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Bava Basra 14b

בבא בתרא י״ד ע״ב

Bava Batra 14b

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Topic

How the ספר תורה and the שברי לוחות fit in the ארון according to רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה, then the order of the books of נביאים and כתובים and who wrote them

Overview

The ברייתא ends with רבי יהודה's teaching that the שברי לוחות were also in the ארון. The גמרא then asks a size question. A ספר תורה six טפחים around is two טפחים thick, so how did it fit into the two-טפחים space רבי מאיר leaves for it? רב אחא בר יעקב and רב אשי answer this. The גמרא then fills gaps in each opinion: where the scroll sat for רבי יהודה before the ארגז came, how רבי מאיר reads 'מצד הארון', and where the עמודין stood. It also asks how רבי מאיר knows the שברי לוחות were in the ארון. רב הונא's 'שם שם' is offered first. That answer is set aside because 'שם שם' is needed for רבי יוחנן's teaching, so רבי מאיר learns it from 'אשר שברת ושמתם' instead. The גמרא shows how רבי יהודה uses each of these פסוקים too. A new ברייתא then gives the order of the books of נביאים and כתובים, and the גמרא explains why הושע, ישעיה and איוב are placed where they are. Finally the ברייתא begins listing who wrote each book: משה, יהושע, שמואל, and דוד with ten elders. That list continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

שִׁבְרֵי לוּחוֹת שֶׁמּוּנָּחִים בָּאָרוֹן.

the broken pieces of the tablets, which are placed in the Ark.

וְאִי סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ

And if it enters your mind

סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה הֶקֵּיפוֹ שִׁשָּׁה טְפָחִים;

that a Torah scroll's circumference is six handbreadths;

מִכְּדֵי כֹּל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּהֶקֵּיפוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים –

now, anything that has a circumference of three handbreadths

The steps (32)

  1. StatementEnd of the ברייתא: the broken tablets were also in the ארון
  2. ChallengeA six-טפחים scroll can't fit in a two-טפחים space
  3. ResolutionThe courtyard scroll was rolled from one end only
  4. ChallengeStill, two טפחים can't fit in exactly two טפחים
  5. ResolutionA small part was rolled separately and placed on top
  6. QuestionFor רבי יהודה: where was the ספר תורה before the ארגז came?
  7. ResponseA shelf stuck out from the ארון
  8. ChallengeFor רבי מאיר: what does 'מצד הארון' mean?
  9. ResolutionBeside the tablets, not between them, but still inside
  10. QuestionFor רבי מאיר: where did the columns stand?
  11. ResponseThe columns stood outside
  12. QuestionFor רבי מאיר: how does he know the broken tablets were in the ארון?
  13. ResponseFrom רב הונא: the double 'שם שם'
  14. ResponseWhat רבי יהודה learns from 'שם שם'
  15. ChallengeBut רבי מאיר needs 'שם שם' for that too
  16. QuestionThe גמרא agrees and asks again for רבי מאיר's source
  17. Responseרבי מאיר learns it from רב יוסף's reading of 'אשר שברת ושמתם'
  18. Responseרבי יהודה uses 'אשר שברת' for ריש לקיש's teaching
  19. StatementThe order of the books of נביאים
  20. Challengeהושע came first, so the Twelve should come first
  21. Resolutionהושע is grouped with the last prophets
  22. ChallengeWhy not write הושע as a separate book?
  23. ResolutionA small book would get lost
  24. Challengeישעיה was earlier, so why is he placed later?
  25. ResolutionDestruction next to destruction, comfort next to comfort
  26. StatementThe order of כתובים
  27. ChallengeIf איוב lived in משה's time, he should come first
  28. ResolutionWe don't begin with suffering
  29. ChallengeBut רות is also about suffering
  30. Resolutionרות's suffering has a happy ending
  31. StatementWho wrote the books: משה, יהושע, שמואל
  32. Statementדוד wrote תהלים using ten elders