Gittin 58a

גיטין נ״ח ע״א

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Topic

Stories of the חורבן and ביתר, and the start of the רב–שמואל מחלוקת about buying land from a סיקריקון

Overview

This amud continues the גמרא's account of the חורבן and the slaughter at ביתר. It starts with the huge amounts of תפילין boxes found on the dead, explaining that two different counts refer to head-תפילין and arm-תפילין. It then describes children's brains found on one stone and links this to a פסוק in תהלים. The גמרא explains that 'מסולאים בפז' in איכה means the children of ציון were so beautiful they put gold to shame, and tells how Roman noblemen took Jewish children for their beauty. Next come stories of the schoolchildren of ביתר, the young רבי ישמעאל בן אלישע ransomed from a Roman prison, his captive son and daughter who died of grief, and צפנת בת פניאל, whose humiliation leads to the teaching that ה׳ shares His people's pain. Then רב tells of a carpenter's apprentice who tricked his master into divorcing his wife, an injustice that sealed the decree against the Jewish people. Finally the גמרא returns to the משנה about buying land from a סיקריקון, where רב and שמואל disagree about whether a שטר alone makes the purchase valid or a written guarantee (אחריות) is also needed.

Opening lines

The steps (33)

1. StatementBaskets of תפילין found on the dead of ביתר
2. StatementA ברייתא gives a different count
3. ResolutionHead-תפילין versus arm-תפילין
4. StatementBrains found on one stone
5. ProofThe verse about little ones dashed on the rock
6. QuestionWhat does 'comparable to fine gold' mean?
7. ChallengeThere is not enough gold in the world
8. ResolutionTheir beauty put gold to shame
9. ProofRoman noblemen and the beautiful Jewish children
10. QuestionOne captive child asks where this suffering is written
11. ResponseThe friend answers with a פסוק from the curses
12. StatementHow far the first child was from that פסוק
13. QuestionWhat does the פסוק about the daughters of my city mean?
14. ResponseThe schoolchildren of ביתר and their terrible end
15. Statementרבי יהושע בן חנניה hears about a special child in a Roman prison
16. Questionרבי יהושע tests the child with the first half of a פסוק
17. ResponseThe child answers with the rest of the פסוק
18. Statementרבי יהושע swears to ransom the child at any price
19. ConclusionThe child is ransomed and turns out to be רבי ישמעאל בן אלישע
20. Statementרבי ישמעאל's son and daughter are captured by two masters
21. StatementThe masters try to pair them, and both refuse and weep
22. ConclusionAt dawn the brother and sister recognize each other and die from grief
23. StatementA new story: the woman named צפנת בת פניאל
24. StatementShe is abused and put up for sale, and an ugly buyer demands to see her
25. StatementStripped and humiliated, she cries out for the honor of ה׳'s Name
26. Conclusionירמיה's lament: the spoiler came 'upon us'
27. StatementA new story: the apprentice who desired his master's wife
28. StatementThe loan trap and the apprentice's lie
29. StatementThe apprentice advises divorce, funds it, and marries her
30. StatementThe master is forced to serve drinks at his former wife's table
31. ConclusionThe decree is sealed because of this sin
32. Statementרב limits the משנה about buying from a סיקריקון
33. Statementשמואל requires a written guarantee