Bava Metzia 85a

בבא מציעא פ״ה ע״א

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Topic

Humility, רבי's suffering, rescuing others' children for תורה, and keeping תורה in the family

Overview

The גמרא finishes רבי's list of humble people. It doubts the examples of יונתן and the בני בתירה, and concludes that רבן שמעון בן גמליאל was surely humble. רבי then takes on thirteen years of painful suffering. The suffering began when he showed no mercy to a calf, and it ended when he showed mercy to baby weasels. רבי rescues the wayward son of רבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון, who grows into the scholar רבי יוסי. A בת קול later explains why he could not be buried beside his father. רבי also brings רבי טרפון's grandson to תשובה, and the גמרא explains why he worked so hard: teaching someone else's child תורה brings enormous reward. Next comes a promise that three generations of תלמידי חכמים keep תורה in a family forever, shown through the fasts of רב יוסף and רבי זירא. The amud ends as רב begins explaining the פסוק about why the land was destroyed, and his answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (43)

1. StatementThe three humble people and how each showed it
2. ChallengeMaybe the בני בתירה and יונתן had no real choice
3. ConclusionOnly רבן שמעון בן גמליאל was surely humble
4. Statementרבי accepts thirteen years of suffering
5. StatementEven the roar of the animals could not drown out רבי's cries
6. Statementרבי אלעזר's suffering was on a higher level than רבי's
7. QuestionWhat was the incident that brought רבי's suffering?
8. ResponseThe calf that ran to רבי before slaughter
9. ResponseThe baby weasels רבי protected
10. StatementThe blessings in the world during their years of suffering
11. ProofWhy not needing rain is a blessing
12. StatementThe ground stayed full of water anyway
13. Questionרבי asks whether the righteous man left a son
14. ResponseThe son has gone badly astray
15. Statementרבי gives the son סמיכה and sends him to his uncle
16. StatementThe boy keeps wanting to go home
17. ChallengeThe uncle rebukes him: look at the honor you were given
18. ResponseThe boy swears to drop the idea of leaving
19. Statementרבי recognizes a familiar voice in his yeshiva
20. ResponseIt is his son
21. Statementרבי applies a פסוק to the son
22. StatementWho each half of the פסוק refers to
23. StatementA snake surrounds the father's burial cave
24. StatementThey ask the snake to open, but it refuses
25. StatementThe people conclude the father was greater
26. RejectionA heavenly voice explains the real reason
27. Questionרבי asks about רבי טרפון's son
28. ResponseThe people describe a wayward grandson
29. Statementרבי offers his daughter and the grandson repents
30. StatementTwo versions of whether he married her
31. QuestionWhy did רבי go to so much trouble?
32. ResponseTeaching a friend's son earns a seat in heaven
33. StatementTeaching the son of an unlearned man can cancel a heavenly decree
34. StatementThree generations of scholars means תורה stays in the family forever
35. QuestionWhy does the verse say 'says ה׳'?
36. Responseה׳ personally guarantees the promise
37. QuestionWhat does 'from now and forever' mean?
38. ResponseAfter three generations, תורה returns to its home
39. Statementרב יוסף fasts until he is shown the full promise
40. Conclusionרב יוסף stops fasting, sure that תורה will stay in his family
41. Statementרבי זירא's three hundred fasts
42. Statementרבי זירא tests himself in the oven
43. Statementרב begins explaining the verse about why the land was lost