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Bava Basra 138a

בבא בתרא קל״ח ע״א

Bava Batra 138a

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Topic

A recipient who refuses a gift (the dispute of רבן שמעון בן גמליאל and the רבנן), and how a שכיב מרע's wording sets the priority and meaning of his gifts

Overview

This amud opens by finishing an answer to a contradiction between a ruling of רבי יוחנן and one of שמואל about a person who refuses a gift. If he protests right away, he never acquires it. If he is silent at first and protests only later, it is already his. רב נחמן בר יצחק adds that a gift acquired for him through a middleman, where he was silent and later protested, is the case argued in a ברייתא about gifted slaves. In that ברייתא, the תנא קמא says the slaves still belong to the recipient, so they may eat תרומה if he is a כהן. רבן שמעון בן גמליאל says the refusal works and the heirs keep them. The גמרא explains that the תנא קמא sees the later protest as backing out. רבן שמעון בן גמליאל holds that the protest shows the recipient never agreed. Next come ברייתות about a שכיב מרע's gifts. A plain list of gifts gives no one priority, but 'and after him' does, so a creditor collects from the last-named recipient first. A gift to a בכור or a wife 'as is fitting' comes on top of the בכורה or כתובה. A gift 'for his בכורה' lets the son choose one. The wife's parallel case continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

כָּאן בְּצוֹוֵחַ מֵעִיקָּרָא,

Here, it is where he shouts in protest from the start,

כָּאן בְּשׁוֹתֵק מֵעִיקָּרָא

there, it is where he is silent at the start

וּלְבַסּוֹף צוֹוֵחַ.

and in the end shouts in protest.

אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק:

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said:

The steps (12)

  1. ResolutionProtesting right away versus protesting later
  2. StatementA gift given through a middleman links to a famous dispute
  3. ProofThe ברייתא about gifted slaves and תרומה
  4. ChallengeDoes the תנא קמא really ignore a loud protest?
  5. ResolutionTwo cases where everyone agrees
  6. ResolutionWhere they argue, and the view of the תנא קמא
  7. ResolutionThe view of רבן שמעון בן גמליאל
  8. StatementSeveral gifts from a dying man: no one comes first
  9. StatementSaying 'and after him' gives priority to whoever is named first
  10. StatementA creditor collects from the last recipient first
  11. StatementA gift to the firstborn: 'as is fitting for him' versus 'for his בכורה'
  12. StatementThe same rule for a wife and her כתובה