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Bava Basra 149b

בבא בתרא קמ״ט ע״ב

Bava Batra 149b

Learn Bava Basra 149b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

How much property must a שכיב מרע keep for himself so that his gift stays valid even if he recovers, and whether the word 'קרקע' in a משנה always means only land

Overview

The משנה taught that if a שכיב מרע (a person on his deathbed) gave away his property but kept 'any amount of land' for himself, the gift stays valid even if he gets better. The גמרא asks how much 'any amount' really means. רב says he must keep land that is enough to live on. רב ירמיה בר אבא says even movable property is enough, as long as he can live on it. רבי זירא praises both views, because either way the man kept something to rely on if he recovers. רב יוסף objects that the משנה says 'land,' not movables, and 'any amount,' not 'enough to live on.' אביי answers by asking whether 'land' in a משנה always means only land. He brings a משנה about a master who writes all his property over to his slave, and that proof continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

שִׁיֵּיר קַרְקַע כׇּל שֶׁהוּא –

If he kept back any amount of land,

מַתְּנָתוֹ קַיֶּימֶת.

his gift stands.

וְכַמָּה ״כׇּל שֶׁהוּא״?

And how much is "any amount"?

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב:

Rav Yehuda said that Rav said:

The steps (8)

  1. StatementThe משנה: keeping any land keeps the gift valid
  2. QuestionHow much is 'any amount'?
  3. Responseרב: land enough to live on
  4. Responseרב ירמיה בר אבא: even movables enough to live on
  5. Statementרבי זירא praises both teachings as well reasoned
  6. Challengeרב יוסף: both views clash with the משנה's wording
  7. Rejectionאביי: does 'land' always mean only land?
  8. Proofאביי's source: the משנה about writing property to a slave