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Bava Basra 148b

בבא בתרא קמ״ח ע״ב

Bava Batra 148b

Learn Bava Basra 148b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

שיור in sales and gifts, and the rules of a שכיב מרע's gifts: dividing, reconsidering, partial retraction, holy gifts, and the wording of a gift.

Overview

The גמרא first asks whether keeping back an upper story (דיוטא) counts as a שיור. רבא quoting רב נחמן rules that selling a house 'except for the upper story' is a שיור, because the seller also keeps the right to stick out beams (זיזין). In the same way, giving a palm tree 'except for its fruit' keeps the space of the fruit. Next, רב נחמן teaches about a שכיב מרע who gives away all his property. If he divided it in one plan, he can take it all back if he recovers. If he reconsidered between gifts, he can take back only the last one. He also cannot take back a gift of all his known property, since he may own land elsewhere. The גמרא then rules that taking back part of a deathbed gift cancels the whole gift, proving this from a ברייתא. Questions about a dying man's הקדש, הפקר and צדקה end in תיקו. Finally, רב ששת lists the words that make a gift, and a ברייתא adds inheritance words for a fitting heir, following רבי יוחנן בן ברוקא.

Opening lines

אִיבַּעְיָא לְהוּ:

A question was asked before them:

בַּיִת לְאֶחָד וּדְיוֹטָא לְאֶחָד,

A house to one person and the upper story to another,

מַהוּ?

what is the law?

מִי הָוֵי שִׁיּוּר, אוֹ לָא?

Is it considered a keeping-back, or not?

The steps (27)

  1. QuestionHouse to one person, upper story to another: is that a reserving?
  2. QuestionFollow-up question: selling a house except for its upper story
  3. Responseרב נחמן: 'Except for the upper story' is a reserving
  4. ConclusionApplying the rule: 'except for its fruit' keeps the space of the fruit
  5. Statementשכיב מרע who divided all his property: dies, they acquire; recovers, he takes it back
  6. StatementWhen the sick man stopped and changed his mind between gifts
  7. ChallengeMaybe he was just thinking about who gets what
  8. ResolutionA sick man plans first and then gives
  9. StatementHe gave away everything and recovered, but may own land elsewhere
  10. ChallengeThen when does the משנה's case ever happen?
  11. Resolutionרב חמא: he said 'all my property'
  12. Resolutionמר בר רב אשי: we know he has nothing else
  13. QuestionDoes taking back part cancel the whole gift?
  14. ProofA proof: all to the first, part to the second
  15. RejectionNo proof: the case is where he got better
  16. ProofThe second half of the ברייתא supports the 'got better' reading
  17. Proofרב יימר: even if he got better, the proof still works
  18. ConclusionThe ruling: taking back part cancels the whole gift
  19. QuestionA dying man gave all his property to הקדש and then recovered
  20. QuestionA dying man declared all his property ownerless
  21. QuestionA dying man divided all his property among the poor
  22. ConclusionAll three questions are left unanswered
  23. QuestionA second version of the same three questions
  24. StatementFour words that count as giving a gift
  25. StatementA ברייתא adds two inheritance words
  26. StatementThe ברייתא follows רבי יוחנן בן ברוקא
  27. QuestionThe גמרא opens a new set of questions