BACKGROUND ON THE DAILY DAF
brought to you by Kollel Iyun Hadaf of Har Nof
Ask A Question on the daf
Previous daf
Bava Basra 150
1a) [line 2] ASU METALTELIN SHIYUR ETZEL EVED - they (the Chachamim) made
mobile property [have the status of property that was] held back in the case
of [one who writes (as a gift) all of his property to his] slave [and
excludes a minimal amount of mobile property (without specifying which
property he was excluding)]
b) [line 3] ETZEL KESUVAH - the case of [one who writes (as a gift) most of
his property to his sons, and a minimal amount of land to his wife. In such
a case, the wife forfeits the right to collect her] Kesuvah, [since she
accepted (through her lack of protest) the land that he gave her in place of
her Kesuvah (Bava Basra 132a)]
2) [line 3] B'DIN HU D'LO LISNI KARKA - it is correct that the Mishnah
should not write "land"
3) [line 5] PE'AH
The corner, or end, of the harvest must be left in the field for the poor,
as it states "Lo Sechaleh Pe'as Sadecha Liktzor... le'Ani vela'Ger Ta'azov
Osam." - "Do not completely harvest the corner of your field... you shall
leave them (the gifts of Pe'ah, Leket, Olelos and Peret) for the poor and
the stranger" (Vayikra 19:9-10).
4) [line 6] BIKURIM
(a) The Mitzvah of Bikurim consists of bringing the first fruits to emerge
in one's field every year to the Beis ha'Mikdash. The verse states, "v'Hayah
Ki Savo El ha'Aretz... vi'Yrishtah v'Yashavta Bah... v'Lakachta me'Reishis
Kol Pri ha'Adamah..." - "And it shall be that when you come to the land...
and you inherit it and you settle in it. You shall take of the first fruits
of the land..." (Devarim 26:1-2). Each farmer enters the Azarah (courtyard)
of the Beis ha'Mikdash with his Bikurim fruit in a decorative basket. While
the basket is on his shoulder, he recites the *Mikra Bikurim*, specific
verses from Devarim (26:3, 5-10) thanking HaSh-m for taking us out of
Mitzrayim and giving us the land of Yisrael. He then places the basket of
fruit at the base of the southwestern corner of the Mizbe'ach (RAMBAM
Hilchos Bikurim 3:12) and bows down before HaSh-m. Afterwards, he gives the
Bikurim to a Kohen (Mishnah Bikurim 3:8, RAMBAM ibid. 3:1).
(b) The Mitzvah of Bikurim applies only to the seven species with which the
land of Eretz Yisrael was blessed (Devarim 8:8) -- wheat, barley, grapes,
figs, pomegranates, olives and dates (Bikurim 1:3, RAMBAM ibid. 2:2).
(c) Kohanim eat the Bikurim within the walls of Yerushalayim. If a person
eats them outside of Yerushalayim after the Bikurim have entered
Yerushalayim (according to the Rambam, or after the Bikurim have entered the
Azarah according to Rashi in Makos 18b), he receives Malkos. They must be
returned to, and eaten in Yerushalayim.
5) [line 6] V'LICHTOV ALEIHEM PRUZBUL (PRUZBUL - A document allowing the
collections of loans after Shemitah)
(a) The Torah requires that all loans shall be canceled every seventh year,
as it states in Devarim 15:2, "Shamot Kol Ba'al Masheh Yado" - "Every
creditor who lends anything to his neighbor shall release it." To demand
payment of a loan after the Shemitah year is a violation of the prohibition
of "Lo Yigos Es Re'ehu v'Es Achiv" - "he shall not exact it of his neighbor
or of his brother" (ibid.). Most Rishonim rule that the Shemitah year
cancels loans at the *end* of the year, on the last day of the month of Elul
(RAMBAM Hilchos Shemitah v'Yovel 9:1-4).
(b) Hashmatas Kesafim applies mid'Oraisa only when the Yovel year is in
practice. Mid'Rabanan it applies today, whether inside or outside of Eretz
Yisrael.
(c) Hillel the Elder saw that people stopped giving loans when the Shemitah
year was approaching out of fear that that they would not get their money
back because the debt would be annulled because of Hashmatas Kesafim. By
doing so, they were transgressing an express command of the Torah *not* to
refuse to lend money prior to Shemitah (Devarim 15:9). Hillel therefore
instituted the "Pruzbul" (from the Greek "Pruz" = benefit; "Buli" = [for]
the rich), effectively creating a means to avoid having Shemitah annul one's
debts, as long as the borrower owns some land, even the smallest amount
(Shevi'is 10:3,6).
(d) In a Pruzbul document, one files a contract with Beis Din, before the
end of the Shemitah year, stating that he is placing all debts owed to him
into the hands of the Beis Din to collect them in his stead (Shevi'is 10:4).
