Bava Basra 85a

בבא בתרא פ״ה ע״א

Bava Batra 85a

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Topic

When a person's vessel (כלי) acquires items for him, and whether this works in רשות הרבים

Overview

The גמרא brings two opinions about when a person's כלי acquires for him the things placed inside it. רב and שמואל say it works anywhere except רשות הרבים, while רבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש say it works even in רשות הרבים. רב פפא says they do not really disagree. רב and שמואל mean the real public street, and רבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש mean a סימטא, a side alley. The alley is called 'public' only because it is not private. The גמרא supports this from another teaching of רבי יוחנן: a כלי acquires only where its owner is allowed to leave it. The גמרא then quotes a ברייתא about measuring vessels in a sale, which lists different rules for different places. The ברייתא says that a measuring vessel belonging to one party acquires even in רשות הרבים. This seems to challenge the ruling that a vessel cannot acquire in the public street, and the answer comes on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (9)

1. StatementA person's vessel acquires for him anywhere except the public domain
2. Statementרבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש: even in the public domain
3. Resolutionרב פפא: they don't disagree, main street versus side alley
4. QuestionWhy call an alley the public domain?
5. ResponseBecause it is not a private domain
6. ProofSupport from רבי יוחנן: where he may leave his vessels
7. ChallengeA ברייתא about measuring vessels in a sale
8. ChallengeThe ברייתא limits its rule and lists other locations
9. ChallengeThe challenge: the ברייתא mentions the public domain