Bava Basra 135a

בבא בתרא קל״ה ע״א

Bava Batra 135a

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Topic

When must we worry that a widow still needs ייבום, and what does the case of 'this is my brother' teach about answering 'I do not know'?

Overview

The amud opens with two stories about dying men whose words might free their wives from ייבום. In the first, a dying man says his wife is 'fit for a כהן גדול.' רבא wants to believe him, based on רבי יוחנן's rule that a husband who says 'I divorced my wife' is believed. אביי points to a second version of רבי יוחנן that says the opposite, and argues that a reconciling answer is not enough to rely on in practice, so רבא tells רב נתן בר אמי to be concerned. In the second story, a man with a חזקה of having no brothers also says so himself before he dies. רב יוסף sees nothing to worry about, but אביי raises a rumor of witnesses overseas, and רבא again rules to be concerned. The גמרא then returns to the משנה of 'this is my brother' and concludes that the other brothers are saying 'we do not know.' From this רבא learns that someone who answers a money claim with 'I do not know' is פטור. אביי begins to respond, and his words continue on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. StatementA dying man says his wife is fit for a כהן גדול
2. Proofרבא: the husband is believed, like one who says he divorced
3. Challengeאביי: another version says the husband is not believed
4. Resolutionרבא: the two reports were already reconciled
5. Rejectionאביי: we cannot rely on a reconciling answer
6. Conclusionרבא tells רב נתן בר אמי to be concerned
7. StatementA man presumed to have no brothers says so before dying
8. Statementרב יוסף: there are two reasons not to worry
9. Challengeאביי: there is a rumor of witnesses overseas
10. Resolutionרב יוסף: Far-away witnesses do not count
11. Rejectionאביי: A captive is not the same as a married woman
12. Conclusionרבא rules to be concerned
13. StatementQuoting the משנה: 'This is my brother'
14. QuestionWhat do the other brothers say?
15. ResponseThey must be saying he is not their brother
16. ChallengeChallenge from the end of the משנה
17. ResolutionThe brothers say 'we do not know'
18. Statementרבא: someone who answers 'I do not know' is exempt
19. Rejectionאביי begins to respond to רבא