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1) ONE WHO SELLS A SHIP

(i) (Mishnah): If one sells a ship, this includes the mast, sail, anchors, and oars;
(j) He did not sell the slaves, bags (for merchandise) or merchandise;
(k) If he said 'It and everything inside', all these are included.
(l) (Gemara): (The Gemara proves from verses that the words in the Mishnah refer to the mast, sail, anchors and oars.)
(m) (Beraisa): If one sells a ship, this includes the ramp (to board or get off) and water cistern;
(n) R. Noson says, it includes the Beitzis; Sumchus says, it includes the Gigis (these will be explained).
(o) (Rava): Both refer to a small, shallow boat which can go to the shore; each Tana speaks in the language of his area.

(i) (The main point of the following Agadetos are very hidden. We will give some deeper meanings from Meforshim [comments in square brackets are from the Maharsha].)
(j) Rabah: Sailors told me: a wave [oppressor of Yisrael] about to sink a ship [Yisrael] is preceded by a damaging angel that looks like a white flame; they hit it with sticks on which certain names of Hash-m are written, then it calms down. (Kikayon d'Yonah - the waves are incitements of the evil inclination, to make a person doubtful about the world to come).
(k) Sailors (Ritva - Chachamim) told me: 300 Parsa'os separate between waves; the height of a wave is 300 Parsah;

1. Once I was travelling, and a wave [Edom] lifted us until we could see the middle of a small star; it appeared larger than the size of a (normal) Beis Kor.
2. Had it lifted us higher, the heat would have roasted us [had Yisrael joined more with Edom (as Esav wanted) we would have perished in exile].
3. Another wave [oppressor] called to it: Did you destroy the entire world, and not leave anything for me to destroy?
4. The previous wave: Your Master put a thin border of sand [Yisrael] which we cannot pass [destroy] - "Samti Chol Gevul la'Yam"

(l) Rabah: I saw a demon [evil inclination, which is the angel of death] on a wall above a man [Tzadik] riding a horse; the demon was unable to catch him [Torah and Mitzvos protected him].

1. Once the demon was jumping back and forth across a river; it poured out wine from two cups [punishment awaiting the Nochrim] and caught it (each in the other cup) without losing a drop.
2. The King [Hash-m; Rashbam - of the Shedim] killed it.

(m) Rabah: I saw a Re'em (a huge animal) [Yehoshua] the day it was born: it was 400 Parsa'os. It excreted, damming up the Yarden (perhaps an allusion to the water of the Yarden piling up when Yisrael crossed).
(n) Rabah bar bar Chanah: I saw a frog [Yavan] as big as 60 houses; a snake [Romi] came and swallowed it, a raven [Yishmael] came and swallowed the snake. It perched on a branch [the merit of Avraham].

1. Rav Papa bar Shmuel: Had I not seen this (Ya'avetz - had my Neshamah not seen the Torah given on Sinai), I would not believe it (how strong the branch (Torah) is)!

(o) Rabah bar bar Chanah: I was on a ship, and saw a fish [Haman] that had a rodent [Mordechai] in its nostrils. The fish died; the water cast it ashore, destroying 60 great cities. Sixty cities ate its flesh (fresh), another 60 ate flesh from it which they salted; they filled 300 barrels of oil from one eye.

1. I returned the next year, and saw them sawing beams from its bones to rebuild the destroyed cities.

(p) Rabah bar bar Chanah: I was on a ship, and saw a fish that had sand on its back. Grass was growing from it, we thought it was an island [Yisrael thought that Galus was over]. We came up, and were cooking on its back [enjoying the feast of Achashverosh]. When it got hot, it flipped over; had we not been close to our ship [repented], we would have drowned.
(q) Rabah bar bar Chanah: I was on a ship, we were travelling between two fins of a fish [Yisrael was in danger]. For three days and nights [Yisrael were in danger, they fasted], the fish [Haman] was on top (Rashbam - swimming against the current), we were on bottom (with the current).
(r) Rabah bar bar Chanah: I was on a ship, we saw a bird standing up to its ankles in water [the revealed part of Torah]; its head reached to the sky [the deep secrets of Torah]. We thought that the water was very shallow.

1. Voice from Heaven: Do not come to here (the secrets of Torah until having properly learned the revealed part of Torah); a carpenter (Chacham) once dropped his ax, and it did not land (he had a question and was unable to settle it) for seven years;
2. This is not because of the amount of water (a large question), rather because it flows rapidly (the matter is very deep - Etz Yosef).
3. (Rav Ashi): The bird was Ziz Shakai (one who separated from physicality) - "V'Ziz Shakai Imadi" (such a person is fitting to be near Hash-m).

(s) Rabah bar bar Chanah: We were travelling in the wilderness, and we saw ducks whose wings were falling off on account of their fatness (Ben Yehoyada - great Chachamim who had utterly separated from physicality); there were streams of oil flowing under them (the world was fed in their merit). I asked - do we have a share in the world to come with you? One lifted a wing, another lifted a thigh (to merit this, you must properly use the hand (Chesed) and thigh).

1. R. Elazar: Yisrael will be held accountable (Shita Mekubetzes - our merits will be reduced for having eaten them).

(t) Rabah bar bar Chanah: We were travelling in the wilderness, a Yishmaeli merchant accompanied us. He would smell the dirt and say to which place it led, and how far we were from water (Etz Yosef - this was Eliyahu, he could tell a person's level, and how far he is from Chasid, the highest level).

1. We tested him by giving him different dirt; he knew the difference.