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Bava Basra 122

BAVA BASRA 122 - This Daf has been dedicated by Rabbi Dr. Eli Turkel of Ra'anana, Israel, to the memory of his father, Reb Yisrael Shimon ben Shlomo ha'Levi Turkel (Yarhzeit: 10 Av).

1) [line 1] "[AL PI HA'GORAL TECHALEK NACHALASO] BEIN RAV LI'ME'AT" - "[Based on the lottery shall one's inheritance be apportioned,] whether abundant or few." (Bamidbar 26:56)

2) [line 4] LO NISCHALKAH ELA B'CHESEF - it was divided only with money (a person who received an inferior portion was compensated monetarily by someone who received a superior portion; the Gemara will explain the nature of this compensation)

3) [line 7] "ACH B'GORAL [YECHALEK ES HA'ARETZ, LI'SHMOS MATOS AVOSAM YINCHALU.] - "Only with a lottery [the land shall be apportioned, according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.]" (Bamidbar 26:55)

4) [line 8] URIM V'TUMIM
(a) The Urim v'Tumim is one of the eight vestments of the Kohen Gadol. The eight vestments are 1. Tzitz (forehead-plate), 2. Efod (apron), 3. Choshen (breastplate), 4. Me'il (robe), 5. Kutones (long shirt), 6. Michnasayim (breeches), 7. Avnet (belt), 8. Mitznefes (turban).
(b) The Choshen contained a parchment that was called the Urim v'Tumim (Shemos 28:30) upon which a Name of HaSh-m was written. It was possible for a king of Yisrael to ask HaSh-m questions regarding the people of Yisrael and receive an answer using the letters engraved upon the gemstones of the Choshen. Letters containing the answer to his question would stick out in their places (in the order of the answer -- MAHARSHA to Yoma 73b) or would come together to form the words and sentences of the answer. The Kohen Gadol would assist the Urim v'Tumim in the process of receiving an answer through his power of Ru'ach ha'Kodesh (Divine inspiration).
(c) The Gemara (Yoma 73b) gives two reason as to why the parchment was called Urim v'Tumim. Either they were Me'irin (similar to "Urim") Es Divreihen, they clarify their words, or they were Mashlimin ("Tumim" means Shalem, complete) Es Divreihen, they fulfill their words.
(d) The Urim v'Tumim was used at the time of the original division and allocation of the land when the Jewish people came to Eretz Yisrael, as the Gemara describes here.

5) [line 9] EL'AZAR - Elazar was the son of Aharon ha'Kohen, who succeeded Aharon as the Kohen Gadol. He served as the Kohen Gadol during the time that Yehoshua led the people into Eretz Yisrael.

6a) [line 10] KALFI SHEL SHEVATIM - a lottery-box in which the lots with the names of the tribes were placed
b) [line 11] KALFI SHEL TECHUMIN - a lottery-box in which the lots with the names of the different sections of Eretz Yisrael were placed

7) [line 12] TECHUM AKO - the region of Eretz Yisrael which includes the city of Ako, the port city which represented the northern border of Eretz Yisrael (TOSFOS points out that the territory of Zevulun only *bordered* the city of Ako; the city itself was in the territory of the tribe of Asher)

8) [line 13] TARAF - he shook (and mixed the lots in the lottery-box)
9) [line 16] TECHUM GINOSAR - the region of Eretz Yisrael which includes the city Ginosar, which was known for its special climate and bounty of superb fruits. Ginosar is an acronym for Ganei Sarim ("princes' gardens"). It is identified today with (a) a city located in a valley to the west of the Kineret; or (b) the city of Beis She'an (BEREISHIS RABAH 98:17)

10a) [line 19] OLAM HA'ZEH - this world
b) [line 19] OLAM HA'BA - the World to Come (after the arrival of Mashi'ach and the ingathering of the exiles)

11a) [line 19] SEDEH LAVAN - a field of grain [which looks "white," or which is not shaded from the sunlight], or a field planted with vegetables, as opposed to a field planted with trees
b) [line 20] SEDEH PARDES - a field which contains fruit trees (an orchard)

12a) [line 21] HAR - mountain, mountainous region
b) [line 21] SHEFELAH - plain, low-lying region
c) [line 21] EMEK - valley

13) [line 21] "[V'SHA'AREI HA'IR AL SHEMOS SHIVTEI YISRAEL SHE'ARIM SHELOSHAH TZAFONAH:] SHA'AR REUVEN ECHAD, SHA'AR YEHUDAH ECHAD, SHA'AR LEVI ECHAD." - "[And the gates of the city [were named] with the names of the tribes of Yisrael, three gates at the north:] the gate of Reuven, one, the gate of Yehudah, one, the gate of Levi, one." (Yechezkel 48:31)

