I, probably like many of you began my formal study of Talmud learning Eilu Metziot, the second chapter of masechet Bava Metzia. “These are the…
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What's a Little Lie?: Bava Metzia 5
“Two people are holding onto a tallit. This one says…‘it is all mine’ and this one says ‘it is all mine’…
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Crime Pays: Bava Metzia 5
"Crime doesn’t pay" is a nice moral message but not a very practical one. Most criminals, especially those who commit petty crime,…
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Introducing Bava Metzia
“Two people are holding on to a tallit. This one says ‘I found it’ and this one says ‘I found it’; this one says…
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The Law of the Land: Bava Kamma 113
Dina demalchuta dina, the law of the land is the law, is one of the most famous, far-reaching and even revolutionary laws of the Talmud. At its most…
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Travelling for Teshuva: Bava Kamma 103
The distinction between a ganav and a gazlan is fairly well known. The former in trying to hide his crime pays double the amount stolen whereas the…
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Keep the Money: Bava Kamma 94
Doing teshuva is hard work. Sinning can be fun, easy to do, financially beneficial and habit forming. Change is hard. It requires hard work,…
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The Wisdom of the Common Man: Bava Kamma 92
One of the revolutions of Judaism was its democratization. No person is inherently superior to another--all are created in the same Divine image. One…
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Please Forgive Me: Bava Kamma 92
“Even though he repays him he is not forgiven until he asks him.” (Bava Kamma 92a) In our last couple of postings we have discussed the…
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Let's Have a Party!: Bava Kamma 87
In our last post we discussed Rabbi Yehuda’s (rejected) view that the blind are exempt from mitzvoth. This exemption actually brought great joy…
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The Death Penalty?: Bava Kamma 86
Rav Yaakov Ettlinger in his collection of responsa (Binyan Tzion #172) discusses the powerful and scary question of whether one has to give up one…
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Take Five:Bava Kamma 85
Masechet Bava Kamma begins by describing one’s responsibility to pay for damages caused by one’s animals. It then discusses damages one…
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A Perfect Ten: Bava Kamma 82
“Rav Yossi said: It would have been proper for the Torah to be given by Ezra had Moshe not preceded him.” (Sanhedrin 21b) It was Moshe…
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Only One Chance: Bava Kamma 80
When opportunity knocks, answer – you may not get a second chance. Or to quote the language of our Sages “a closed door does not easily […
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Baa Baa Black Sheep: Bava Kamma 80
One of the beautiful features of the Land of Israel is its wide-ranging topography. The lowest point on earth some 1,300 feet below sea level is…
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Man and G-d: Bava Kamma 79
“The disciples of Rav Yochanan ben Zakkai asked him ‘why was the Torah stricter regarding a ganav, thief than a gazlan…
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Talking too Much: Bava Kamma 72
“Al pi [1], according to the testimony of two or three shall something be established.” (Devarim 19:15) With so much power…
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It's Almost Chanukah: Bava Kamma 62b
While there are 613 categories of mitzvoth they are not all created equal. Saving a life is more important than observing Shabbat, Shabbat is more…