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Bava Kamma 111b

בבא קמא קי״א ע״ב

Learn Bava Kamma 111b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Heirs of a robber: יאוש, whether an heir is like a buyer, and רבא's reliance on רבי אושעיא's ברייתא

Overview

The משנה teaches that if a robber fed stolen food to his children, or left a stolen item to them, they do not have to pay, unless it was 'something with אחריות.' רב חסדא rules that before יאוש, if a second person eats stolen food, the owner can collect from either person. When the משנה is raised as a challenge, the גמרא answers that the משנה is talking about after יאוש. רמי בר חמא learns from the משנה that an heir is like a buyer, so an inherited stolen item counts as having moved to a new owner. רבא disagrees: an heir is not like a buyer, and the משנה only exempts children who already ate the food. רבא reads 'something with אחריות' as land the father left. When רבי's teaching to his son contradicts that reading, רבא relies on the ברייתא of רבי אושעיא instead. The גמרא then tests that ברייתא against רב חסדא, who is defended with 'after יאוש,' and against רמי בר חמא, whose answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מַתְנִי׳ הַגּוֹזֵל וּמַאֲכִיל אֶת בָּנָיו,

MISHNAH: One who robs and feeds it to his children,

וְהִנִּיחַ לִפְנֵיהֶם –

or left it before them (as an inheritance) —

פְּטוּרִין מִלְּשַׁלֵּם.

they are exempt from paying.

וְאִם הָיָה דָּבָר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ אַחְרָיוּת –

But if it was something that has a guarantee (אחריות) —

The steps (15)

  1. StatementThe משנה: a robber's children who ate or inherited stolen items
  2. Statementרב חסדא: before the owner gives up hope, he can collect from either robber
  3. ChallengeChallenge from the משנה: the children who ate are exempt
  4. ResolutionAnswer: the משנה is after the owner gave up hope
  5. Statementרמי בר חמא: an heir is treated like a buyer
  6. Statementרבא: an heir is not like a buyer
  7. ChallengeThe end of the משנה shows the item still exists
  8. Resolutionרבא rereads the סיפא as talking about land
  9. Challengeרבי's teaching says it means a cow or donkey
  10. Resolutionרבא follows רבי אושעיא's reading
  11. Proofרבי אושעיא's ברייתא matches רבא exactly
  12. ChallengeThe ברייתא's exemption seems to go against רב חסדא
  13. Resolutionרב חסדא: the ברייתא is about a case after the owners gave up hope
  14. ChallengeThe ברייתא's obligation seems to go against רמי בר חמא
  15. Resolutionרמי בר חמא begins his answer by limiting the ברייתא