Gemara Clarity

Bava Basra 165a

בבא בתרא קס״ה ע״א

Bava Batra 165a

Learn Bava Basra 165a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Bava Basra 165a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

אבק לשון הרע; קפידא versus מראה מקום in the dispute about local custom for documents; and whether a written witness and a spoken witness combine.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing רב's teaching about לשון הרע. He says most people fail in גזל, some in עריות, and everyone in לשון הרע, and the גמרא explains that 'everyone' means only אבק לשון הרע, a faint trace of it. The גמרא then returns to the משנה about פשוט and מקושר documents, where רבן שמעון בן גמליאל says everything follows local custom. רב אשי explains that both sides accept local custom. They argue only in a town that uses both kinds of documents, when the person asked for a פשוט and got a מקושר: was he being strict (קפידא), or just pointing out an option (מראה מקום)? אביי adds that רבן שמעון בן גמליאל, רבי שמעון and רבי אלעזר all hold מראה מקום, and the גמרא proves this from משניות in קידושין and גיטין. Next the גמרא asks why the משנה needs to say that a פשוט with one witness is invalid. אביי answers that even one written witness plus one spoken witness do not combine. אמימר disagrees with אביי, and רב אשי points out that the question on the משנה then comes back; the discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

אֶלָּא אֲבַק לָשׁוֹן הָרַע.

Rather, [he meant] the dust of evil speech.

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב:

Rav Yehuda said that Rav said:

רוֹב בְּגָזֵל,

The majority [sin] in robbery,

וּמִיעוּט בַּעֲרָיוֹת,

and a minority in forbidden relations,

The steps (18)

  1. Resolutionרב meant only a trace of לשון הרע
  2. StatementMost people fail in robbery, some in עריות, all in לשון הרע
  3. ChallengeCan everyone really speak לשון הרע?
  4. ResolutionAgain: רב meant only a trace of לשון הרע
  5. Statementרבן שמעון בן גמליאל: everything follows local custom
  6. ChallengeDoes the תנא קמא reject local custom?
  7. Resolutionרב אשי: a clear request shows the person was particular
  8. ResolutionThe real case of the disagreement: a place that uses both kinds of documents
  9. Statementאביי: three תנאים all hold 'מראה מקום'
  10. ProofThe source for רבן שמעון בן גמליאל is what we just learned
  11. ProofThe source for רבי שמעון: misleading her for the better
  12. ProofProof that רבי אלעזר also sees instructions as just pointing out an option
  13. ChallengeWhy does the משנה need to say a single-witness document is invalid?
  14. Resolutionאביי: even one written witness plus one spoken witness is invalid
  15. Statementאמימר rules such a document is valid
  16. Challengeרב אשי asks אמימר about אביי's ruling
  17. Resolutionאמימר: I don't hold like אביי
  18. ChallengeWithout אביי's explanation, the question on the משנה returns