CLOSING OPENINGS [last line on previous Amud]
Support (Abaye - Beraisa): A sealed house (i.e. the opening was sealed) receives four Amos when dividing a Chatzer;
If he removed the doorposts and lintel, it does not receive four Amos.
If Tum'as Mes is inside a sealed house, only the (interior and) doorway becomes Tamei;
If he removed the doorposts and lintel, all around the house is Tamei.
(Rabah bar bar Chanah): If Mavo'os are open to a road leading to another city, and people of this city want to close them, people of the other city can stop them.
This is not only if there is no other path between the cities. Rather, it is even if there is another path, due to Rav Yehudah's law.
(Rav Yehudah): One may not ruin a path that the public has been using.
(Rav Anan): If a Mavuy is open to the Reshus ha'Rabim, and people of the Mavuy want to put doors there, people of the city can stop them.
Assumption: This is forbidden only within four Amos of the Reshus ha'Rabim, due to R. Zeira's law.
(R. Zeira): The four Amos adjacent to the Reshus ha'Rabim are like the Reshus ha'Rabim.
Rejection: No. R. Zeira discusses what is considered a Reshus ha'Rabim regarding Safek Tum'ah;
Rav Anan's law is because sometimes the Reshus ha'Rabim is crowded and people enter the Mavuy, even past four Amos.
THE SHARE THAT EACH PARTNER MUST GET [line 21]
(Mishnah): We divide a field only if each will get (an area fitting to sow) nine Kavim. (R. Yehudah says, it suffices if each gets half this amount.)
The Tana'im do not argue. Each discusses the smallest area considered a field in his region.
Question: What is the Halachah in Bavel?
Answer (Rav Yosef): It is the amount one plows in a day.
Question: To which plowing does he refer?
If it is Zara (plowing at the time of sowing, which is easier than Karva, when the field is unseeded), then Karva will takes more than one day but less than two days! (It is wasteful if one must hire workers or rent animals for part of a day.)
If it is Karva, then Zara will take less than one day (which is wasteful, like above)!
Version #1- Answer #1: (Zara takes one day.) He discusses a place where they plow and replow when doing Karva, so this takes two days. (Rashi; Tosfos - in any place, the remainder of the second day of Karva can be spent replowing, it is not wasteful.)
Answer #2: The case is, the ground is hard, Zara and Karva require the same amount of time.
Version #2 - Rashi - Answer #1: (Zara takes one day); the case is, the ground is hard, so it takes two full days for Karva;
Answer #2: He refers to a place where they plow and replow when doing Zara, so Zara and Karva require the same amount of time. (end of Version #2)
(Rav Nachman): If a field is irrigated from a pit, each must get a share (Rashi - of the pit; R. Chananel - of land) that requires one day's labor for irrigation.
(Shmuel's father): When dividing an orchard, each must get (an area fitting to sow) three Kavim.
Support (Beraisa - Sumchus): If one says 'I sell to you a portion in a vineyard', he must give three Kavim;
R. Yosi says, this has no basis!
Question: What is the law in Bavel?
Answer (Rava bar Kisna): Each must give three groups of 12 trees, this requires a full day to hoe.
THE REMNANTS OF PROPHECY [line 35]
(Rav Avdimi of Cheifah): After the Churban, prophecy was taken from the Nevi'im and given to Chachamim.
Objection: Are Chachamim unfit to be Nevi'im?!
Answer: He means, even though prophecy was taken from the Nevi'im, it was not taken from Chachamim.
(Ameimar): A Chacham is better than a Navi - "v'Navi Levav Chachmah";
We attribute a smaller matter to a greater matter (i.e. a Navi has a smaller heart than a Chacham).
Support #1 (Abaye): We see that Chachamim still have prophecy. Different Chachamim often (independently) say the same Halachah!
Objection (Rava): That is no proof of prophecy. Perhaps they have the same Mazel (therefore, they reach the same Halachah)!
Support #2 (Rava): Rather, we learn from the fact that a Chacham sometimes says something that R. Akiva taught (we cannot attribute this to having the same Mazel. R. Akiva was much greater!)
