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Bava Basra 134b

בבא בתרא קל״ד ע״ב

Bava Batra 134b

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Topic

"זה בני" and the reasoning of הואיל: how far a husband is believed about divorcing his wife, and whether a statement can be split

Overview

The משנה taught that a man who says "זה בני" (this is my son) is believed. The גמרא explains that the new point is freeing his wife from יבום, even when he is known to have a brother. שמואל's reason, in its corrected form, is הואיל: he is believed because he has the power to divorce her now. רב יוסף uses this to say that a husband who says "I divorced my wife" is believed. A report from רבי יוחנן seems to reject that, but another report of רבי יוחנן says he is believed. The גמרא settles it: he is not believed about the past (למפרע), but he is believed about the future (להבא). רב מארי and רב זביד then argue whether a past claim can at least count from now on, which is the question of splitting a statement (פלגינן דיבורא). The view that we do not split is defended against רבא's adultery ruling. We split a statement between two people, but not about one person.

Opening lines

לְיוֹרְשׁוֹ – פְּשִׁיטָא!

Regarding inheriting him, it is obvious!

לִפְטוֹר אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ מִן הַיִּבּוּם

To exempt his wife from levirate marriage

אִצְטְרִיכָא לֵיהּ.

it was necessary for it.

הָא נָמֵי תְּנֵינָא –

We already learned this as well:

The steps (17)

  1. ChallengeBeing believed about inheritance is obvious
  2. ResolutionThe real point is freeing his wife from levirate marriage
  3. ChallengeA משנה already taught this
  4. ResolutionOur משנה adds the case where he is known to have a brother
  5. StatementWhy he is believed: a husband who says he divorced is believed
  6. Challengeרב יוסף objects: a משנה cannot depend on a rule not taught in a משנה
  7. ResolutionCorrected version of שמואל: he is believed since he has the power to divorce her
  8. Statementרב יוסף: a husband who says 'I divorced my wife' is believed too
  9. Rejectionרבי יוחנן: a husband who says 'I divorced my wife' is not believed
  10. Conclusionרב ששת: רב יוסף's 'since' is gone
  11. ChallengeA different report of רבי יוחנן says the husband is believed
  12. ResolutionAbout the past he is not believed, about the future he is
  13. QuestionIf he claimed a past divorce, is he believed at least from now on?
  14. QuestionThe core question: can one statement be split?
  15. Statementרב מארי and רב זביד disagree
  16. ChallengeChallenge from רבא: we do split a husband's testimony
  17. ResolutionTwo people can be split, one person cannot