Bava Kamma 92a

בבא קמא צ״ב ע״א

Learn Bava Kamma 92a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Bava Kamma 92a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The end of the rule about cutting down trees (בל תשחית) with two stories about palms growing among vines, then the start of the משנה teaching that paying damages is not enough: the one who caused harm must also ask forgiveness, and the victim should not be cruel.

Overview

This עמוד finishes the rule about cutting down trees. The word ״רק״ teaches that value matters, and שמואל and רב חסדא each had date palms cut down to protect more valuable grapevines. Then a new משנה teaches that someone who injures another person must ask forgiveness even after paying, and that a victim who refuses to forgive is cruel. Both lessons come from the story of אברהם and אבימלך. The משנה also rules on permission to cause damage. Injury to the body is always paid for. Damage to property is free only with a clear exemption. Permission given by a third person never helps. The גמרא then explains פסוקים from the אבימלך story, including the lesson that a בן נח is punished for failing to learn. Finally, רבא asks רבה בר מרי for sources of several well-known sayings, and the last one continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (33)

1. StatementValue can override the order of which tree to cut
2. Statementשמואל tastes wine in his dates
3. Statementרב חסדא uproots palms growing among vines
4. StatementPaying is not enough; he must ask forgiveness
5. QuestionWhat is the source that refusing to forgive is cruel?
6. Responseאברהם prayed for אבימלך
7. StatementPermission to injure the body does not exempt the injurer
8. StatementPermission to damage property exempts only if stated clearly
9. StatementNo one can permit damage to someone else
10. StatementMoney pays for embarrassment, but hurt needs forgiveness
11. ChallengeMust only a prophet's wife be returned?
12. ResolutionReturn any man's wife, not only a prophet's
13. ResolutionWhy אבימלך's excuse fails: אברהם was a prophet and understood the danger
14. StatementA בן נח is punished for failing to learn
15. Statementרבי אלעזר explains the double word 'closed up'
16. StatementA ברייתא counts more blockages
17. Statementרבינא's widest reading of the blockage
18. StatementEven the hens could not lay eggs
19. Questionרבא asks for the source of a known rule about prayer
20. Responseרבה בר מרי brings a proof from איוב
21. Proofרבא's own proof from אברהם and אבימלך
22. QuestionSource for the saying 'the cabbage is struck with the thorn'
23. ResponseAnswer from ירמיהו: 'You all have transgressed'
24. Proofרבא's source from the תורה: 'How long will you refuse'
25. QuestionWho were the five brothers יוסף brought to פרעה?
26. Responseרבי יוחנן: the brothers whose names were doubled
27. ChallengeBut יהודה's name was doubled too
28. Resolutionיהודה's name was doubled for a different reason
29. Statementמשה prays for יהודה because he led ראובן to confess
30. StatementEach phrase of יהודה's ברכה fixes one more problem
31. QuestionWhere do we learn 'poverty follows the poor'?
32. ResponseThe proof from the בכורים baskets
33. Proofרבא prepares his own proof from a פסוק