Gittin - Daf 47
- The man who sold himself to cannibals, and how Reish Lakish killed them out
The Gemara brings an incident where a man once sold himself to the לודאי, a group of cannibals. He asked Rebbe Ami to redeem him, and Rebbe Ami responded that since the Mishnah teaches to redeem the children of one who sold himself (and died), to protect them from assimilation, וכ"ש הכא דאיכא קטלא – then certainly here, where there is a threat of death, he should be redeemed. When he was informed the man was a מומר – renegade Jew out of defiance (i.e., eating non-kosher food even where kosher food was available), Rebbe Ami told him, זיל לא קא שבקי לי דאפרקינך – Go, they do not allow me to redeem you. The Gemara relates that Reish Lakish exterminated this group of cannibals. He sold himself to them and brought with him a knotted bag and a hard ball. He was aware of their practice of fulfilling their victim’s request on his final day (so he should forgive them for killing him). When they asked him, he requested to tie them up and strike them one and a half blows with the apparently empty bag. After tying them, he struck them, knocking them senseless and causing them to grimace in pain. He declared, אחוכי קא מחייכת בי –You are laughing at me? אכתי פש לך גבי פלגא דחייתא – I am still entitled to half a blow for you! He then killed them all.
- Machlokes about an idolater’s purchase of land in Eretz Yisroel re: maaser and digging pits
Rabbah says: אף על פי שאין קנין לעובד כוכבים בארץ ישראל – Although an idolater cannot have ownership in Eretz Yisroel להפקיע מידי מעשר – with respect to exempting its produce from maaser, as it says "כי לי הארץ" – For the Land is Mine, meaning לי קדושת הארץ – the kedushah of the land is Mine. אבל יש קנין לעובד כוכבים בא"י לחפור בה בורות שיחין ומערות – But an idolater can have ownership of Eretz Yisroel with respect to digging in it pits, ditches, or caves, as it says השמים שמים לה' והארץ נתן לבני אדם – The Heavens are to Hashem, but the Land He gave to mankind, implying it can be bought for any purpose. Rebbe Elazar says the reverse: An idolater who purchases land in Eretz Yisroel does exempt its produce from maaser, because the passuk says דגנך – [maaser of] your grain, implying ולא דגן עובד כוכבים – and not an idolater’s grain (because it is exempt), but he cannot dig in land he purchased in Eretz Yisroel, because it says "לה' הארץ” – Hashem’s is the Land.
- If קנין פירות כקנין הגוף regarding bringing bikkurim and reciting the bikkurim pesukim
The Gemara says: המוכר שדהו לפירות – One who sells his field regarding rights for its produce, Rebbe Yochanan says: מביא וקורא – the buyer brings [bikkurim] and recites [the bikkurim pesukim]. Reish Lakish says: מביא ואינו קורא – He brings [bikkurim] but does not recite [the pesukim]. The Gemara explains that Rebbe Yochanan holds: קנין פירות כקנין הגוף דמי – the ownership of [rights to something’s] produce is tantamount to ownership of the principal itself. Therefore, he can recite the pesukim which include “the land which You have given me.” Reish Lakish holds that ownership of the rights to the land’s produce is not like owning the land itself, and therefore he cannot recite the pesukim. Rebbe Yochanan challenged Reish Lakish from a Baraisa: – Regarding bikkurim it says: "ולביתך" - “And to your household,” מלמד שאדם מביא ביכורי אשתו וקורא – teaching that one brings his wife’s bikkurim (from her נכסי מלוג) and recites [the pesukim]. Although his rights in the property are only for produce, it is still sufficient to recite the pesukim!? Reish Lakish answers that this derashah taught a special exception in the case of the husband. The Gemara afterwards says that Rebbe Yochanan derives his opinion from this very derashah.
