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Bava Metzia 55b

בבא מציעא נ״ה ע״ב

Learn Bava Metzia 55b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

רב קטינא's rule about cases under a פרוטה, the משנה of the five cases of חומש, and whether רבי מאיר gives rabbinic rules like דמאי Torah-like strength.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a challenge against רב קטינא. A ברייתא implies that repaying less than a פרוטה applies only to הקדש, so the גמרא restates his rule: a court needs a פרוטה to open a case, but it finishes the case even if the value drops below a פרוטה. Then a new משנה lists five groups of cases where a person must add a חומש, an extra fifth. רבי אלעזר is bothered that one item, תרומת מעשר של דמאי, is only rabbinic, so why would it get the Torah's חומש? רב נחמן in the name of שמואל answers that the משנה follows רבי מאיר, who holds that חכמים gave their rules Torah-like strength. The proof is a ברייתא about a גט brought from overseas, where רבי מאיר treats a missing rabbinic statement so seriously that a later child is a ממזר. רב ששת then challenges this from a משנה where רבי מאיר is lenient about redeeming מעשר שני of דמאי, even allowing silver to be redeemed onto copper. That challenge continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

לְרַבּוֹת פָּחוֹת מִשָּׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה לְהִישָּׁבוֹן.

To include less than the value of a peruta for repayment.

לְקֹדֶשׁ – אִין,

To the Temple, yes,

אֲבָל לְהֶדְיוֹט – לָא.

but to an ordinary person, no.

אֶלָּא, אִי אִתְּמַר הָכִי אִתְּמַר:

Rather, if it was said, this is how it was said:

The steps (10)

  1. ChallengeThe verse includes less than a פרוטה only for הקדש
  2. Resolutionרב קטינא's rule restated: a court finishes a case that dropped below a פרוטה
  3. Statementמשנה: the five kinds of cases that add a חומש
  4. Challengeרבי אלעזר's difficulty: a חומש for rabbinic דמאי?
  5. ResolutionOur משנה follows רבי מאיר
  6. ProofProof from a גט brought from overseas
  7. ChallengeIs רבי מאיר really that strict?
  8. ResolutionYes, this is רבי מאיר's consistent view
  9. Challengeרב ששת's challenge from redeeming דמאי
  10. ProofSilver onto copper is normally not done