Bava Basra 150a

בבא בתרא ק״נ ע״א

Bava Batra 150a

Learn Bava Basra 150a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Reserving land in a gift, the meaning of 'כל שהוא', how wording defines movables, and whether a slave counts as land or movable property

Overview

The amud opens in the middle of a debate between אביי and רב יוסף about a שכיב מרע who gave everything away but kept 'any amount of land' (קרקע כל שהוא). אביי cites רבי אלעזר, who says movables count as a reservation in the case of a slave. רב יוסף answers that the word 'land' in the slave משנה was only borrowed from רבי עקיבא's earlier clause. אביי then shows that 'כל שהוא' has a minimum in the case of ראשית הגז. רב יוסף answers that there the חכמים used the phrase only to contrast with רבי דוסא's larger amount. Next the גמרא lists three ways of wording a gift of movables: 'my movables', 'all my movables', and 'everything that moves'. Each wording includes more items than the one before. Then the גמרא asks whether a slave counts as land or as movable property. A proof from the משנה about selling a city is pushed away, because a slave is 'property that walks' in either category. רבינא brings a second proof from רבי אלעזר's rule, and רב נחמן explains that rule by saying outright that a slave is movable property.

Opening lines

The steps (12)

1. ChallengeMovable property counts as a reservation for a slave
2. ResolutionThe word 'land' in the slave case was borrowed from the earlier clause
3. Challenge'Any amount' sometimes has a minimum: the case of ראשית הגז
4. ResolutionThere 'any amount' only contrasts with a bigger amount
5. StatementThree ways of wording a gift of movable property
6. QuestionIs a slave treated like land or like movable property?
7. ProofProof from selling a city: a slave seems like movable property
8. RejectionThe city proof fails: a slave is 'land that moves'
9. ProofA new proof from the משנה about writing all property to a slave
10. StatementHolding back movables counts for a slave but not for a כתובה
11. Questionרבא asks for the reason behind the difference
12. ResponseA slave is movable property, but a כתובה is tied to land