Bava Basra 31b

בבא בתרא ל״א ע״ב

Bava Batra 31b

Learn Bava Basra 31b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Contradicted witnesses: the מחלוקת of רב נחמן and רבא, whether a court may undo its own ruling, and the 'great authorities' רב נחמן relied on.

Overview

The amud opens with רב נחמן's answer: the witnesses were contradicted only about the years of use, not about the land belonging to the claimant's ancestors. The גמרא asks whether רב נחמן and רבא are repeating the מחלוקת of רב הונא and רב חסדא about two groups of witnesses who contradict each other. It concludes that both follow רב הונא. רב נחמן trusts the witnesses even about the same matter, while רבא trusts them only in a different case. The land story then continues: the other man brings witnesses that the land was his ancestors', and רב נחמן rules that the court removes the man it placed there, without worrying about the court looking foolish. רבא, or רבי זעירא, objects from a ברייתא: a woman who remarried before contradicting witnesses came does not have to leave. רב נחמן first says he will not act, but then he does act, and the גמרא defends him as relying on great authorities. It brings the משנה about raising someone to כהונה with one witness, and starts asking how רבן שמעון בן גמליאל differs from רבי אלעזר. That discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (14)

1. Resolutionרב נחמן: the ancestors part was never contradicted
2. QuestionIs this an older מחלוקת?
3. Statementרב הונא and רב חסדא on contradicting witness groups
4. QuestionMatching each אמורא to a side
5. RejectionAccording to רב חסדא, nobody would argue
6. Resolutionרבא: רב הונא only meant a different testimony
7. StatementThe second claimant brings ancestral witnesses, and רב נחמן reverses the court's placement
8. ChallengeObjection from the case of a woman with contradicting witnesses about her husband
9. Challengeרבי מנחם limits his view, so everyone agrees a finished marriage stands
10. Conclusionרב נחמן accepts the objection and will not act on his ruling
11. Statementרב נחמן acts on his ruling after all
12. ProofThe משנה about raising someone to priesthood with one witness
13. Challengeרבן שמעון בן גמליאל seems to say the same as רבי אלעזר
14. ResolutionSuggesting a difference: a challenge raised by one person