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Bava Basra 155b

בבא בתרא קנ״ה ע״ב

Bava Batra 155b

Learn Bava Basra 155b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The young heir who may not yet sell his father's land: when he counts as an adult, what proves he understands, and whether his testimony and gifts are valid

Overview

The גמרא continues asking whether a young heir may sell his late father's land from age 18 or only from age 20. It first defends the age 20 view: a משנה in נדה about a סריס applies only when he shows סריס signs. Someone without those signs stays a minor until 'most of his years,' as רבי חייא teaches. Next the גמרא asks whether the year of coming of age counts as before or after that age, and gets two reports of רב נחמן's view. It explains that רבא's version was only inferred from a case where the seller was plainly foolish. רבא then rules that a fourteen-year-old girl who understands business can buy and sell. A story about a young seller, date pits and a clever remark ends with רבא upholding the sale, because he understands when things are explained to him. Finally, רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע and מר זוטרא discuss whether such a young heir can testify, and אמימר rules that his gift is valid. רב אשי challenges אמימר, and אמימר's answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

הַיְינוּ דְּקָאָתוּ וְאָמְרוּ לֵיהּ:

this is why they came and said to him:

מַהוּ לְבוֹדְקוֹ.

What is the law — may we examine him?

אֶלָּא אִי אָמְרַתְּ מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים,

But if you say from age twenty,

כִּי בָּדְקוּ לֵיהּ מַאי הָוֵי?

when they examine him, what would it accomplish?

The steps (31)

  1. ChallengeWhy examine the body if adulthood starts at twenty?
  2. ProofThe משנה about a twenty-year-old without signs
  3. ResolutionThe משנה applies only when he shows signs of a סריס
  4. Proofרבא shows the wording of the משנה supports this
  5. QuestionWithout סריס signs, how long is he a minor?
  6. Responseרבי חייא: until most of his years
  7. Statementרבי חייא's advice: change his body weight
  8. QuestionDoes the year itself count as before or after?
  9. Responseרבא quoting רב נחמן: like before
  10. Responseרבא בר רב שילא quoting רב נחמן: like after
  11. Statementרבא's ruling was only an inference from a case
  12. RejectionThe inference was wrong because the seller acted foolishly
  13. Questionגידל בר מנשיא asks about a fourteen-year-old girl
  14. Responseרבא answers that her deals are valid
  15. ChallengeWhy not ask about a boy
  16. ResolutionThat is how the case happened
  17. ChallengeWhy not ask about a twelve-year-old girl
  18. ResolutionAgain, that is how the case happened
  19. StatementAnother ruling of רבא was only an inference
  20. StatementThe date-pit test and רבא's ruling
  21. StatementThe buyers coach the young man to say something clever
  22. Statementרבא now rules that the sale is valid
  23. ChallengeThe relatives object that the buyers coached him
  24. Resolutionרבא: if he understands when things are explained, he knows what he is doing
  25. StatementThe under-twenty heir's testimony is valid
  26. Statementמר זוטרא limits it to movable property
  27. Challengeרב אשי: by that logic, little children could testify
  28. ResolutionChildren are different because witnesses must be 'men'
  29. Statementאמימר: the young heir's gift is valid
  30. Challengeרב אשי: a gift should be even worse than a sale
  31. Resolutionאמימר begins his answer