14) [line 22] "[ZOS HA'ARETZ ASHER TAPILU MI'NACHALAH L'SHIVTEI YISRAEL,] V'ELEH MACHLEKOSAM, NE'UM HASH-M ELOKIM." - "[This is the land that you shall grant for an inheritance to the tribes of Yisrael,] and these are their divisions, this is the word of HaSh-m Elokim." (Yechezkel 48:29)

15) [line 25] IDACH L'MAN? - The extra portion is for whom?
16) [line 26] "VEHA'OVED HA'IR YA'AVDUHU MI'KOL SHIVTEI YISRAEL." - "The worker of the city -- they will serve him from all of the tribes of Yisrael." (Yechezkel 48:19) - This refers to the leader or king of the people.

17) [line 27] RONGAR - hired servants
18) [line 27] "VEHA'NOSAR LA'NASI MI'ZEH UMI'ZEH LI'SRUMAS HA'KODESH V'LA'ACHUZAS HA'IR." - "And the remaining area is for the leader, on this side and on this [other] side of the sanctified portion and of the property of the city." (Yechezkel 48:21)

19) [line 29] SHUFRA V'SANYA - superior-quality land and inferior-quality land (one who receives the inferior-quality land would be compensated)

20) [line 29] ATU B'SHUFTANEI ASKINAN?! - Are we dealing with fools (such that one would be willing to receive an inferior-quality land, that will remain in his family's possession for generations to come, merely in return for money)?!

21) [line 29] KEROVAH U'RECHOKAH - near (to Yerushalayim) and far (from Yerushalayim; one who receives land far from Yerushalayim would be compensated)

22) [line 32] D'LAV DIDHU SHAKUL - that which was not theirs (i.e. the portions of the spies) they took

122b---------------------------------------122b

23) [line 1] "[VA'YIKBERU OSO BI'GEVUL NACHALASO B'SIMNAS] CHERES [B'HAR EFRAYIM, MI'TZAFON L'HAR GA'ASH]" - "[They buried him at the border of his inheritance at Timnas] Cheres [in Mount Efrayim to the north of Mount Ga'ash.]" (Shoftim 2:9)

24a) [line 2] PEIROSEHA K'CHERES - its fruits were [hard] like pottery (they were dry and inferior)
b) [line 2] PEIROSEHA MASRICHIN - its fruits became odorous (due to the abundance of oil or juice inside of them; this made the fruits to be of a superior quality)

25) [line 3] BA'TECHILAH MASRICHIN ULEVA'SOF K'CHERES - at first they (the fruits) were odorous (i.e. spoiled because of their abundance of oil or juice) and at the end (when Yehoshua took possession of the land) they were like pottery (they were not overly oily or juicy, but they were fit to be stored and to last for a long time)

26) [line 6] CHEVRON IR MIKLAT HAVAI! - Chevron is a city of refuge (and thus it was given to the tribe of Levi, and not to Kalev)! (See Background to Bava Basra 100:10.)

27) [line 7] PARVARAHA - the suburbs, outlying areas
28) [line 11] D'YARSEI KI HADADEI - that they inherit equally (the daughters receive a share in the inheritance together with the sons)

29a) [line 13] RA'UY - property that was due to come to him (but which was not in the possession of the deceased at the time of his death)
b) [line 14] MUCHZAK - in his possession (at the time of his death)

30) [line 22] SETAM V'ACHAR KACH MACHLOKES
(a) The Chachamim set down various rules to determine the Halachah when there is an argument among the Tana'im.
(b) One of these rules applies where we find a certain Halachah recorded anonymously ("Stam") in one place in the Mishnah and recorded with dissenting views in another place. If the Stam Mishnah is the latter of the two, it is meant to resolve the argument and show that the Halachah follows this opinion (RASHI to Avodah Zarah 7a). If the dissenting opinions are recorded after the Stam Mishnah, it does *not* prove that we rule like the Stam Mishnah. This is either because such a Stam Mishnah provides no proof that the Stam is the Halachic opinion, or else because the argument following the Stam is meant to cast doubt on the Stam Mishnah and show that the Halachah does not follow that opinion.

31a) [line 25] PI SHENAYIM K'ECHAD - a double [of the portion] that each one [of the brothers receives] (i.e. each of the Bechor's two portions are the same size as the portion that each brother receives)
b) [last line] PI SHENAYIM B'CHOL HA'NECHASIM - a double portion of all of the property (i.e. the total amount that the Bechor receives is twice that which all of the other brothers receive together, or two-thirds of the estate)

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