Bava Kamma 119a

בבא קמא קי״ט ע״א

Learn Bava Kamma 119a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Buying goods that may be stolen, the seriousness of robbery, and which craftsmen's leftovers belong to them

Overview

The amud opens by concluding that רבי יהודה's words about buying animals are a leniency. Next comes the משנה's ban on buying from שומרי פירות: רבא explains that an אריס is different, because he owns a share of the crop, and a ברייתא allows buying from watchmen who sell openly. רב and שמואל then argue about when you may buy from a known גזלן, and רב יהודה rules like שמואל. The גמרא discusses the property of a מסור, tells how רב חסדא dismissed his sharecropper, and brings פסוקים teaching that robbery is like taking a life. רבי יוחנן says that robbing even a פרוטה is like killing, and that this includes harming the victim's children, taking by force while paying, and indirect harm, as with שאול and the גבעונים. A ברייתא lists what may be bought from women, olive pressers and others, and what charity collectors may accept. רבינא accepts jewelry in wealthy מחוזא because there it counts as small. Finally, a new משנה rules on which leftover threads and shavings belong to the craftsman and which belong to the owner, and the גמרא begins with a ברייתא about the launderer.

Opening lines

The steps (39)

1. Conclusionרבי יהודה's statement is a leniency on the latter clause
2. StatementQuoting the משנה about produce watchmen
3. Statementרבא buys vine branches from a sharecropper
4. Challengeאביי challenges רבא from the משנה
5. ResolutionA sharecropper owns a share of the land, unlike a watchman
6. Statementברייתא: buying from watchmen openly versus secretly
7. QuestionWhen may one buy from a robber?
8. Responseרב: majority; שמואל: even a minority
9. Conclusionרב יהודה rules like שמואל in practice
10. StatementArgument: may you destroy an informer's property?
11. StatementThe reasons behind each side
12. Statementרב חסדא dismisses his sharecropper
13. StatementWhose soul does God take: the robbed or the robber?
14. ProofSource for the view that it is the victim's soul
15. ProofSource for the view that it is the robber's soul
16. ChallengeChallenge to the robber's-soul view from the first פסוק
17. Resolution'Its owners' means the current owner: the robber
18. ChallengeChallenge to the victim's-soul view from the second פסוק
19. ResolutionThe פסוק is giving a reason: they robbed a soul
20. StatementRobbing even a פרוטה is like taking a life
21. ProofThree more פסוקים showing robbery is like killing
22. QuestionWhy bring so many פסוקים?
23. ResponseThe second פסוק: the robber harms the children too
24. ResponseThe third פסוק: even if he pays, it is like killing
25. ResponseEven indirect harm counts, as shown by the פסוק about שאול
26. QuestionWhen did שאול ever kill the גבעונים?
27. ResponseKilling נוב cut off the גבעונים' food and water
28. StatementWhat may be bought from women, slaves and children
29. Statementאבא שאול: a woman may sell small amounts to buy a head covering
30. StatementIf the seller says to hide it, buying is forbidden
31. StatementCharity collectors may take only small donations
32. StatementFrom olive pressers buy large amounts, not small
33. Statementרבן שמעון בן גמליאל: small amounts of olives from women in the Upper גליל
34. Statementרבינא accepts jewelry from the women of מחוזא
35. Challengeרבה תוספאה challenges רבינא from the ברייתא
36. ResolutionFor the people of מחוזא, jewelry counts as small
37. Statementמשנה: strands and threads from the launderer and carder
38. Statementמשנה: tailor's leftovers and carpenter's shavings
39. Statementברייתא: buying strands from a launderer; he keeps two upper threads