Gemara Clarity

Gittin 36b

גיטין ל״ו ע״ב

Learn Gittin 36b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

How חכמים can cancel debts through שביעית today (הפקר בית דין הפקר), and the standing of הלל's פרוסבול

Overview

The גמרא explains that today, by תורה law, שביעית does not cancel debts. חכמים made it cancel them anyway as a reminder, and הלל then made the פרוסבול. The גמרא asks how חכמים can cancel a debt the תורה says is owed. אביי answers that they only tell the borrower to stay passive (שב ואל תעשה). רבא answers that הפקר בית דין הפקר, which is proven from פסוקים in עזרא and יהושע. Next the גמרא asks whether הלל made פרוסבול only for his own generation or for all generations. Two proofs from שמואל are both pushed away, and רב נחמן says he would strengthen פרוסבול so that even an unwritten one counts. A side discussion explains שמואל's word עולבנא as insolence and praises people who are insulted but do not answer back. Finally, רב חסדא begins to explain the word פרוסבול, and the explanation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְתַקִּינוּ רַבָּנַן דִּתְשַׁמֵּט,

And the rabbis set up that it should cancel [debts],

זֵכֶר לַשְּׁבִיעִית;

as a reminder of the Shemitah year;

רָאָה הִלֵּל שֶׁנִּמְנְעוּ הָעָם

Hillel saw that the people held back

מִלְּהַלְווֹת זֶה אֶת זֶה,

from lending to one another,

The steps (26)

  1. Resolutionחכמים made שמיטה cancel debts, and הלל made the פרוסבול
  2. ChallengeHow can the rabbis cancel a debt the תורה says is still owed?
  3. Resolutionאביי: The rabbis only tell the borrower to stay passive
  4. Resolutionרבא: בית דין can declare property ownerless
  5. Proofרבי יצחק's source from the פסוק in עזרא
  6. Proofרבי אליעזר's source: the leaders who divided the land
  7. QuestionWhy does the verse link "heads" with "fathers"?
  8. ResponseLeaders can give out property like fathers do
  9. QuestionWas the פרוסבול enactment for one generation or for all?
  10. QuestionWhat difference does it make?
  11. ResponseThe difference: whether a later court can cancel it
  12. ProofProof from שמואל: a פרוסבול is written only in סורא or נהרדעא
  13. RejectionRejection: for all generations, but only for strong courts
  14. Proofשמואל says he would cancel פרוסבול if he could
  15. ChallengeHow can שמואל cancel it? A court must be greater to undo another court's rule
  16. Rejectionשמואל meant: only if I become greater than הלל
  17. Statementרב נחמן says he would uphold פרוסבול
  18. Challengeפרוסבול is already in force
  19. ResolutionEven an unwritten פרוסבול would count as written
  20. QuestionWhat does עולבנא mean?
  21. Responseעולא's bride who sinned under her canopy
  22. StatementThe פסוק behind עולא's saying
  23. Statementה׳'s affection still remains
  24. StatementPraise for those who are insulted but do not insult back
  25. QuestionWhat does the word פרוסבול mean?
  26. Responseרב חסדא explains the word פרוסבול