Since יונתן came up, the גמרא brings a ברייתא about the eighty students of הלל. Even the smallest of them, רבן יוחנן בן זכאי, mastered every area of Torah, and birds flying over the greatest, יונתן בן עוזיאל, were burned while he learned. A new משנה then teaches that a man is believed when he says 'this is my son,' but not when he says 'this is my brother,' except from his own share. The גמרא begins by explaining that 'this is my son' is believed so that the son inherits him and his wife is exempt from יבום.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. Resolutionיונתן finishes his defense: what I returned stands
2. Conclusionשמאי admits defeat
3. QuestionWhat was שמאי thinking at first?
4. ResponseBecause of the incident in בית חורון
5. ProofThe case: a son gives his courtyard and meal to a friend for his father's sake
6. ProofThe friend dedicates everything, and the son protests
7. ProofThe friend exposes the gift as a trick
8. ProofThe Sages' rule: a gift that cannot be dedicated is not a gift
9. StatementThe eighty students of הלל הזקן
10. StatementEverything רבן יוחנן בן זכאי mastered
11. StatementExplaining 'a great matter' and 'a small matter'
12. ProofA verse: those who love Torah are filled with treasures
13. StatementIf the smallest student was this great, the greatest was even greater
14. StatementBirds were burned when יונתן בן עוזיאל learned Torah
15. StatementA man is believed about 'my son' but not about 'my brother'
16. StatementIf the 'brother' dies, the property goes back to the speaker
17. StatementProperty from elsewhere is shared by all the brothers
18. QuestionWhat practical difference does 'this is my son' make?
19. ResponseThe son inherits him, and his wife is exempt from levirate marriage