Bava Metzia 86b

בבא מציעא פ״ו ע״ב

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Topic

Feeding hired workers, and the אגדה of אברהם's hospitality to the three מלאכים: his meal compared with שלמה's, the three calves, the rewards to his descendants, and the visit after his מילה.

Overview

The גמרא finishes explaining the משנה: an employer who promises food to his workers has taken on more than the usual. רבי יוחנן בן מתיא told his son that even a feast like שלמה's would not cover such a promise, because the workers are children of אברהם, יצחק and יעקב. The גמרא asks how אברהם's three calves could beat שלמה's enormous daily menu, and answers that per person אברהם gave far more. Next the גמרא explains words in the פסוקים: what made שלמה's birds 'fattened', which animals are the finest, and how רב finds three calves in 'בן בקר רך וטוב'. It defends that reading against challenges and explains that the three calves let אברהם serve each guest a tongue with mustard. Then come teachings about reward: רב says ה׳ repaid אברהם's descendants in the same way he served his guests, either personally or through a messenger, while רבי חמא ברבי חנינא lines up the rewards differently. The amud ends with the story of the hot day after אברהם's מילה, the identity of the three מלאכים and their jobs, and a question about why the מלאכים agreed at once to stay with אברהם but not with לוט. The answer to that question comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (40)

1. StatementPromising food means more, and the story of רבי יוחנן בן מתיא
2. ChallengeWas אברהם's meal really greater than שלמה's?
3. Challengeשלמה's thousand wives versus אברהם's three calves
4. ResolutionPer person, אברהם's meal was greater
5. QuestionWhat does 'fatted fowl' mean?
6. ResponseThree explanations of the fattened animals
7. StatementThe choicest animal and the choicest bird
8. StatementWhich hen is the best
9. Statementאברהם served three calves
10. ChallengeMaybe it was only one calf
11. ResolutionThe extra 'and' shows a teaching
12. ChallengeMaybe it was only two calves
13. ResolutionIf 'good' teaches, 'tender' teaches too
14. ChallengeThe verse says 'it', so maybe there was only one calf
15. ResolutionEach calf went to a different servant
16. ChallengeThe serving verse also says one calf
17. ResolutionHe served each calf as soon as it was ready
18. QuestionWhy would three guests need three calves?
19. ResponseThree tongues with mustard
20. StatementNever change from the local custom
21. ChallengeCan angels really eat?
22. ResolutionThey only looked like they ate
23. Statementה׳ repaid אברהם measure for measure
24. ProofMatching verses: meat and bread from ה׳
25. ProofMore things אברהם did himself, matched by ה׳ acting Himself
26. ProofThe water אברהם sent for was repaid through a messenger
27. StatementAnother opinion: three acts of hospitality earned three rewards
28. StatementThe angels respond to being asked to wash their feet
29. QuestionWhat does 'in the heat of the day' mean?
30. ResponseIt was the third day after אברהם's מילה
31. Statementאברהם sends אליעזר to look for guests
32. Proofאברהם goes out and finds הקב"ה at the door
33. ProofSeeing אברהם's pain, it was not proper to stand there
34. ResolutionHow the men stood over him and he still ran to them
35. QuestionWho were the three men?
36. Responseמיכאל, גבריאל and רפאל, each with a job
37. ChallengeBut the פסוק says two מלאכים came to סדום
38. Resolutionמיכאל went along to save לוט
39. ProofThe פסוק says 'he overturned', so only one מלאך did it
40. QuestionWhy did the מלאכים agree at once with אברהם but not with לוט?