Gemara Clarity

Bava Basra 9a

בבא בתרא ט׳ ע״א

Bava Batra 9a

Learn Bava Basra 9a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Bava Basra 9a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Running a צדקה fund, binding town agreements, checking poor people, minimum gifts, and the greatness of צדקה

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a story about running a צדקה fund as one purse with a stipulation. רב אשי then says he needs no stipulation, because donors rely on his judgment. Two butchers agreed to punish whoever worked on the other's day; רבא made the one who tore the hide pay, and רב פפא explains that such agreements need an אדם חשוב's approval when one is present. A ברייתא teaches that we do not audit גבאי צדקה, and רבי אלעזר adds that you should still tie up and count your money. רב הונא and רב יהודה argue over whether to check a poor person asking for food or for clothing, and a ברייתא sides with רב יהודה. A משנה sets the minimum gift for a traveling poor person, and רב פפא and רב סמא clarify that even one going door to door gets a small gift. The amud closes with praise of צדקה from רב אסי, רבי אלעזר and רבא, and a teaching רבא was told that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְאַתְנִי עֲלַהּ״;

and stipulate about it."

אִיהוּ נָמֵי עֲבַד חַד כִּיסָא,

He too made one purse,

וְאַתְנִי עֲלַהּ.

and stipulated about it.

רַב אָשֵׁי אָמַר:

Rav Ashi said:

The steps (32)

  1. ConclusionHe too made one purse and stipulated about it
  2. Statementרב אשי needs no stipulation at all
  3. StatementThe two butchers and the torn hide
  4. ChallengeTownspeople are allowed to fine violators
  5. ResolutionAn important person must approve the agreement
  6. StatementWe do not audit charity collectors or Temple treasurers
  7. ProofA hint from the Temple repair workers
  8. StatementEven with a trusted treasurer, tie up and count your money
  9. StatementCheck requests for food, not for clothing
  10. ProofThe logic: the person without clothes is being shamed
  11. ProofThe פסוק: check before giving bread, cover the naked right away
  12. Statementרב יהודה says the opposite: check clothing, not food
  13. Proofרב יהודה's logic: the hungry person is the one who suffers
  14. Proofרב יהודה's פסוק: share bread right away, cover the naked once it is clear
  15. ProofA ברייתא agrees with רב יהודה
  16. Statementמשנה: the minimum given to a traveling poor person
  17. QuestionWhat counts as 'lodging needs'?
  18. Responseרב פפא: a bed and a pillow
  19. Statementמשנה continues: food for three שבת meals
  20. Statementברייתא: we don't have to tend to one who goes door to door
  21. StatementStory: רב פפא does not help a door-to-door poor man
  22. Challengeרב סמא: if you don't help him, should he die?
  23. Challengeרב פפא points to the ברייתא
  24. Resolutionרב סמא: no big gift, but still a small gift
  25. Statementרב אסי: give at least a third of a שקל a year
  26. Statementרב אסי: צדקה equals all the מצוות
  27. StatementGetting others to give is greater than giving
  28. StatementGiving willingly versus giving against your will
  29. Statementרבא urges the people of מחוזא to give to each other
  30. Statementצדקה replaces the שקל after the בית המקדש
  31. StatementMoney taken by force still counts as צדקה
  32. Statementרבא begins telling something he was told