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Bava Basra 57b

בבא בתרא נ״ז ע״ב

Bava Batra 57b

Learn Bava Basra 57b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Partners' rights in a shared courtyard (חזקה, laundry), guarding one's eyes, and the dress and table of a תלמיד חכם.

Overview

The גמרא first explains why placing things in a courtyard is not a חזקה but building a מחיצה is. The first answer is that partners don't mind each other placing things. A משנה in נדרים seems to show that partners do mind. רב נחמן, רב פפא and רבינא each give a different answer to that challenge. Next, רבי יוחנן quotes רבי בנאה: partners can block each other from any use of a shared courtyard except laundry, to protect women's dignity. This leads to רבי חייא בר אבא's teaching that a man who shuts his eyes from evil is one who does not stare at women doing laundry, even when he has no other road. רבי בנאה then describes how a תלמיד חכם should dress and set his table. The גמרא settles a contradiction about where the table's ring goes in three different ways. The amud ends as the גמרא begins to describe the table of an עם הארץ, and the comparison continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

הָכָא בַּחֲצַר הַשּׁוּתָּפִין עָסְקִינַן –

Here we are dealing with a courtyard belonging to partners —

דִּבְהַעֲמָדָה כְּדִי לָא קָפְדִי,

where they are not particular about merely placing things,

אַמְּחִיצָה קָפְדִי.

but about a partition they are particular.

וּבְהַעֲמָדָה כְּדִי לָא קָפְדִי?!

And are they really not particular about merely placing things?!

The steps (16)

  1. ResolutionThe case is a courtyard owned by partners
  2. ChallengeBut partners do care, as the משנה about vows shows
  3. ResolutionThe case is a yard behind the houses
  4. ResolutionSome partners mind and some don't, so money and איסור are judged differently
  5. Resolutionרבינא: partners don't mind, and the נדרים משנה follows רבי אליעזר
  6. StatementPartners can block each other from everything except laundry
  7. StatementShutting one's eyes from evil: not staring at women doing laundry
  8. ChallengeWhat is the case? Either he is wicked or he is helpless
  9. ResolutionNo other road, yet he must still force himself not to look
  10. StatementHow long a scholar's undershirt and cloak should be
  11. StatementHow a scholar's table should be set
  12. ChallengeA ברייתא says the ring goes on the inside
  13. ResolutionIt depends on whether a child is there
  14. ResolutionSecond answer: it depends on whether a waiter is there
  15. ResolutionThird answer: it depends on day or night
  16. StatementTurning to the table of an unlearned person