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Bava Basra 56a

בבא בתרא נ״ו ע״א

Bava Batra 56a

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Topic

What divides one domain or field from another (for שבת and for a dead גר's land), the borders of ארץ ישראל for מעשר, and עדים זוממין who testify to a חזקה.

Overview

The amud opens with the end of רבי יוסי's ruling: two halves of a dried fig carried into one domain on שבת make a person חייב, but halves carried into two domains leave him פטור. רבה, אביי and רבא then argue about what splits one domain into two. רבה requires a רשות היחיד, אביי accepts even a כרמלית, and רבא accepts even a beam. רבא's view follows his rule that a domain for שבת is defined like a domain for גיטין. The גמרא then returns to acquiring a dead גר's field. Where there is no boundary, one act of acquisition covers the whole area called by the owner's name, such as 'so-and-so's well area.' A row of חצובא also divides the land, since יהושע used it to mark the borders of ארץ ישראל. This leads to teachings about borders: יהושע listed only the border towns, all land shown to משה is obligated in מעשר, and the lands of קיני, קניזי and קדמוני are excluded, with three תנאים identifying them differently. Finally a new משנה teaches that עדים זוממין who testified to a three-year חזקה pay the full value of the field. It then begins a case of three separate pairs of witnesses, one pair for each year, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

בִּרְשׁוּת אַחַת – חַיָּיב,

In one domain – he is liable,

בִּשְׁתֵּי רְשׁוּיוֹת – פָּטוּר.

in two domains – he is exempt.

וְאָמַר רַבָּה:

And Rabba said:

וְהוּא שֶׁיֵּשׁ חִיּוּב חַטָּאת בֵּינֵיהֶם,

And this is only where there is a sin-offering liability between them,

The steps (19)

  1. StatementOne domain makes him liable, two domains make him exempt
  2. Statementרבה: only a real private domain splits the area
  3. Statementאביי: even a כרמלית divides, but not a beam
  4. Statementרבא: even a beam divides
  5. Proofרבא follows his own rule that שבת domains match גיטין domains
  6. QuestionWhat if there is no boundary and no sea squill?
  7. Responseרבי מרינוס: whatever is called by his name
  8. QuestionWhat does 'called by his name' look like?
  9. Responseרב פפא: 'so-and-so's well area'
  10. StatementA row of sea squill splits a convert's land into separate fields
  11. QuestionWhat is sea squill?
  12. ResponseIt is the plant יהושע used to mark the borders of the land
  13. Statementיהושע listed only the border towns
  14. StatementAll the land shown to משה must have מעשר taken
  15. QuestionWhat does שמואל's rule leave out?
  16. ResponseIt leaves out the lands of קיני, קניזי and קדמוני
  17. StatementThree views on which lands these nations are
  18. StatementLying witnesses about a three-year חזקה pay the full value
  19. StatementA new case: a different pair of witnesses for each year