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Bava Basra 147a

בבא בתרא קמ״ז ע״א

Bava Batra 147a

Learn Bava Basra 147a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The cancelled gift of a mistaken שכיב מרע, the Torah sources for מתנת שכיב מרע, and weather signs for the year

Overview

The גמרא finishes a ברייתא about a dying man who gave away his property because he thought he had no son, or that his wife was not pregnant. If it turns out he does have an heir, the gift is cancelled. Even the רבנן agree, because he said 'דומה' and so stated his reason out loud. The גמרא then asks for the source showing that מתנת שכיב מרע works מן התורה without a קנין. רב learns it from 'והעברתם' and רב נחמן in the name of רבה בר אבוה learns it from 'ונתתם'. The גמרא explains why each one rejects the other's word. Two more sources come from the פסוקים about חזקיהו and אחיתופל, who gave instructions to their households before dying. This leads to אחיתופל's three instructions to his sons. That opens a discussion of weather signs: a clear שבועות, the smoke on the מזבח at the end of סוכות, and which winds help which crops. The גמרא settles a contradiction by saying one source describes בבל and the other ארץ ישראל. The amud ends with רב זביד's sign about the first day of ראש השנה and a question about its practical use.

Opening lines

דּוֹמֶה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִי בֵּן,

I thought that I had a son,

עַכְשָׁיו שֶׁאֵין לִי בֵּן –

now that I do not have a son –

נְכָסַי לִפְלוֹנִי;

my property goes to so-and-so;

הָיָה חוֹלֶה וּמוּטָל בַּמִּטָּה,

if he was sick and lying in bed,

The steps (25)

  1. StatementA dying man's gift is cancelled if he wrongly thought he had no heir
  2. QuestionDoes this follow only רבי שמעון בן מנסיא?
  3. ResolutionEven the רבנן agree when he said 'I thought'
  4. ChallengeWhy did anyone even ask?
  5. ResolutionHe might only be expressing his sorrow
  6. QuestionWhere does the Torah teach the gift of a dying man?
  7. ResponseThe word 'והעברתם' hints at the dying man's gift
  8. ResponseA second source: 'And you shall give'
  9. ChallengeWhy doesn't רב נחמן use 'והעברתם'?
  10. Resolutionרב נחמן needs 'והעברתם' for רבי's teaching
  11. ChallengeWhy doesn't רבי זירא use 'ונתתם'?
  12. Resolution'ונתתם' is just the Torah's normal way of speaking
  13. ResponseA third source: 'Give instructions to your household'
  14. ResponseLearning the dying man's gift from אחיתופל
  15. Statementאחיתופל's three instructions to his sons
  16. Statementמר זוטרא: the sign is a cloudy day
  17. ResolutionThe נהרדעי: a north wind is what counts
  18. Statementרבי אבא: the smoke on the מזבח at the end of סוכות
  19. StatementWhat the other directions of the smoke meant
  20. ChallengeA ברייתא about winds seems to contradict the smoke teaching
  21. StatementA memory aid: the שולחן in the north and the מנורה in the south
  22. ResolutionOne teaching is for us and the other is for them
  23. Statementאבא שאול: a clear שבועות is a good sign for the year
  24. Statementרב זביד: the first day of ראש השנה shows the year's temperature
  25. QuestionWhat practical difference does this sign make?