Objection (Rav Ashi): That is no proof. Perhaps regarding that teaching, they have the same Mazel!
Support #3 (Rav Ashi): Rather, we learn from the fact that a Chacham sometimes says a Halachah that is a tradition from Moshe from Sinai.
Question: Perhaps he merely guessed the law!
Answer: When he gives a reason, we cannot say he merely guessed. (Rather, we must say that he Hash-m helped him reach the Halachah, akin to prophecy.)
(R. Yochanan): After the Churban, prophecy was taken from the Nevi'im and given to lunatics and children.
Question: What is the case of lunatics with prophecy?
Answer: It is like the following.
Mar bar Rav Ashi was in the market; he heard a lunatic saying that the (new) head of the academy in Masa Machsiya signs his name 'Tivyomi' (this is how Mar bar Rav Ashi used to sign; he realized that Hash-m wanted him to be the head). He headed there; before he arrived, the Rabanan voted that Rav Acha mi'Difti would be the head. When they heard that Mar bar Rav Ashi was coming, they sent two messengers to ask his opinion.
Mar bar Rav Ashi detained the messengers; they sent two more, and Mar bar Rav Ashi kept detaining them until there were ten; he then started expounding (and they chose him to be the head).
He waited for ten, for we do not teach laws at Kalah with less than ten Talmidim.
Rav Acha mi'Difti: When Hash-m starts acting harshly to a person (such as myself, I was not made the head), He is not quick to reverse this. When Hash-m starts bestowing good to a person (such as Mar bar Rav Ashi), He is not quick to reverse this.
Question: What is the case of children with prophecy?
Answer: It is like the case of Rav Chisda's daughter.
Rava and Rami bar Chama were in front of Rav Chisda and his daughter. Rav Chisda asked her which she wants to marry. She said that she wants to marry both.
Rava: I will marry her after you. (And so it came to pass. Maharsha - Rami bar Chama holds that it is improper to marry a divorcee, so he did not suggest being last, lest this be like a curse that Rava die.)
(Rav Avdimi of Cheifah): Before one eats, he has two hearts (he is indecisive). After eating, he has only one - "v'Ish Navuv Yilavev" (a hollow person (i.e. before eating) has two hearts);
Also, it says (about the Altar) "Nevuv Luchos", which is translated 'Chalil Luchin (hollow inside the boards)';
(Rav Huna brei d'Rav Yehoshua): Drinking wine regularly opens even a blocked heart - "V'Sirosh Yenovev Besulos".
RECEIVING ADJACENT FIELDS [line 32]
(Rav Huna brei d'Rav Yehoshua): Obviously, we give a firstborn his normal and extra portion next to one another.
Question: Do we do this for a Yavam (who also inherits his brother's portion)?
Answer #1 (Abaye): The law is just the same.
Question: What is Abaye's reason?
Answer: The Torah calls a Yavam "Bechor" (a firstborn) to teach this law.
Answer #2 (Rava): "V'Hayah ha'Bechor" - he is like a firstborn to get a double portion, but not to receive them together.
Reuven bought land bordering his father's land. His father died, and Reuven requested the portion bordering the land he bought.
(Rabah): In a case like this, Kofin Al Midas Sedom (we force one to benefit others if he himself will not lose).
Objection (Rav Yosef): The brothers can say 'that land is worth more' (whoever wants it will receive a smaller amount).
The Halachah follows Rav Yosef.
(Rabah): If there are two fields, and each borders on a river, Kofin Al Midas Sedom. (Reuven can demand the field bordering his land. Since each field has enough water, Shimon (his brother) cannot claim that he prefers that one.)
Objection (Rav Yosef): Perhaps one river will dry up! Shimon can demand half of each field.
The Halachah follows Rav Yosef.
(Rav Yosef): If both fields border on the same river, Kofin Al Midas Sedom.
Question (Abaye): Shimon can say 'I prefer that your fields be disconnected, so you will need a sharecropper for each, so my property will be guarded better!'
The Halachah follows Rav Yosef. We do not honor such a request.