Bava Metzia

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

Bava Metzia 107: A Good Neighbour

Rabbi Jay Kelman

“Reish Lakish said: Whomever has a beit knesset in his city and he does not enter it, he  is called a bad neighbour” (Brachot 8a). All too often today, people do not even know their neighbours, let alone visit them. Such is the sad…
Article
Jan 23, 2017

Bava Metzia 105: Will that be Wheat or Barley?

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Throughout most of history wealth was primarily a result of land ownership. The more land one owned the wealthier one was. It is quite likely that it is the importance of land, and the Torah’s desire to ensure that one forced to sell his land…
Article
Jan 22, 2017

Bava Metzia 103: Time to Move

Rabbi Jay Kelman

We often imagine that the ancient world was one in which almost all lived on farms tilling their land, and only in modern times with the advent of the industrial revolution did cities become the centre of economic activity. There is much truth to…
Article
Jan 16, 2017

Bava Metzia 97: I Just Don't Know

Rabbi Jay Kelman

“Arba shomrim hem, there are four guardians, a shomer chinam, an unpaid guardian; the shoel, the borrower; the sachar, the paid guardian and the socher, the renter” (Bava Metzia 93a). Proper classification of those who are in possession…
Article
Jan 13, 2017

Bava Metzia 87: The Beauty of Old Age

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Our society venerates youth, with an entire industry dedicated to keeping people looking and feeling young. While youth is great, it is old age that our tradition venerates. “For an old person you shall rise, v’hadrata pnei zaken,…
Article
Jan 10, 2017

Bava Metzia 92: Time to Eat

Rabbi Jay Kelman

“Everything goes according to the custom of the land (Bava Metzia 83a). As much as lawyers may try, it is impossible to contract for each and every eventuality when entering into an agreement. In many places of employment one does not even…
Article
Jan 8, 2017

Bava Metzia 85: For the Children

Rabbi Jay Kelman

One of the challenges of higher education is ensuring that one does not sit in an ivory tower where what one learns has little application to real life issues. This problem is no less, and probably much more, applicable to much of yeshiva education…
Article
Jan 4, 2017

Bava Metzia 83: Was the Wine Good?

Rabbi Jay Kelman

“Pray for the welfare of government for, if not fear of them, man would swallow his friend alive” (Avot 3:2). Law and order is the backbone of any society and, along with security, are the most important duties of government. When law…
Article
Jan 3, 2017

Bava Metzia 85: Forget It!

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Family owned businesses comprise some 90% of all business enterprises in the United States, account for about 65% of gross domestic product and 75% of all new job hirings. Yet only some 30% survive to the second generation and a mere 12% of these…
Article
Jan 2, 2017

Bava Metzia 84: I Can't Learn Without You

Rabbi Jay Kelman

The traditional way to study Talmud is with a chavruta, a study partner, someone with whom to bounce off ideas, debate, question and argue about how to best understand the Talmudic sugya. Having someone to challenge our ideas and…
Article
Dec 29, 2016