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Bava Metzia 47b

בבא מציעא מ״ז ע״ב

Learn Bava Metzia 47b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Rules of חליפין, the meaning of אסימון, and the argument between רבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש over whether money or משיכה acquires movable items.

Overview

The גמרא finishes reading a phrase word by word to learn which items can be used for חליפין. Coins and איסורי הנאה are ruled out, and there are two versions of which word teaches what. Next it asks what the משנה's אסימון is. רב says it is a bathhouse token, but two ברייתות about מעשר שני show that a token and an אסימון are different things. So רבי יוחנן explains that an אסימון is a blank coin, which fits his teaching that רבי דוסא and רבי ישמעאל agree. Then the גמרא turns to משיכה. רבי יוחנן says money acquires by Torah law and משיכה is a rabbinic גזירה, so the seller will save the goods from an accidental fire. ריש לקיש says משיכה comes from the Torah, and they argue over how to read the פסוק of אונאה. The גמרא then challenges ריש לקיש from רבי שמעון and from the curse of מי שפרע in the משנה. It begins to question the answer about the curse with a ברייתא that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

בְּמָרוֹקָא.

with date pits.

״לְמִקְנְיָא״ – לְאַפּוֹקֵי מִדְּלֵוִי,

'To acquire' comes to exclude the view of Levi,

דְּאָמַר בְּכִלְיוֹ שֶׁל מַקְנֶה,

who says it is done with the vessel of the one giving ownership;

קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן ״לְמִקְנְיָא״

it teaches us 'to acquire'

The steps (30)

  1. StatementThe word 'to acquire' rejects לוי's view
  2. StatementWhat the word 'with it' excludes
  3. StatementA second version of who learns what
  4. QuestionWhat is an אסימון?
  5. Responseרב: bathhouse tokens
  6. ChallengeA ברייתא lists them as two things
  7. RejectionIt cannot be an explanation
  8. ResponseAn אסימון is a blank coin
  9. Statementרבי יוחנן's view fits another statement of his
  10. QuestionWhere is רבי ישמעאל's view?
  11. Responseרבי ישמעאל and רבי עקיבא on the פסוק of מעשר שני
  12. StatementBack to the משנה: pulling without paying
  13. StatementBy Torah law money acquires; משיכה is a rabbinic decree
  14. ChallengeWhoever started the fire has to pay
  15. ResolutionThe worry is an accidental fire
  16. Statementריש לקיש: משיכה is from the Torah
  17. QuestionWhat is ריש לקיש's source?
  18. ResponseThe פסוק: acquired from hand to hand
  19. Statementרבי יוחנן: 'From the hand' excludes land
  20. Responseריש לקיש: 'Or acquire' would be extra, so it teaches pulling
  21. QuestionWhat does רבי יוחנן do with 'or acquire'?
  22. Response'Or acquire' teaches that cheating the seller is also forbidden
  23. Responseריש לקיש learns both lessons from 'or acquire'
  24. ChallengeChallenge to ריש לקיש from רבי שמעון in the משנה
  25. Resolutionריש לקיש follows the רבנן, not רבי שמעון
  26. QuestionWhat do רבי שמעון and the רבנן argue about according to רבי יוחנן?
  27. ResponseThey argue about רב חסדא's rule
  28. ChallengeChallenge to ריש לקיש from the מי שפרע curse
  29. ResolutionThe curse is for breaking his word
  30. ChallengeDoes breaking a verbal promise really bring the curse?