By doing this, the creditor will not transgress the prohibition of "Lo
Yigos" when he collects the loan after Shemitah, since he will not have to
approach the borrower to collect the loan; Beis Din will take care of the
collection and he will approach Beis Din. Beis Din, too, does not have to
approach the borrower to collect the loan, since Beis Din can simply collect
it themselves using their power of "Hefker Beis Din Hefker" (RASHI to
Kesuvos 89a DH Pruzbul, to Gitin 32b DH Mosrani and to Bava Basra 27a DH
Pruzbul). A Pruzbul only allows a person to collect the loan after Shemitah
if the borrower has land. It is unusual for a person to lend money to a
person without land, and the Rabanan did not institute the use of Pruzbul
for unusual loans (RASHI to Gitin 37a DH Ela and to Bava Basra 27a DH
Pruzbul). Alternatively, Pruzbul permits a person to collect a loan after
Shemitah because the moment one allows Beis Din to collect his loans, it is
as if they are already collected, and in his possession, immediately (since
nothing can stop Beis Din from collecting the loan). This is also the reason
the borrower must own land in order for Pruzbul to permit the collection of
the loan. It is only if he has land that Beis Din can easily collect the
loan. If the borrower only has movable possessions, it is possible for him
to prevent Beis Din from collecting them by hiding them from Beis Din.
Therefore they are not considered to have entered the creditor's possession
until they are actually collected as payment (RASHI to Bava Kama 12a DH
Chal).
6) [line 6] V'LIKNOS IMAHEM NECHASIM SHE'EIN LAHEM ACHRAYUS B'CHESEF
BI'SHTAR UV'CHAZAKAH - and to acquire through them (the land) mobile
property, though the forms of Kinyan of Kesef, Shtar, and Chazakah (see
Background to Bava Basra 149:18)
7) [line 9] LEIS LEI SHI'URA?! - it has no [minimal] amount?!
8) [line 10] CHAMESH RECHELOS GOZEZOS MANEH [U'FERAS] MANEH U'FERAS CHAYAVOS
B'REISHIS HA'GEZ - five sheep, from each of which one can shear a Maneh and
a half's worth of wool, are obligated in the Mitzvah of Reishis ha'Gez
(REISHIS HA'GEZ)
(a) Every time a flock of sheep is shorn, it is a Mitzvas Aseh to give the
first shearings to a Kohen, as stated in Devarim (18:4), "v'Reishis Gez
Tzoncha Titen Lo." Although the Mishnah (Chulin 135a) states that this
Mitzvah applies both in Eretz Yisrael and in Chutz la'Aretz, the Halachah
follows the ruling of Rebbi Ila'i (ibid. 136b, Berachos 22a) who rules that
the Mitzvah applies only in Eretz Yisrael (Rambam Hilchos Bikurim ch. 10).
(b) The owner is obligated to give the first shearings to the Kohen only
when a minimum amount of fleece is shorn from a minimum number of sheep. The
minimum number of sheep is two according to Beis Shamai and five according
to Beis Hillel. The Halachah follows Beis Hillel (Chulin 135a). The minimum
amount of fleece that must be shorn from each of the five sheep is the
amount of fleece that weighs a "Maneh u'Feras" (a Maneh and a half)
according to Rebbi Dosa ben Harkinas (ibid.). (A Maneh is one hundred silver
Dinerin, each one of which occupies the volume of 96 grains of barley --
Kidushin 12a.) As such, the total minimum amount of fleece that must be
shorn according to Rebbi Dosa is 750 silver Dinerin. According to the
Rabanan, the weight of twelve Sela'im must be shorn from each sheep, for a
total of 60 Sela'im (i.e. 240 Dinerin), according to Shmuel, who holds the
Halachic opinion -- Chulin 137b. Rav maintains that according to the Rabanan
the wool of all five animals must weigh 150 Dinerin.
(c) After all of one's sheep are shorn, one must give to the Kohen
one-sixtieth of all of the shearings, whether it is a lot or a little (as
long as the minimum required amount is fulfilled, as mentioned above). When
one gives the wool to the Kohanim, he must not give less than the weight of
five Shekalim (ten Dinerin) of wool to each Kohen, which is the amount that
suffices to make a belt (Chulin 138a).
