Gemara Clarity

Gittin 37a

גיטין ל״ז ע״א

Learn Gittin 37a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Gittin 37a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

How a פרוסבול works and its land requirement, and which loans שביעית cancels: guaranteed documents and loans backed by a משכון

Overview

The amud opens by finishing the explanation of the word פרוסבול. It protects both the rich (בולי) and the poor (בוטי), and a foreign speaker tells רבא that it means 'an arrangement of a matter.' שמואל rules that orphans need no פרוסבול, since the court is their father. A פרוסבול needs the borrower to own some land, even a tiny piece. The גמרא answers a challenge from הלל's pot with a hole, and shows that a guarantor's land, or the land of someone who owes the borrower, also works because of רבי נתן's rule. Next, רב and שמואל argue with רבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש over whether שביעית cancels a שטר with a property guarantee. A story with רבי אסי shows that in practice רבי יוחנן rules that it is cancelled. Finally, the גמרא explains that a loan backed by a משכון is not cancelled because the lender acquires the משכון, as רבי יצחק learns from a פסוק. The amud ends by introducing another משנה from שביעית, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

בּוּלֵי – אֵלּוּ עֲשִׁירִים,

Bulei – these are the wealthy,

דִּכְתִיב: ״וְשָׁבַרְתִּי אֶת גְּאוֹן עוּזְּכֶם״,

as it is written: “And I will break the pride of your power,”

וְתָנֵי רַב יוֹסֵף:

and Rav Yosef taught:

אֵלּוּ בּוּלָאוֹת שֶׁבִּיהוּדָה.

these are the wealthy people of Judea.

The steps (39)

  1. Statementבולי means the wealthy
  2. Statementבוטי means the poor
  3. Questionרבא asks a foreigner what the word means
  4. ResponseThe foreigner explains: an arrangement of a matter
  5. StatementOrphans do not need a פרוסבול
  6. Proofרמי בר חמא supports it: the court is the orphans' father
  7. StatementA פרוסבול requires the borrower to own land
  8. QuestionHow small is 'any amount'?
  9. Responseרב: even room for a cabbage stalk
  10. Statementרב יהודה: even a lent spot for an oven
  11. ChallengeChallenge from הלל: only a pot with a hole counts
  12. ChallengeWhy doesn't the pot's spot count as land?
  13. ResolutionThe pot is resting on stakes
  14. Statementרב אשי gave borrowers a palm stump
  15. Statementרב אשי's students handed debts to each other
  16. StatementIs a verbal handover enough? Yes
  17. StatementUsing the guarantor's land
  18. StatementUsing the land of someone who owes the borrower
  19. Proofרבי נתן: collect directly from the debtor's debtor
  20. StatementThe משנה: the seventh year cancels loans with or without a document
  21. Statementרב and שמואל: even a guaranteed document is cancelled
  22. Statementרבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש: a guaranteed document is not cancelled
  23. ProofA ברייתא supports רבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש
  24. ProofAnother ברייתא: even a general guarantee protects the loan
  25. Statementרבי אסי rules a guaranteed document is not cancelled
  26. Statementרבי יוחנן tells the same man that it is cancelled
  27. Questionרבי אסי asks רבי יוחנן directly
  28. Responseרבי יוחנן rules that it is cancelled
  29. ChallengeBut you yourself said it is not cancelled
  30. ResolutionA theory is not a practical ruling
  31. ChallengeBut a ברייתא agrees with you
  32. RejectionThat ברייתא may follow בית שמאי
  33. Statementמשנה: loans with a משכון or given over to court are not cancelled
  34. QuestionWhy is a loan with a משכון not cancelled?
  35. Responseרבא: because the lender holds it
  36. Challengeאביי: then living in the borrower's courtyard should work too
  37. ResolutionA משכון is different: the lender acquires it
  38. Proofרבי יצחק: the פסוק shows a lender acquires the משכון
  39. StatementIntroducing a משנה from another place