A Holy Place in the World to Come
Yosef, the son of Rebbe Yehoshua, was sick and temporarily expired (Bava Basra 10b). During that brief lapse, he was given a glimpse of the World to Come.
Seder Nezikin · dafim 2–176
Bava Basra
Finished December 18, 2024 in this cycle. 33 articles, 23 stories
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Articles, in daf order
Your Loss Is Your Gain
The Gemara (Pesachim 87b) records a conversation that Hashem had with Hoshea HaNavi that is not mentioned at all in Tanach. Tosfos and Rashi both explain, however, how this conversation is alluded to in the verses.
Fair and Square
In July 2001, Chief Justice Roy Moore of the Alabama Supreme Court had a massive granite monument – it weighed more than two tons – of the Ten Commandments placed in the Alabama state judicial building.
The Right Angle
Over 111 million people watched the Super Bowl on Sunday last week. Anecdotally, many of them were equally interested in the commercials.
Crockpot Controversies
When Irving Nachumson filed for a patent in 1936, could he have imagined that his invention would be the center of a major halachic controversy sixty years later?
Schooled On The Competition
The Five Towns area has been blessed with wonderful schools. Recently it was announced that possibly two new boys’ elementary schools may be opening in our neighborhood.
Lashon Hara: “Say It Ain’t So, Joe”
An avid Mets fan used to love to talk about the Mets at every opportunity. Back in 1997, they had a pitcher named Barry Manuel. In his spring training debut for the Mets, Manuel faced three batters and walked them all…
Purim Torah Rings True
There are some perplexing questions on the Megillah which perhaps may be explained by putting together various passages of Gemara. (1) Why did Esther invite Haman to the party with Achashveirosh?
Lost in the Shuffle
Roy Pearson, who had been out of work for about three years, was appointed to be an administrative law judge. He had gained weight, and he realized he needed to have his suit pants let out.
Harping on Divided Real Estate
Tavi had a strong passion for musical instruments, and when he saw Pafi’s harp, he was determined to acquire it. He resorted to extreme measures and placed Pafi in a tree, refusing to let him down until he agreed to…
Small Talk
Jay Shafer has been living in a house smaller than some people’s closets since 1997. His decision to inhabit just 89 square feet arose from his concerns about the impact a larger house would have on the environment.
Simcha On The Side
“In what will surely go down in history as one the greatest architectural blunders, the town of Benidorm in Alicante, Spain, had almost completed its 47-story skyscraper when it realized it excluded plans for elevator…
The Butterfly Effect
In 1961, Edward Lorenz used a numerical computer model to rerun a weather prediction. As a shortcut on a number in the sequence, he entered the decimal .506 instead of the full .506127 the computer would hold.
The Gift of Teshuvah
When Moshe Rabbeinu wanted to dissuade the populace from joining Korach, he made the following profound proclamation: “If these men die a natural death, that means G-d did not send me.
Lying Waze
The Waze app has a crucial safety feature: it prohibits drivers from typing instructions while the vehicle is in motion, allowing only voice commands.
In All Honesty
The Gemara states that Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai was actively involved in business for forty years. Undoubtedly, during those years, he understood all the deceptive tactics that an unscrupulous dealer may employ.
What’s in a Name?
The Gemara in Bava Basra 91a provides material for some good trivia questions. What was the name of Avraham Avinu’s mother? What was the name of Dovid HaMelech’s mother?
Bench-Pressed
Rav Zilberstein, shlita, discusses an interesting halachic question relating to the daf learned this week (Bava Basra 100a). Someone had a half-height brick wall on the front of his property.
A Winning Ticket
Chinese auctions are very popular fundraisers. The first question is why it is called a Chinese auction. Did this type of insanity really begin in China? Doubtful.
Win Or Lose
It seems to me that it was around 25 years ago that the Chinese-auction phenomenon hit the Jewish world. The first question one must ask is: why is it called a Chinese auction?
Hair-Raising Thoughts
Male pattern baldness is a common experience for many men. Some individuals embrace their baldness and even display signs in their office, like “G-d created a few perfect heads.
The Simcha of a Siyum
A mishnah in Ta’anis declares that the most joyous holidays on the Jewish calendar are Yom Kippur and Tu B’Av. The Gemara says that Yom Kippur was joyous because the nation was forgiven for its sins.
Of Mules and Mussar
Daf Yomi learners have become very familiar with the Rashbam. His commentary replaced Rashi’s for most of Bava Basra. At the end of Eruvin, the Mordechai (528) recounts an interesting incident involving the Rashbam.
Hitting the Target With All Talmidim
The Gemara in Bava Basra (134a) relates that Hillel the Elder had 80 students. Thirty of them were of the stature that they should have merited the Divine Presence descend upon them as it did on Moshe Rabbeinu.
One in a Million
The Rema’s cryptic comment, the final one in Ohr HaChaim, has sparked centuries of contemplation. He states, “Some say that one is obligated to increase in joy and feasting on the 14th of Adar I; however, this is not…
A Grab Bag Of Halachos
The Gemara states that the sister of Rav Tovi bar Rav Masnah, while on her deathbed, signed away all of her property to him. Rav Achadvoi, Rav Tovi’s brother, complained to his sister: “If you give away all your…
The Rechesh and Restlessness
What is the mysterious creature known as a Rechesh? At first glance, one might wonder how this relates to Bava Basra. However, Rav uses this enigmatic creature to clarify his position (152b).
