Bava Kamma 83a

בבא קמא פ״ג ע״א

Learn Bava Kamma 83a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Greek language versus חכמת יוונית; the rules about keeping dogs; how far pigeon traps must be from a settled area

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a question about Greek. רבי and רבי יוסי praise speaking Greek or Persian, so the גמרא answers that the Greek language is allowed and only חכמת יוונית is forbidden. It then asks why רבן גמליאל's household studied חכמת יוונית, and answers that they were close to the government and so received a special permission, as a ברייתא confirms. Next the גמרא turns to the משנה that a person may keep a dog only if it is chained. A ברייתא allows a border town to let its dog loose at night, and רב נחמן says בבל counts as a border town, which the גמרא limits to נהרדעא. רבי אליעזר הגדול compares raising dogs to raising pigs. A דרשה and a sad story show how a dog's bark can frighten a pregnant woman into losing her baby. Finally the גמרא discusses how far from a settled area one must be to set pigeon traps, and the פרק מרובה comes to a close.

Opening lines

The steps (24)

1. Challengeרבי and רבי יוסי prefer Hebrew, Greek or Persian over the local Aramaic
2. ResolutionThe Greek language and Greek wisdom are two different things
3. Challengeרבן גמליאל's household studied Greek wisdom
4. Resolutionרבן גמליאל's household was an exception because of its ties to the government
5. ProofA ברייתא shows exceptions for people close to the government
6. StatementThe משנה: a dog may only be raised if chained
7. StatementA ברייתא: border towns may keep a dog loose at night
8. StatementRaising dogs is like raising pigs
9. QuestionWhat difference does the comparison make?
10. ResponseThe dog-raiser gets the same curse
11. Statementבבל counts as a border city
12. StatementThis means only נהרדעא
13. StatementThe שכינה needs at least 22,000 Jews
14. StatementA barking dog could drive away the שכינה
15. ProofA story: a dog's bark causes a miscarriage
16. StatementQuoting the משנה about pigeon traps
17. ChallengeDo pigeons really fly so far?
18. Resolutionאביי: they fly far but fill up nearby
19. ChallengeOnly thirty ריס? A ברייתא says even one hundred מיל
20. Resolutionרב יוסף: a settled area of vineyards
21. Resolutionרבה: a settled area of dovecotes
22. ChallengeWhy not forbid it because of the dovecotes themselves?
23. ResolutionThree answers: the dovecotes belong to a גוי, to no one, or to him
24. ConclusionHadran — Closing פרק מרובה