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Bava Basra 74b

בבא בתרא ע״ד ע״ב

Bava Batra 74b

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Topic

Wonder stories of the sea, the לויתן and בהמות, the שר של ים, the ירדן, and the seas and rivers around ארץ ישראל

Overview

This amud is full of אגדה about wonders of the sea and the desert. First the story of the jeweled crate ends: a בת קול says it belongs to the wife of רבי חנינא בן דוסא and will hold תכלת for the צדיקים in עולם הבא. Then come more travelers' tales: a precious stone that brings the dead back to life, the shining eyes of the לויתן seen by רבי יהושע, and meat in the desert that healed itself on special grass. Next the גמרא explains the 'great sea monsters' of בראשית. רבי יוחנן says they are the two לויתנים, and רב teaches that the לויתן and the בהמות were made male and female and were stopped from having young so they would not destroy the world. The גמרא asks why the two females were treated differently and answers each question. רב also teaches that the שר של ים, named רהב, was killed at creation, and that the ירדן flows from the cave of Pamyas all the way to the לויתן's mouth. רבא בר עולא rereads a פסוק in איוב about this. Finally רב דימי brings teachings from ארץ ישראל: the seven seas and four rivers around ארץ ישראל, and the start of a teaching about what גבריאל will do in the future, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

בַּר אָמוֹרַאי לְאֵתוּיַהּ,

a diver [went down] to bring it up,

וּרְגַשׁ וּבָעֵי לִשְׁמְטֵיהּ לְאַטְמֵיהּ,

and [the fish] got angry and wanted to tear off his thigh,

וּשְׁדָא זִיקָא דְחַלָּא וּנְחֵת.

and he threw a flask of vinegar, and they went down.

נְפַק בַּת קָלָא אֲמַר לַן:

A heavenly voice came out and said to us:

The steps (29)

  1. StatementThe diver and the angry fish
  2. StatementA heavenly voice: the crate belongs to רבי חנינא בן דוסא's wife
  3. Statementרב יהודה הינדוא sees a stone guarded by a snake
  4. StatementThe snake is killed and brought back to life by the stone
  5. StatementThe stone lands on the ship and the salted birds fly away with it
  6. Statementרבי יהושע trembles at a great light in the sea
  7. Responseרבי אליעזר: it was the eyes of the לויתן
  8. StatementA thigh of meat heals itself on the desert grass
  9. StatementThe coals still glow a year later
  10. Responseאמימר explains: healing grass and broom coals
  11. StatementThe great sea monsters: the Babylonian reading
  12. Statementרבי יוחנן: the sea monsters are the לויתן
  13. StatementEverything was made male and female, including the לויתן
  14. StatementThe giant land beasts were also male and female
  15. ChallengeWhy not just cool the female לויתן too?
  16. ResolutionFish are unrestrained
  17. ChallengeThen why not kill the male instead?
  18. ResolutionTwo reasons the female was chosen
  19. ChallengeWhy not salt the female בהמות too?
  20. ResolutionSalted fish is good, salted meat is not
  21. StatementThe Minister of the Sea Refuses and Is Killed
  22. StatementThe Minister of the Sea Is Named Rahab, and the Water Hides His Smell
  23. StatementThe Jordan Starts at the Cave of Pamyas
  24. ProofA ברייתא Agrees and Follows the Jordan to the Leviathan
  25. Challengeרבא בר עולא: That Verse Is About the בהמות
  26. Resolutionרבא בר עולא's New Reading: The בהמות Feel Safe When the ירדן Reaches the לויתן
  27. Statementרב דימי: Seven Seas and Four Rivers Surround ארץ ישראל
  28. StatementThe List of the Seven Seas and Four Rivers
  29. Statementרבי יונתן begins a teaching about what גבריאל will do in the future