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Bava Basra 99a

בבא בתרא צ״ט ע״א

Bava Batra 99a

Learn Bava Basra 99a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The miracles of the ארון and כרובים, which way the כרובים faced, and a cistern inside a neighbor's house

Overview

The גמרא learns from a פסוק that the space under the כרובים' wings was empty, just like the space above them. This supports a tradition from רבי לוי (or רבי יוחנן), backed by a ברייתא, that the ארון and כרובים took up no space in the קודש הקדשים. רבנאי quotes שמואל, who proves from the length of the wings that the כרובים stood בנס (by a miracle). Six אמוראים each push back on that proof by showing a natural way the כרובים could have fit. Next, רבי יוחנן and רבי אלעזר argue about which way the כרובים faced, and each side explains the פסוק that seems to go against him. Then a new משנה teaches the rules for someone whose cistern can only be reached through his neighbor's house. The גמרא asks where the locks in the משנה go and why the homeowner needs one. רבי אלעזר's answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

הָא קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן –

This is what it teaches us:

לְמַטָּה כִּלְמַעְלָה;

below is like above;

מָה לְמַעְלָה אֵין מְשַׁמֵּשׁ כְּלוּם,

just as above, it is not used for anything,

אַף לְמַטָּה אֵין מְשַׁמֵּשׁ כְּלוּם.

so too below, it is not used for anything.

The steps (22)

  1. ResponseThe space below the wings was empty, like the space above
  2. ProofThis supports רבי לוי's tradition that the ארון took no space
  3. ProofA ברייתא: ten אמות of space on every side of the ארון
  4. Statementשמואל: the כרובים stood by a miracle
  5. ProofWhere were their bodies? So it must be a miracle
  6. Rejectionאביי: maybe the bodies were under the wings, like chickens
  7. Rejectionרבא: maybe the כרובים were not side by side
  8. Rejectionרב אחא בר יעקב: maybe they stood on a diagonal
  9. RejectionMaybe the room was wider at the top
  10. RejectionMaybe the wings were folded
  11. RejectionMaybe the wings crossed over each other
  12. StatementWhich way did the כרובים face?
  13. ChallengeA פסוק says they faced the House
  14. ResolutionIt depended on how the Jewish people behaved
  15. ChallengeA פסוק says they faced each other
  16. ResolutionThey were turned partly sideways
  17. Proofאונקלוס הגר: like a student leaving his teacher
  18. Statementמשנה: a cistern inside a neighbor's house
  19. QuestionWhere does the lock go?
  20. ResponseBoth locks go on the cistern
  21. ChallengeWhy would the homeowner lock the cistern?
  22. Resolutionרבי אלעזר begins to answer