Din & Daf: Conceptual Analysis of Halakha Through Case Study with Dr. Elana Stein Hain
Ideas Arc of Masechet Bava Batra – a Bava Batra Summary
Dr. Elana Stein Hain – dinanddaf@hadran.org.il
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Perakim 1-3: Relating to someone else’s property –
Relationships: Shutafin, Neighbors, Buyer/seller
Focus: Property Use; Neighborhood
- Perek 1 – shared financial responsibilities among residents (e.g, building mechitzah, בית שער, דלת, חומה, etc.)
- Perek 2 – be careful how I use my own property based on how it impacts my neighbor (e.g., don’t plant to close to neighbor’s property, no bad smells, etc.)
- Perek 3 – chezkat 3 shanim – how do I gain ownership over someone else’s property?
Perakim 4-7: Technical Sale Protocol –
(4-5: What’s included; 6-7: measurements and use)
Relationships: Buyer and seller
Focus: Sale Process and Assumptions; Transactions
Notice ABBA structure (Perek 4 and 7 re: land; Perek 5 and 6 starts with non-land)
- Perek 4 – land (e.g., בית, חצר, עיר, שדה)
- Perek 5 – non-land (e.g, ספינה, בהמה – but even אילנות when land isn’t included); ארבע מידות במוכרים – when can buyer/seller renege; at what point is the sale complete (such that the current owner bears financial responsibility)
- Perek 6 – what if the fruit goes bad? What’s a rounding error? What if seller has property within my property and can only get there by walking through my property? (interesting – buyer and seller have become neighbors of sorts…)
- Perek 7- how do we measure land?
Perakim 8-9: Inheritance –
Relationships: Family & someone who is dying;
parents and children, husbands and wives, siblings, also people relate to someone who is dying (regardless of being a relative) (also sivlonot which is interesting – it’s a transaction that is expected based on familial relationship…or anticipated familial relationships)
Focus: Continuity
- Perek 8 – introduction – the basic requirements of inheritance law (e.g., who inherits/gives inheritance; getting around inheritance)
- Perek 9 – Contested/Divided inheritance (e.g., daughters and sons, older sons doing business, house falls on two relatives); but also מתנת שכיב מרע
Perek 10: Shtarot –
Relationships – SO MANY: Spouses, Lender/Borrower, Buyer/Seller, Sharecropper/Farmer, Litigants, 2 random people with the same name!
Focus: Evidence
- Spouses – גט, שובר, תנאים (שטרי אירוסין), כתובה ונדוניה (שטרי נישואין)
- Sharecropper – שטרי אריסות וקבלנות
- Litigants – שטרי בירורין, מעשה בית דין, שטר קיום
- Two random people – both named יוסף בן שמעון
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