Bava Batra 159 - 1st Day Rosh Chodesh Kislev - December 1, 30 Cheshvan

Daf Yomi for Women - Hadran

Today's daf is sponsored by Rabbi Heshie and Rookie Billet in honor of the bar mitzva of their grandson Elihai Yonah Jacobson in Neve Daniel. "May you continue to grow in Torah learning, middot tovot, chesed, and identification with Klal Yisrael. So proud of you!"

A ruling was sent from Israel to Babylonia with a halakhic ruling that was said to be one of the more difficult monetary laws to understand. However, the Gemara initially does not understand the details of the case and offers five suggestions. After rejecting each suggestion because there was no real difficulty with the logic of the ruling, they reinstate the first suggestion and explain the difficulty. The first two suggestions relate to a grandson inheriting from a grandfather directly as the father had previously died. Does inheritance go through the father to the grandson or does it go directly from the grandfather to the grandson. If it goes through the father, does the grandson inherit the double portion that was meant to be given to his father? The last three suggestions relate to one who signs a document and later becomes a disqualified witness (for different reasons). Is there an issue with ratifying that document?

They asked Rav Sheshet: does a son who predeceases his mother inherit from his mother "in his grave" thereby passing on the inheritance to his half brothers through his father or does her inheritance stay with her father's family? Rav Sheshet answers it from a braita and Rav Acha bar Minyumei answers it from our Mishna. Both conclude that the son does not inherit his mother in the grave, but her money is given to her heirs from her father's family. The reason for this law is derived from a gezeira shava in the Torah from Bamidbar 36:7, 9.

The chapter ends with a sale where there was a doubt regarding what was sold and the two sides each claim that the land in question belongs to them. Rava and Rav Nachman disagree. The Gemara raises a different debate between Rava and Rav Nachman where they seem to side the other way. However, the issue is resolved as one can differentiate between the two cases and see that the logic of each of their positions is consistent.