Sworn Statements
A woman was deathly ill, and her family was gathered around her. She wanted to ensure there would be no lingering or bitter disputes regarding the inheritance she was leaving to them, so she pleaded with her children to…
Message Received
Rabbi Shlomo Kluger, zt’l, was the chief dayan in Brody, Galicia. One Shabbos, someone rode into town with an urgent message for the first Belzer Rebbe, Rav Shalom Rokeach, zt’l.
Sign Up
Signatures, those seemingly simple scrawls that mark our identity on documents, can reveal a surprising amount about our personalities.
Bound To Get Criticized
Doctors are notorious for having messy handwriting. Could it be that the same gene that propels doctors to choose their career choice also causes them to have poor penmanship? It seems the solution is a lot more mundane.
A Sea-rious Story
The following is a dramatized version of a true story. Over time, the populace of a certain town noticed that there was something fishy about the price of fish. It kept floating higher, not the typical ebb and flow.
A Matter of Opinion
Rav Huna was a learned and revered talmid chochom, yet he grappled with the harsh realities of poverty, straining to support his beloved family.
Stories in Bava Basra
Hashem Rebukes Hoshea HaNavi
When Hoshea suggests that Hashem exchange Klal Yisrael for another nation, Hashem rebukes him: a father never trades his children. Hoshea then prays for them.
Yosef Sees an Upside-Down World
Rebbe Yehoshua's son Yosef briefly dies and glimpses the World to Come, reporting an inverted world and the exalted place of those executed by the government.
Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai’s Nephews and the Lost Dinarim
Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai dreams his nephews will lose 700 dinarim, so he has them give tzedakah. The Kaiser’s officers take only the 17 that remain.
Luleyanus and Pappas Save the Jews of Lod
When Trajan blames the Jews for his daughter's murder, the brothers Luleyanus and Pappas falsely confess, giving their lives to save the community.
Rav Moshe Sternbuch and the Rounded Luchos
A South African congregant objects to his shul's round-topped Luchos. Rav Moshe Sternbuch finds no real problem, but for peace has them squared off.
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach's Last Ruling on the Crockpot
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach's reported last ruling forbade crockpots on Shabbos, and a letter asking if he had changed his mind lay unanswered on his table.
Rabbah bar Bar Chanah and the Fat Geese
Rabbah bar Bar Chanah meets geese so fat their feathers fall out, and Rebbi Elazar says Yisrael will have to give a reckoning for their suffering.
Doeg and the Destruction of Nov
Yehonasan sends Dovid off without food, Achimelech feeds him in Nov, and Doeg's slander leads Shaul to wipe out the city of kohanim.
Rav's Son Chiya Reverses the Lentils and Peas
Rav's wife always cooks the opposite of what he asks, so their son Chiya reverses the requests, until Rav learns of it and warns him against lying.
Rav Safra Keeps the Price He Agreed to in His Heart
A customer keeps raising his offer while Rav Safra silently recites Shema, but Rav Safra sells at the first price, which he had already accepted in his mind.
Rabbeinu Tam Stops the Rashbam's Wagon
The Rashbam, eyes always lowered, nearly boards a wagon pulled by a horse and a mule. His brother Rabbeinu Tam stops him: 'Don't be a big tzaddik!'
Rava Comforts Rav Ilish
Rava disproves Rav Ilish's ruling and Rav Ilish is embarrassed, so Rava comforts him: Hashem made sure Rava was there the one time Rav Ilish would have erred.
Rabbi Yishmael Tilts the Lamp on Shabbos
Engrossed in learning by candlelight on Shabbos, Rabbi Yishmael forgets the day and adjusts the wick, then notes he will bring a chatas when the Beis HaMikdash is rebuilt.
Hillel's Eighty Students
Hillel had 80 students, some worthy of prophecy like Moshe Rabbeinu; the greatest, Yonasan ben Uziel, learned Torah so intensely that birds overhead were scorched.
The Chofetz Chaim's Hidden Tears on Tishah B'Av
A visitor watches the Chofetz Chaim say Kinnos just like everyone else, then passes his home that night and hears him sobbing uncontrollably.
Hillel Asks for Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai
As Hillel lies dying, his students crowd in but Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai waits outside, and Hillel calls him a father of wisdom for all generations.
Rav Achadvoi and His Sister’s Deathbed Gift
Rav Tovi bar Rav Masnah’s dying sister leaves him all her property. Rav Achadvoi fears people will think he is no scholar, so she gives it to him instead.
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin and the One in a Million
A listener tells Rabbi Zelig Pliskin no one could be happy fixing a flat tire in the rain. The man beside him just did, glad he could lift again after surgery.
Rav Shlomo Kluger and the Shabbos Message to Belz
A messenger rides into Brody on Shabbos asking the Belzer Rebbe to pray for a dying man. Rav Shlomo Kluger is aghast; the Rebbe's son-in-law defends it.
Rabbi Akiva and the Fox and the Fish
Caught teaching Torah against a Roman decree, Rabbi Akiva tells Pappos ben Yehudah of a fox inviting fish onto land: a Jew without Torah is like a fish out of water.
Rebbe Rebukes His Son Over Yehudah Chayata
Rebbe's son names the scribe of a badly dated document and a beautifully written Tehillim, and twice Rebbe tells him to stop speaking lashon hara.
The Tzemach Tzedek and the Price of Shabbos Fish
When fishmongers send prices soaring, the Tzemach Tzedek follows Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel's move against costly korban birds and bans buying fish, even for Shabbos.
Abaye's Plan to Help the Poor Rav Huna
Abaye thinks Rav Huna could divorce and remarry his wife so she can collect her kesubah from his wealthy father, until he learns Rav Huna is a kohen.