Gemara Clarity

Bava Kamma 50a

בבא קמא נ׳ ע״א

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Topic

Liability for a בור according to רבה and רב יוסף, נחוניא the well-digger, and God's exact judgment of צדיקים

Overview

The amud continues the argument between רבי ישמעאל and רבי עקיבא about who is liable for a בור. According to רבה, they argue about a pit on one's own property: רבי עקיבא reads "בעל הבור" as a pit that has an owner, while רבי ישמעאל reads it as the one who made the hazard. רב יוסף disagrees. He says everyone holds a person liable for a pit on private property, and the real argument is about a pit in רשות הרבים. There, רבי ישמעאל learns liability from the words "opens" and "digs", while רבי עקיבא says both words are needed for other lessons. Two ברייתות are brought to challenge the readings, and each time the גמרא shows how both רבה and רב יוסף can explain them. Next, a ברייתא teaches that someone who digs a well and hands it over to the public is exempt, and נחוניא the well-digger is praised for doing exactly that. The amud ends with stories and lessons about how exactly הקדוש ברוך הוא judges צדיקים, and a new teaching on a פסוק that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

בְּבוֹר בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ –

[they argue] about a pit on his own property –

רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא סָבַר:

Rabbi Akiva holds:

בּוֹר בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ נָמֵי חַיָּיב,

a pit on his own property also makes him liable,

דִּכְתִיב: ״בַּעַל הַבּוֹר״ –

as it is written: "The owner of the pit" –

The steps (33)

  1. Statementרבה: רבי עקיבא holds a pit in one's own property also makes him liable
  2. Statementרבה: רבי ישמעאל reads the verse as the one responsible for the hazard
  3. ChallengeWhat does רבי עקיבא mean by 'This is the pit stated in the Torah'?
  4. ResolutionIt means the pit the Torah mentions first for payment
  5. Statementרב יוסף: everyone agrees a pit on private property makes him liable
  6. StatementWhere they really argue: a pit in the public area
  7. Resolutionרבי עקיבא: both words are needed, first reason
  8. Resolutionרבי עקיבא: both words are needed, second reason
  9. ChallengeHow does רב יוסף explain 'this is the Torah's pit'?
  10. ResolutionIt is the first pit the פסוק mentions
  11. ChallengeA ברייתא: pit under the street, opening into private property
  12. ChallengeMore cases: pit opening onto the street, and pits dug for foundations
  13. ChallengeInference: digging next to the street for any other purpose makes one liable
  14. QuestionWhose view is the ברייתא? It fits רבה easily
  15. ChallengeAccording to רב יוסף, the first clause seems to match no one
  16. Resolutionרב יוסף: the first clause is about someone who gave up nothing
  17. Statementרב אשי: רבה does not need to split the ברייתא either
  18. ResolutionThe whole ברייתא follows רבי ישמעאל
  19. ChallengeA new ברייתא about a pit opening into the public domain
  20. ChallengeThe last clause seems to fit no תנא for רב יוסף
  21. ResolutionThe last clause is about digging for foundations
  22. StatementHanding a dug well over to the public
  23. Proofנחוניא the well-digger followed this rule
  24. ChallengeOnly this one הלכה?
  25. ResolutionRead it as "even this הלכה"
  26. Statementנחוניא's daughter falls into a pit
  27. StatementThe daughter explains how she was rescued
  28. QuestionPeople ask רבי חנינא בן דוסא if he is a prophet
  29. ResponseNot prophecy, but reasoning about a צדיק's merit
  30. StatementEven so, נחוניא's son died of thirst
  31. ProofA second פסוק for the same idea
  32. StatementNever say God simply lets things go
  33. QuestionOpening a question about a פסוק