Gemara Clarity

Bava Metzia 56a

בבא מציעא נ״ו ע״א

Learn Bava Metzia 56a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Does רבי מאיר make דרבנן rules as strong as Torah law? רב ששת's objection, רב יוסף's answer, רבינא's challenge, אביי's and רבא's review, and a new משנה on items with no אונאה

Overview

Before this amud, רבי אלעזר asked whether the חכמים made their own rules as strong as Torah law, and שמואל answered by quoting רבי מאיר. רב ששת objected. The amud opens with the end of his objection: for real מעשר שני, which is דאורייתא, silver may be redeemed onto copper only under pressure, yet for דמאי, which is only דרבנן, רבי מאיר allows it freely. רב יוסף answers that רבי מאיר is lenient only about redeeming דמאי. About eating it he is strict, as a ברייתא about selling דמאי shows. רבינא challenges this from a משנה where רבי מאיר lets someone tithe bread bought from a baker even across many molds. אביי then reviews the whole debate. רבי אלעזר's question was good, but שמואל's answer was weak. רב ששת's objection missed the point, but רב יוסף answered it well. רבינא's baker case proves nothing, because a baker buys from only one supplier. רבא disagrees and says שמואל's answer works, since 'death' is one category. Finally a new משנה lists slaves, documents, land and הקדש as items with no אונאה, no thief's extra payments, and special guardian rules. רבי שמעון's view continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאָמְרוּ:

Because they said:

מְחַלְּלִין (אוֹתוֹ), כֶּסֶף עַל נְחֹשֶׁת, מִדּוֹחַק,

One may redeem (it) silver onto copper, under pressure,

לֹא שֶׁיְּקַיֵּים כֵּן,

not that he should leave it that way,

אֶלָּא שֶׁחוֹזֵר וּמְחַלְּלָן עַל הַכֶּסֶף.

but rather that he goes back and redeems them onto silver.

The steps (14)

  1. ProofSilver onto copper only under pressure
  2. ChallengeInference: only under pressure, not normally
  3. Resolutionרב יוסף: lenient on redeeming, strict on eating
  4. ProofProof: רבי מאיר makes a homeowner tithe
  5. ProofThe חכמים let anyone pass on דמאי
  6. Challengeרבינא challenges from bread bought from a baker
  7. ChallengeCold bread for warm bread is understandable
  8. ChallengeBut many different molds is a real problem
  9. Rejectionאביי: שמואל's answer to רבי אלעזר was weak
  10. Rejectionאביי: רב ששת's objection was weak, but רב יוסף answered it well
  11. ChallengeWhy did רבינא not use the bread-merchant case?
  12. RejectionThe merchant case does not apply, and neither does the baker case
  13. Resolutionרבא defends שמואל: death is one category
  14. StatementNew משנה: items with no אונאה, no double payment, and special guardian rules