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Bava Kamma 103b

בבא קמא ק״ג ע״ב

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Topic

Whose view is the משנה's rule that only a robber who swore falsely must make sure the real owner gets paid: רבי עקיבא or רבי טרפון, in light of their מחלוקת about robbing one of five people?

Overview

The amud opens with the end of the משנה. A robber who swears falsely about the extra חומש must add a new חומש on top of it, again and again, until the amount drops below a פרוטה. The same rule of קרן, חומש and אשם applies to a פקדון and the other cases in the פסוק. The גמרא notes that the משנה makes the robber chase the victim only if he swore. It asks whose view that is, using the מחלוקת of רבי טרפון and רבי עקיבא about someone who robbed one of five people. First it answers that the משנה follows רבי עקיבא, who is strict only after an oath. It explains רבי טרפון's leniency through the enactment of paying the בית דין. רב הונא בר יהודה and רבא knock down this answer, with a ברייתא about a buyer and a story about a חסיד. So the גמרא switches: the משנה follows רבי טרפון, who agrees to be strict after an oath because of the פסוק, while רבי עקיבא is strict even without an oath as a קנס. Finally the גמרא asks why the משנה needs the oath at all, since רבי טרפון is strict whenever the robber admits on his own. It begins quoting a ברייתא that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

הֲרֵי זֶה מְשַׁלֵּם חוֹמֶשׁ עַל חוֹמֶשׁ,

this one pays a fifth on top of a fifth,

עַד שֶׁיִּתְמַעֵט הַקֶּרֶן מִשָּׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה.

until the principal is reduced to less than the value of a perutah.

וְכֵן בְּפִקָּדוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:

And so too with a deposit, as it is stated:

״אוֹ בְּפִקָּדוֹן אוֹ בִתְשׂוּמֶת יָד

"with regard to a deposit, or with regard to a pledge,

The steps (20)

  1. StatementA fifth on top of a fifth
  2. StatementThe same rule applies to a deposit
  3. ChallengeWhose view is the rule about the oath?
  4. ProofThe case of robbing one of five people
  5. ChallengeWhy neither Tanna fits the משנה
  6. ResolutionThe משנה follows רבי עקיבא, who is strict only when the robber swore
  7. ResolutionWhy רבי טרפון is lenient even after an oath
  8. ProofThe source: the great enactment of רבי אלעזר ברבי צדוק
  9. ResolutionWhy רבי עקיבא does not use this enactment for one of five
  10. Challengeרב הונא בר יהודה's challenge: both agree about a buyer
  11. ProofThe ברייתא continues: where they disagree is about a robber
  12. ChallengeIf it were about an oath, buying and robbing would be the same
  13. Proofרבא's story of the pious man who bought from one of two people
  14. ChallengeA pious man would not swear falsely
  15. RejectionMaybe he swore first and became pious later? No
  16. ResolutionNew approach: our משנה follows רבי טרפון
  17. ProofThe source: the פסוק about returning on the day of guilt
  18. Resolutionרבי עקיבא is strict even without an oath, as a penalty
  19. ChallengeWhy does the משנה mention an oath at all?
  20. ProofA ברייתא: רבי טרפון agrees when the robber admits on his own