9) [line 11] MANEH - one hundred silver Dinerin, each one of which occupies
the volume of 96 grains of barley (Kidushin 12a)
10) [line 11] MANEH [U'FERAS] MANEH U'FERAS - the shearing of each sheep
must weigh at least a Maneh and a half (150 Dinerin; see above, entry #8:b)
11) [line 14] MANEH U'FERAS - the total volume of the wool of all five
animals must weigh a Maneh and a half (150 Dinerin; (see above, entry #8:b)
12) [line 14] U'VILVAD SHE'YEHU MECHUMASHOS - as long as each sheep produces
a fifth of the Maneh and a half of wool (i.e. (7 1/2 Sela'im, or 30 Dinerin)
13a) [line 16] SHI'URA RABA - a large amount
b) [line 17] SHI'URA ZUTA - a small amount
14) [line 18] METALTELA'I LI'FELANYA - my mobile property [shall be given]
to so-and-so (according to the Girsa of the BACH)
15a) [line 18] KOL MANEI TASHMISHTEI KANI - he acquires all of his items of
usage
b) [line 19] L'VAR ME'CHITEI U'SA'AREI - except for wheat and barley
16a) [line 20] REICHAYIM HA'ELYONAH - the upper millstone (which is
frequently moved)
b) [line 21] REICHAYIM HA'TACHTONAH - the lower millstone (which is not
frequently moved)
17) [line 21] KOL D'MITALTEL - everything that is movable
18) [line 22] AVDA KI'MEKARKE'A O KI'METALTELA DAMI? - Is a slave considered
like land or like mobile property [when referred to in everyday speech]?
(See Background to Bava Basra 68:6.)
19a) [line 23] SHICHIN - narrow elongated ditches
b) [line 23] ME'AROS - caves (usually leading to a spring or water source)
20) [line 24] MERCHATZA'OS - bathhouses
21) [line 24] BEIS HA'BADIN - olive presses
22) [line 24] BEIS HA'SHELACHIN / HA'SHALCHIN - a field that receives its
water from irrigation or a wellspring (usually located on a mountain --
RASHI to Moed Katan 2a)
23) [line 26] LO MIZDABAN - they are not sold
24) [line 28] MAI AFILU? - What is [the meaning of] "even" [in the Mishnah's
statement, "... *even* if there were... slaves in it, they are all sold"]?
(By saying "even [slaves]," the Mishnah implies that slaves are *not*
considered mobile property, and we would have thought that they are *not*
sold with the city even when the seller specifies that "everything in the
city" should also be sold. Therefore, the Mishnah teaches us that *even*
slaves are sold with the city.)
25) [line 29] D'NAYID - that move
150b---------------------------------------150b
26) [line 1] D'LAV KEROS GITA - for it is not a proper severance of a Get.
We learn from the verse (Devarim 20:1) that the Get given to a woman to
divorce her (and, similarly, the Get Shichrur given to a slave to free him,
as derived through a Gezeirah Shavah from Get Ishah) must be written in the
wording of a total and absolute severance. If there is any implication of a
lack of severance, then the Get is not valid (see RASHBAM here).
27) [line 2] CHAMISHAH AD SHE'YICHTEVU KOL NICHSEIHEM - there are five cases
[of transfer of property in which the law does not change] until they write
[as a gift] all of their property (that is, in each case there is a
difference between giving away part of one's property and giving away all of
one's property)
28) [line 4] MAVRACHAS - a woman who writes a document of transfer of
ownership of her property before her marriage in order to divert property
away from her future husband (but in such a manner that she will be entitled
to receive the property back in the event that her husband later dies or
divorces her)
29) [line 11] APOTROPA - a caretaker; steward, manager of the household
(RASHI to Sukah 27a)
30) [line 13] AVDAH KESUVASAH - she loses the rights to collect the value of
her Kesuvah
31) [line 15] UV'CHULHU - and in all of these cases
32) [line 16] A'MEKARKE'EI TAKINU RABANAN - the Rabanan enacted that a
Kesuvah be collected only from land
33a) [line 17] DI'CHESIVEI BA'KESUVAH - which are written in the Kesuvah
b) [line 18] V'ISNEHU B'EINAIHU - and they are present (in the husband's
possession)
34) [line 19] AVDA IKRI NICHSEI - a slave is called "property"
35) [line 22] GELIMA - a cloak
36) [line 23] SHE'EIN LAHEN ACHRAYUS - mobile property
37) [line 27] BEI CHOZA'EI - a district of Bavel on the caravan road, along
the Tigris River and its canals
38) [line 28] AGAV ASIFA D'VEISEI - by means of transferring to him
ownership through a Kinyan Agav (see Background to Bava Basra 149:18) using
(a) the threshold of his house (RASHBAM); (b) according to the Girsa
"*SEIFA* D'VEISEI" - a small corner at the end of his house (RASHI to Bava
Kama 104b, 2nd explanation)
39) [line 28] KI ASA, NAFAK L'APEI AD TAVACH - when he (Rav Shmuel bar Acha)
returned, he (Rav Papa) went out as far as Tavach to greet him
40a) [line 29] ZECHU B'SADEH (ZEH) [ZO] LI'PELONI - acquire this field on
behalf of so-and-so
b) [line 30] V'CHISVU LO ES HA'SHETAR - and write him a deed [of transfer
of ownership]
Next daf
|