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Bava Basra 137a

בבא בתרא קל״ז ע״א

Bava Batra 137a

Learn Bava Basra 137a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The 'to you, and after you to so-and-so' gift: the first recipient's power to sell, deathbed gifts, and an אתרוג given this way

Overview

The גמרא shows that the case of 'נכסי לך ואחריך לפלוני' is a מחלוקת between רבי and רבן שמעון בן גמליאל about whether the first recipient may sell the property. A second ברייתא seems to flip both of their views. The גמרא resolves this. For רבי, one ruling is about the land itself and the other is about its produce. For רבן שמעון בן גמליאל, the first recipient should not sell לכתחילה, but a sale he already made stands דיעבד. אביי calls anyone who advises such a sale a 'cunning wicked person.' רבי יוחנן rules like רבן שמעון בן גמליאל, except that a מתנת שכיב מרע by the first recipient does nothing, because it takes effect only after death and the second recipient's right comes first. A משנה about a גט 'if I die' proves that אביי held this 'after death' view. רבי יוחנן's ruling also covers freeing slaves and making shrouds. Finally, רב נחמן בר רב חסדא applies the מחלוקת to an אתרוג given 'to you, and after you,' and רב נחמן בר יצחק begins to challenge him; his challenge continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

תַּנָּאֵי הִיא.

It is a dispute of tanna'im.

דְּתַנְיָא: ״נְכָסַי לְךָ וְאַחֲרֶיךָ לִפְלוֹנִי״,

As it is taught: 'My property is to you, and after you to so-and-so,'

וְיָרַד רִאשׁוֹן וּמָכַר וְאָכַל –

and the first one went in, sold it, and consumed the proceeds –

הַשֵּׁנִי מוֹצִיא מִיַּד הַלָּקוֹחוֹת,

the second one takes it out of the buyers' hands,

The steps (21)

  1. ResponseThe question depends on a dispute between תנאים
  2. ChallengeA second ברייתא where the opinions seem reversed
  3. ChallengeEach תנא contradicts himself
  4. Resolutionרבי: land itself versus produce
  5. Resolutionרבן שמעון בן גמליאל: from the start versus after the fact
  6. Statementאביי: Advising the first recipient to sell is cunning wickedness
  7. StatementThe הלכה follows רבן שמעון בן גמליאל, except for a deathbed gift
  8. QuestionWhy doesn't a deathbed gift work?
  9. Responseאביי: A deathbed gift starts after death, and 'after you' comes first
  10. ChallengeDid אביי really say a deathbed gift takes effect after death?
  11. Resolutionאביי took back his other statement
  12. ChallengeMaybe he took back the other statement
  13. ProofProof from the משנה about a divorce 'if I die'
  14. Statementרבי יוחנן: the sale stands even if he freed the slaves
  15. ChallengeIsn't that obvious?
  16. ResolutionThe giver didn't mean to permit something forbidden
  17. StatementThe ruling holds even if the gift was made into shrouds
  18. ChallengeIsn't that obvious?
  19. ResolutionWe might have thought the giver never agreed to make it forbidden
  20. StatementThe אתרוג given 'to you, and after you to someone else'
  21. ChallengeTheir argument is only about owning the use of something