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Bava Metzia 32a

בבא מציעא ל״ב ע״א

Learn Bava Metzia 32a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Dividing a partnership without a בית דין; returning lost animals; honoring parents versus מצוות; unloading and loading a fallen animal

Overview

The amud opens by finishing the story of רב ספרא, who divided a partnership's property on his own, without his partner and without a בית דין. רבה בר רב הונא says he needs proof that he divided before three. רב ספרא answers that taking your own share only reveals a fact, so two witnesses are enough, and he brings support from a widow who sells without a בית דין. אביי pushes back with רב נחמן's teaching that the widow still needs a בית דין of ordinary people. A new משנה then teaches when a lost animal must be returned, that a כהן may not become טמא to return it, and that a child must not obey a parent who says to break a מצוה. The same משנה also teaches the מצוות of unloading (פריקה) and loading (טעינה) a fallen animal. The גמרא defines the stable in the משנה, brings רבי יצחק's limit about the תחום in two versions, and finds the source for not obeying a parent. It ends by explaining that unloading is done for free and loading for pay, according to רבנן, while רבי שמעון says both are free, and each side argues from the פסוקים. רבא's new statement begins at the very end and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

תְּרֵי מִגּוֹ תְּלָתָא,

Two out of the three,

וְאִי נָמֵי תְּרֵי סָהֲדִי

or alternatively, two witnesses

דִּפְלַגְתְּ בְּאַפֵּי בֵּי תְלָתָא.

that you divided before a group of three.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מְנָא לָךְ הָא?

He said to him: From where do you have this?

The steps (32)

  1. Statementרבה בר רב הונא's ruling: bring proof of dividing before three
  2. Questionרב ספרא asks for the source
  3. ProofProof from the משנה about the person returning a lost object
  4. Rejectionרב ספרא: the cases are not alike
  5. Proofרב ספרא's support: a widow sells without a בית דין
  6. Challengeאביי: the widow still needs a בית דין of ordinary people
  7. StatementWhere the animal was found, and when not to listen to a father
  8. StatementUnloading and loading again and again
  9. StatementWhen the owner just sits and watches
  10. StatementIs loading also a Torah מצוה?
  11. StatementNo obligation when the animal is overloaded
  12. Statementרבא defines the stable in the משנה
  13. ProofProving both parts of רבא's definition from the משנה
  14. ProofWhy the stable can't be a secure one
  15. Statementרבי יצחק limits the stable case to inside the boundary
  16. ConclusionInference: a public area obligates even within the boundary
  17. StatementSecond version: רבי יצחק's condition goes on the public-area case
  18. ConclusionInference: a stable never requires returning
  19. QuestionSource for not obeying a parent who says to break a מצוה
  20. ResponseThe פסוק: everyone must honor God
  21. ChallengeWhy is a פסוק needed at all?
  22. ResolutionThe פסוק was needed because honoring parents is compared to honoring God
  23. QuestionWhat does 'but not to load' mean?
  24. ChallengeLoading also has its own verse
  25. ResolutionUnloading is for free, loading may be for pay
  26. StatementThe משנה teaches the same as a ברייתא
  27. ResponseWhy רבנן say loading is paid
  28. ResponseWhy רבי שמעון needs both verses
  29. QuestionWhy do the רבנן reject רבי שמעון's claim?
  30. ResponseEach פסוק points to its own case
  31. Responseרבי שמעון: 'fallen on the way' can also mean unloading
  32. Statementרבא begins a new statement