Bava Batra

Embark on a journey of Jewish learning and discovery, exploring the depth of our Bava Batra resources, where tagged items including audio, programs, and podcast episodes await your exploration.

Bava Batra 165: "I Don't Hold by the Eiruv"

Rabbi Jay Kelman

In his 17th century collection of responsa (#93), the Chacham Tzvi, Rav Tzvi Ashkenazi, discusses whether a golem, perhaps best translated as an artificial human being, may be counted towards a minyan. The Chacham Tzvi rules that it may not be…
Article
Jul 18, 2017

Bava Batra 145: I'm Coming to Your Wedding

Rabbi Jay Kelman

“The brothers who were groomsmen, shoshbanim, during the lifetime of their father—when the wedding gifts are reciprocated they revert to the common funds of the estate, for the reciprocation of a wedding gift may be…
Article
Jul 11, 2017

Bava Batra 144: Not in Heaven

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Two of most central pillars of Jewish faith, G-d’s foreknowledge of all that will occur and free choice granted to man, seemingly—and perhaps actually—stand in conflict with one another. If we truly have free choice, then how can G…
Article
Jul 5, 2017

Bava Batra 141: I Love My Sister

Rabbi Jay Kelman

There is something very special about being pregnant with one’s first child. One has grandiose dreams (hopefully) of carrying a great Torah scholar, a Nobel Laureate and a great philanthropist wrapped into one. Unaware of the realities of…
Article
Jun 28, 2017

Bava Batra 139: From Father to Daughter

Rabbi Jay Kelman

One of the great disparities between the modern Western mode of thought and traditional Jewish thought is the concept of egalitarianism. Modern thinking has blurred any form of distinction between classes of people; even the line separating male…
Article
Jun 15, 2017

Bava Batra 133: For You My Dear Child....Nothing

Rabbi Jay Kelman

“One who writes his property for others [in his will] and leaves his children [with nothing]—what is done is done, but the spirit of our Sages is not happy with him. Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel says, if his son does not act kshura,…
Article
Jun 12, 2017

Bava Batra 133: Oops! My Mistake

Rabbi Jay Kelman

One of the differences one notices in teaching adults, as opposed to children, is that the former are generally less inclined to respond to questions posed by the teacher, afraid to say something that may indicate their ignorance of the subject…
Article
Jun 8, 2017

Bava Batra 115: Younger and Wiser

Rabbi Jay Kelman

One of the primary lessons of sefer Breisheet is that birth order matters little. Yitzchak, Yaakov and Yosef were all younger brothers, in Yosef’s case tenfold. Similarly, in the pre-covenantal period it was Hevel, the younger brother of Cain…
Article
Jun 1, 2017

Bava Batra 91: Avraham Avinu and Mother's Day

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Here is a great trivia question to try on a friend. Who was Noach’s wife? What was Abraham’s mother’s name? Don’t feel bad if you don’t know. While the Torah tells us whom Eisav married, the Torah is silent regarding…
Article
May 11, 2017

Bava Batra 88: Sorry, No Teshuva Allowed

Rabbi Jay Kelman

In our last post, we discussed the Gemara’s claim that the punishment for false weights is greater than that for sexual immorality. As the Gemara explains, while one can do teshuva for sexual sins, one cannot do teshuva for dishonest…
Article
May 4, 2017