Bava Kamma 93a

בבא קמא צ״ג ע״א

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Topic

אגדה from the אברהם–אבימלך story, and why permission to injure or damage does or does not exempt the one who does it

Overview

This amud opens with the end of a run of אגדה tied to the משנה's story of אברהם and אבימלך. רבא learns from לוט that it pays to stay close to a wealthy man. רב חנן and רבי יצחק teach that someone who calls on Heaven against another person is punished first, and that even an ordinary person's curse can come true. רבי אבהו adds that it is better to be chased than to chase. The גמרא then returns to the משנה and asks why someone told 'blind my eye, on condition you are exempt' still pays, while damage to property done with permission is exempt. Three reasons are given: harm to the family (רב ששת, רבי אושעיא), that no one forgives the loss of his major limbs (רבא), and that a 'yes' can really mean 'no' (רבי יוחנן). Next, a contradiction with a ברייתא about a שומר is settled by רבה: what matters is whether the item was handed over to guard it or to tear it. The amud ends with רב יוסף's ruling about a stolen charity purse, followed by the הדרן closing פרק החובל.

Opening lines

The steps (28)

1. ProofClosing verse of the previous proof: an angel sent to guard
2. Questionרבא asks for the source of 'Drag wood after a rich man'
3. ResponseThe source: לוט became wealthy by going with אברם
4. Statementרב חנן: whoever hands his fellow's judgment to Heaven is punished first
5. ProofProof from שרי: she called for judgment and died first
6. StatementLimit: only when a human court was available
7. Statementרבי יצחק: woe to the one who cries out
8. ProofA ברייתא supports Rabbi Yitzchak
9. StatementDo not take an ordinary person's curse lightly
10. ProofProof: אבימלך's curse and יצחק's blindness
11. StatementBe among the chased, not the chasers
12. ProofProof from doves offered on the מזבח
13. QuestionWhy the difference between body and property?
14. ResponsePeople do not really give up payment for major body parts
15. ChallengeDoes a person forgive his own pain? A ברייתא says yes
16. Questionרבא is silent and asks if רב אסי has heard an answer
17. Responseרב ששת: the reason is harm to the family name
18. StatementThe dispute is recorded: רבי אושעיא versus רבא
19. Statementרבי יוחנן: sometimes 'yes' means 'no'
20. ProofA ברייתא backs רבי יוחנן's yes-means-no idea
21. ChallengeThe משנה's 'break my jug' clashes with the guardian ברייתא
22. Resolutionרב הונא: it depends whether the item was in his hands
23. Challengeרבה: 'to guard' means it was in his hands
24. Resolutionרבה's answer: given to guard versus given to tear
25. StatementThe stolen charity purse in פומבדיתא
26. Challengeאביי: the verse says to guard, not to hand out to the poor
27. Resolutionרב יוסף: the poor of פומבדיתא had fixed amounts
28. Conclusionהדרן: Closing פרק החובל