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Bava Metzia 33b

בבא מציעא ל״ג ע״ב

Learn Bava Metzia 33b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The end of פרק אלו מציאות (משנה versus תלמוד, two דרשות about scholars) and the opening of פרק המפקיד: who gets the thief's כפל when a guardian pays

Overview

This amud finishes פרק אלו מציאות and opens פרק המפקיד. First, the גמרא explains why a teaching praised תלמוד above everything and then said to run to משנה more: once the praise was taught in רבי's days, everyone left משנה, so רבי corrected them. The praise of תלמוד rests on רבי יהודה ברבי אלעאי's דרשה that a scholar's accidental mistakes count as deliberate, which matches 'הוי זהיר בתלמוד'. A second דרשה of his sorts four groups by their learning and ends with hope: all ישראל will rejoice, and only the nations will be ashamed. The new משנה rules that a free guardian who pays instead of swearing collects the thief's כפל or ארבעה וחמשה, while one who swears leaves those payments to the owner. The גמרא shows why the משנה needed both an animal and vessels. Then רמי בר חמא challenges how the owner can transfer a payment that does not exist yet, even according to רבי מאיר. His challenge continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

בִּימֵי רַבִּי נִשְׁנֵית מִשְׁנָה זוֹ,

In the days of Rebbi this teaching was taught,

שְׁבַקוּ כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא מַתְנִיתִין

everyone left the Mishnah

וַאֲזַלוּ בָּתַר תַּלְמוּדָא,

and went after the Talmud.

הֲדַר דְּרַשׁ לְהוּ:

So he then expounded to them:

The steps (16)

  1. ResolutionWhy the teaching tells you to run to משנה
  2. QuestionWhat did he expound
  3. ResponseScholars' mistakes count as deliberate
  4. ProofMatching משנה: be careful in Talmud
  5. StatementFour groups in one verse
  6. ResolutionThe less learned groups still have hope
  7. ResolutionOnly the nations will be ashamed
  8. Conclusionהדרן: closing פרק אלו מציאות
  9. StatementA guardian who pays instead of swearing
  10. StatementThe thief's extra payment goes to the guardian
  11. StatementIf the guardian swore instead of paying, the extra payment goes to the owner
  12. QuestionWhy does the משנה mention both an animal and vessels?
  13. ResponseIf only an animal were taught, we would think it is because of the bother
  14. ResponseIf only vessels were taught, we would think it is because the extra payment is small
  15. ChallengeYou cannot give away something that does not exist yet
  16. ChallengeEven רבי מאיר would not allow it here