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Bava Basra 68b

בבא בתרא ס״ח ע״ב

Bava Batra 68b

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Topic

What is included when one sells a city (the meaning of סנטר, villages, enclosures) and what is included when one sells a field

Overview

The משנה says that someone who sells a city sells its שלחין, and רבן שמעון בן גמליאל adds the סנטר. The גמרא first shows how the view that סנטר means the land registrar fits the משנה: שלחין means the fields, and רבן שמעון בן גמליאל adds that the registrar is sold too. It then tries to prove from a ברייתא of רבי יהודה that סנטר is a person. It rejects that proof, finds a clash with the end of the same ברייתא, and reverses רבי יהודה's words. That reversal makes רבי יהודה agree with רבן שמעון בן גמליאל about the fields while he still disagrees about the nearby villages. Next, two ברייתות contradict each other about animal enclosures. The גמרא explains that enclosures facing the city are sold with it and those facing away are not, and it rereads the line about the woods to fit this. The amud ends with a new משנה about which items are sold together with a field.

Opening lines

אֶלָּא לְמַאן דְּאָמַר בַּר מַחְווֹנִיתָא –

But according to the one who says it means the land registrar –

אָמַר תַּנָּא קַמָּא: גִּינוּנְיָיתָא;

the first תנא said: gardens;

וּמַהְדַּר לֵיהּ רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל:

and Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel responds to him:

בַּר מַחְווֹנִיתָא?!

the land registrar?!

The steps (16)

  1. ChallengeHow does the registrar view fit the משנה's dispute?
  2. Resolutionשלחין means fields, so the registrar is something extra
  3. ProofA proof from רבי יהודה that סנטר is a person
  4. RejectionBeing listed together does not prove they are the same kind
  5. ChallengeThe end of the ברייתא implies the fields are sold
  6. ResolutionReverse רבי יהודה's statement
  7. ChallengeDoes רבי יהודה really agree with רבן שמעון בן גמליאל?
  8. Resolutionרבי יהודה agrees on one point and disagrees on another
  9. ChallengeTwo ברייתות disagree about animal enclosures
  10. ResolutionIt depends on which way the enclosure faces
  11. ChallengeThe woods 'set aside for' the city are not sold
  12. ResolutionRead it as woods set apart from the city
  13. StatementItems automatically sold with a field
  14. StatementItems not sold with the field in a plain sale
  15. StatementSaying 'the field and everything in it' includes the extras
  16. StatementItems never sold with the field, whatever was said