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Bava Kamma 94a

בבא קמא צ״ד ע״א

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Topic

Does a שינוי (change) cancel an item's status? בית שמאי and בית הלל on a changed אתנן, אביי's list of תנאים, רבא's rejections, and שמואל's ruling about a stolen animal that got weaker

Overview

The גמרא finishes a ברייתא in which בית שמאי forbid a changed אתנן for the מזבח and בית הלל permit it. Each side reads a different word in the same פסוק: 'גם' includes changed forms, and 'הם' excludes them. The word 'גם' stays a קשיא against בית הלל. Next the גמרא finds the sources for the other תנאים on אביי's list who hold that a שינוי does not change an item's status: רבי אליעזר בן יעקב (a ברכה on bread baked from stolen wheat), רבי שמעון בן אלעזר (a robber's improvements, explained by רב ששת and by תקנת השבים), and רבי ישמעאל (פאה given even from dough). רב פפא asks why so many תנאים would follow בית שמאי, and אביי answers that on this point even בית הלל agree. רבא then rejects every proof, showing that each case has its own special reason. רבי יונתן's question and the extra word 'תעזב' back up רבא's point about רבי ישמעאל. Finally, שמואל rules like רבי שמעון בן אלעזר. The גמרא settles the clash with שמואל's other ruling according to רבא, and for אביי it begins quoting a different version of שמואל's words, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

דְּמֵאַסְפּוֹרַק:

of Asporak:

בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹסְרִין,

Beit Shammai prohibit,

וּבֵית הִלֵּל מַתִּירִין.

and Beit Hillel permit.

מַאי טַעְמֵיהּ דְּבֵית שַׁמַּאי?

What is the reason of Beit Shammai?

The steps (34)

  1. Statementבית שמאי forbid and בית הלל permit a changed harlot's payment
  2. QuestionWhat is בית שמאי's source?
  3. ResponseEach side reads a different word in the verse
  4. ChallengeWhat do בית שמאי do with the word 'them'?
  5. ResolutionFor בית שמאי, 'them' excludes offspring
  6. Responseבית הלל learn two things from 'them'
  7. ChallengeWhat do בית הלל do with the word 'even'?
  8. ConclusionThe word 'even' remains a difficulty for בית הלל
  9. QuestionWhat is רבי אליעזר בן יעקב's source?
  10. Responseרבי אליעזר בן יעקב: Baking Stolen Wheat Doesn't Make It Yours
  11. QuestionWhat Is רבי שמעון בן אלעזר's Source?
  12. Responseרבי שמעון בן אלעזר's Rule About a Robber's Improvements
  13. ChallengeThe Wording Doesn't Make Sense
  14. Resolutionרב ששת: Two Different Cases
  15. ChallengeThen Why Pay Him for Improvements?
  16. ResolutionBecause of the Rule to Help Robbers Do תשובה
  17. QuestionWhat is רבי ישמעאל's source?
  18. Responseפאה must be given even from dough
  19. ChallengeWould all these תנאים follow בית שמאי?
  20. Resolutionבית שמאי and בית הלל agree on this
  21. Rejectionרבא: maybe the case is only about removable dye
  22. Rejectionבית שמאי may only be talking about offerings
  23. Rejectionרבי אליעזר בן יעקב may only be talking about a blessing
  24. Rejectionרבי שמעון בן אלעזר may only be talking about weakening that can be reversed
  25. Rejectionרבי ישמעאל may only be talking about פאה
  26. RejectionNo general rule can be learned from gifts to the poor
  27. Proofרבי יונתן Asked the Same Question
  28. ChallengeWhat Is the Extra Word For?
  29. ResolutionThe Extra Word Teaches About an Ownerless Vineyard
  30. StatementThe הלכה Follows רבי שמעון בן אלעזר
  31. ChallengeDid שמואל really say that? His other ruling seems to clash
  32. ResolutionAccording to רבא, the two statements deal with different kinds of weakening
  33. ChallengeBut according to אביי, the contradiction comes back
  34. Resolutionאביי had a different version of שמואל's ruling