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Bava Basra 79a

בבא בתרא ע״ט ע״א

Bava Batra 79a

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Topic

Punishment for leaving Torah, and whether the contents of consecrated items (pit, dovecote, field, tree) are also הקדש

Overview

This amud opens by finishing a דרשה on the place-names נפח and מידבא, read as hints to how those who reject Torah are punished. Then רב teaches that one who separates from Torah is consumed by fire, and רבי יונתן teaches that he falls into גיהנם. Each brings a פסוק as proof. Next, the גמרא returns to our משנה, which says that one who sells a dunghill also sells its manure. It compares this to a משנה in מסכת מעילה about consecrated items and what is inside them. If the items were already full when they were consecrated, the contents are הקדש too. If they filled up later, רבי יהודה says the contents are not הקדש. רבי יוסי says the growths of a field or a tree are הקדש. Using רבי's ruling, the גמרא shows that everyone agrees about a pit and a dovecote, and רבה explains a ברייתא the same way. The amud ends with אביי starting a challenge to רבה from the next line of that ברייתא, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

עַד נֹפַח״ –

"Even until Nofach"

עַד שֶׁתָּבֹא אֵשׁ

means until a fire comes

שֶׁאֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה נִיפּוּחַ,

that does not need fanning,

״עַד מֵידְבָא״ –

"until Medeva"

The steps (17)

  1. StatementFinishing the דרשה: נפח and מידבא
  2. StatementOne who leaves Torah is consumed by fire
  3. StatementOne who leaves Torah falls into גיהנם
  4. ProofProving that רפאים means גיהנם
  5. StatementBack to the משנה: selling a dunghill
  6. StatementA משנה from מסכת מעילה: misuse applies to items and their contents
  7. StatementConsecrating items that are already full
  8. StatementItems that filled up only after being consecrated
  9. Statementרבי יוסי: what grows from a holy field or tree is holy
  10. Statementרבי rules: pit and dovecote like רבי יהודה, field and tree like רבי יוסי
  11. ChallengeWhy does רבי's wording suggest רבי יוסי argued about a pit and dovecote?
  12. ResolutionSuggestion: רבי יוסי was only speaking within רבי יהודה's view
  13. RejectionA ברייתא shows רבי יוסי agrees about a pit and a dovecote
  14. ResolutionRereading רבי: even רבי יוסי agrees about a pit and a dovecote
  15. StatementA ברייתא: dispute about items consecrated empty and filled later
  16. Statementרבה: the dispute is only about a field and a tree
  17. Challengeאביי brings the next line of the ברייתא, where the view is reversed