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Bava Kamma 82b

בבא קמא פ״ב ע״ב

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Topic

The end of עזרא's enactments, the ten special laws of ירושלים, and the siege story behind the ban on pigs and חכמת יוונית

Overview

The גמרא finishes explaining the ten enactments of עזרא. It explains that he added combing the hair before immersion and had peddlers travel through the towns so women could get cosmetics. It also explains his enactment of טבילה for a בעל קרי: the Torah requires it only for תרומה and קדשים, and עזרא extended it to learning Torah. Next, a ברייתא lists ten special laws of ירושלים, and the גמרא explains each one. Four come from פסוקים, because this תנא holds that ירושלים was never given to any one שבט. Five have practical reasons, such as protecting טהרה, keeping the pilgrims safe, and avoiding smoke and smell, and one is simply a tradition. The גמרא then turns to the משנה's ban on raising pigs and tells the story of the war in בית חשמונאי, where a pig sent up the wall made ארץ ישראל shake. Because of that story, the חכמים cursed raising pigs and teaching חכמת יוונית. The גמרא begins to question that second curse with a ברייתא from רבי, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וַאֲתָא אִיהוּ

And he came

תַּיקֵּן חֲפִיפָה.

and enacted combing.

וְשֶׁיְּהוּ רוֹכְלִין מְחַזְּרִין בָּעֲיָירוֹת –

And that peddlers should travel around the towns:

מִשּׁוּם תַּכְשִׁיטֵי נָשִׁים,

this is because of women's cosmetics,

The steps (22)

  1. Resolutionעזרא added combing the hair
  2. StatementWhy peddlers should travel through the towns
  3. ChallengeIsn't immersion after an emission already a Torah law?
  4. Resolutionעזרא extended טבילה to Torah learning
  5. StatementTen special laws of ירושלים: the first three
  6. StatementThe rest of the list of special laws for ירושלים
  7. ProofWhy a house in ירושלים is never permanently sold
  8. ProofWhy ירושלים does not bring an עגלה ערופה
  9. ProofWhy ירושלים can never become an עיר הנדחת
  10. ProofA house in ירושלים cannot become impure with נגעים
  11. StatementNo projections or balconies in ירושלים
  12. StatementNo garbage heaps in ירושלים
  13. StatementNo kilns in ירושלים
  14. StatementNo gardens or orchards in ירושלים
  15. StatementNo raising chickens in ירושלים
  16. StatementNo leaving a dead body overnight: a tradition
  17. StatementBack to the משנה: no raising pigs anywhere
  18. StatementThe civil war in בית חשמונאי and the תמידים
  19. StatementThe elder's advice and the pig on the wall
  20. StatementThe two curses: raising pigs and teaching חכמת יוונית
  21. StatementA משנה about the עומר and שתי הלחם is linked to the siege
  22. ChallengeIs חכמת יוונית really forbidden?