Gittin 38a

גיטין ל״ח ע״א

Learn Gittin 38a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

How גוים acquire slaves, and when captured or abandoned slaves go free

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a ברייתא: a גוי cannot own a Jew's body, and גוים cannot own each other's body, but they can own each other's labor. The גמרא proves this by a קל וחומר, and רב פפא shows from סיחון's conquest of עמון and מואב that a גוי can also gain ownership by capture. A פסוק shows that a גוי can capture a Jew too. Next, רבי יוחנן rules that a slave who escapes captivity goes free. The גמרא asks how this fits with his ruling like רבן שמעון בן גמליאל, and answers according to אביי (before or after יאוש) and according to רבא (חזקיה's worry does not apply to one who escapes). Stories follow about the captured maidservants of שמואל and רבי אבא בר זוטרא, including שמואל's rule that a slave whose master gives up ownership goes free without a גט שחרור. Finally, a maidservant in פומבדיתא raises the question of freeing a slave to stop a sin. אביי and רבינא discuss it, and the challenge to אביי continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (28)

1. StatementGentiles cannot acquire you or each other
2. QuestionThe ברייתא starts to ask whether gentiles cannot acquire each other
3. ChallengeBut the ברייתא just said they cannot acquire each other
4. ResolutionThey cannot acquire each other's body
5. QuestionMaybe they cannot acquire each other's labor either
6. ResponseA קל וחומר: a גוי can acquire another גוי's labor
7. ChallengeMaybe this only works with money, not by taking hold
8. Resolutionרב פפא: עמון and מואב became permitted through סיחון
9. QuestionWhat about a גוי taking hold of a Jew?
10. ResponseThe פסוק: he took captives from them
11. StatementA slave who escapes from prison goes free
12. ChallengeContradiction from רבן שמעון בן גמליאל in the משנה
13. ResolutionAccording to אביי there is no contradiction
14. ChallengeAccording to רבא the contradiction remains
15. Resolutionרבא explains why the escaped slave is different
16. Statementשמואל's captured maidservant is redeemed and sent back
17. RejectionThe redeemers were wrong: it was after שמואל gave up hope
18. Proofשמואל's rule: a slave whose master gives up ownership goes free
19. Statementרבי אבא בר זוטרא's maidservant is captured
20. ChallengeWhat would the bill of freedom accomplish?
21. ResolutionFirst answer: the community will join together to redeem her
22. ResolutionSecond answer: the non-Jew will lose interest in her
23. ChallengeChallenge: non-Jews value Jewish property highly
24. ResolutionAnswer: in private yes, in public it is shameful
25. StatementA maidservant in פומבדיתא involved in forbidden behavior
26. Statementאביי would force her master to free her except for שמואל's rule
27. Statementרבינא: רב יהודה agrees when there is a prohibition
28. ChallengeDoes אביי really not allow freeing a slave because of a prohibition?