Bava Basra - Daf 16
- Audio Timestamps
3:04 - Review of 3 Sugyos
5:54- Siman
8:27 - 4 Blatt Back Chazarah
14:44 - Pop Quiz (Last 7 blatt)
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- שטן ופנינה לשם שמים נתכוונו
Continuing the discussion of the Satan’s actions in the story of Iyov, Reish Lakish says: הוא שטן הוא יצר הרע הוא מלאך המות – He is the Prosecutor, he is the Evil Inclination, and he is the Angel of Death, which he derives from pesukim in Iyov. Rebbe Levi said: שטן ופנינה לשם שמים נתכוונו – The intentions of Satan and Peninah were for the sake of Heaven. When the Satan saw that Hashem favored Iyov, the Satan said: חס ושלום מינשי ליה לרחמנותיה דאברהם – “G-d forbid that He will forget the love of Avraham,” and so he asked to test Iyov’s loyalty. Regarding Peninah’s taunting of her co-wife Chana, the passuk says: וכעסתה צרתה גם כעס בעבור הרעימה – and her co-wife angered her repeatedly, to upset her about her childlessness, to encourage her to daven for a child. Rav Acha bar Yaakov taught this in Papunia, and the Satan came and kissed his foot.
- The birth of a daughter, and the meaning of Hashem blessing Avraham "בכל"
The passuk describes the birth of daughters with "לרוב" – to propagate. Rebbe Yochanan says: רביה באה לעולם – propagation came to the world with the birth of daughters. Reish Lakish says: מריבה באה לעולם – conflict came to the world. A daughter was born to Rebbe Shimon bar Rebbe, and he was disheartened. His father Rebbe told him "רביה באה לעולם", but Bar Kappara told him: תנחומין של הבל ניחמך אבוך – your father has given you worthless comfort, because a Baraisa says that although the world cannot exist without males and females, אלא אשרי למי שבניו זכרים – but fortunate is he whose children are males, אוי לו למי שבניו נקבות – and woe to him whose children are females.
This is the subject of a machlokes Tannaim. A Baraisa discusses the passuk: וה' ברך את אברהם בכל – And Hashem blessed Avraham with “everything.” Rebbe Meir explains: שלא היתה לו בת – that he did not have a daughter. Rebbe Yehudah says: שהיתה לו בת – that he did have a daughter. Others say: בת היתה לו לאברהם ובכל שמה – Avraham had a daughter, and her name was “Bakol.” Rebbe Elazar the Moda’i says that Avraham was an expert in astrology, and all the kings of the east and west would come early to his door for guidance. Rebbe Shimon ben Yochai says a precious stone hung from Avraham’s neck, and any ill person who looked at it was immediately cured.
- Eisav’s rebellion after Avraham’s passing, Yishmael’s repentance during Avraham’s lifetime
Another interpretation is given of Avraham’s being blessed with “everything”: שלא מרד עשו בימיו – that Eisav did not rebel in his lifetime. The passuk hinting to Eisav’s rebellion is written in the incident of Yaakov preparing a stew of lentils, which was to comfort his father Yitzchak, whose father Avraham had passed away that day. Rebbe Yochanan said: חמש עבירות עבר אותו רשע באותו היום – that wicked man Eisav committed five sins on that day of Avraham’s passing: he had relations with a נערה מאורסה, he murdered someone, he was כופר בעיקר, he denied תחיית המתים, and he demeaned the בכורה. These are all darshened from the passuk: ויבא עשו מן השדה והוא עיף – and Eisav came in from the field, and he was weary. Another interpretation: שעשה ישמעאל תשובה בימיו – that Yishmael repented in [Avraham’s] lifetime. This is based on the principle that the words "גויעה" and "אסיפה" (gathering) refer to the death of a צדיק, and these terms are written regarding Yishmael. Rebbe Yochanan added that the passuk implies that Yishmael, the older brother, allowed Yitzchak to go first when burying Avraham.
Siman – Toes (Acrobat with large toes)
The acrobat with large toes at the לשם שמים circus dressed as the Satan, entertained the בכל family of girls sitting in the stands, who didn’t realize that right behind them one rasha was doing one of five aveiros while another rasha was doing teshuvah.
