Talking Talmud

How to handle different kinds of people who are owed money, one of which is a woman collecting her ketubah, in a case where heirs also want to connect their inheritance. Also, what happens when property has a lien on it and the debit still wants to pay someone else back or make a gift. Plus, death-bed legacies.

More on collecting compensatory damages from the best quality of land. Plus, the comparison to paying for damage done to consecrated objects, which sounds like an obvious case of "paying from the best," but it's not that simple, after all. Also, a focus on why paying the ketubah from ziborit, the worse quality of land, is tikkun olam, and actually a protection for the woman. Plus, how much comment...

One who purchases a field from his father, but then the Jubilee year complicated the issues of inheritance vs. purchase. Which leads to a dispute between Rabbi Meir and R. Yehudah with R. Shimon. Also, a new chapter: paying compensatory damages must be paid out of the best land, while loans and IOUs are paid from intermediate land, and the ketubah is paid from the worst quality of land -- establis...

If one sells oneself and one's children to non-Jews, the children can be redeemed after the father dies, which leads into a famous story about Resh Lakish and his origins as what is often translated as a gladiator, perhaps a brigand. And how he came to be a great chavruta/bar plugta (regular arguing partners) with R. Yochanan. Plus, the way Resh Lakish died basically destitute. Also, a new mishnah...

3 mishnayot - on tikkun olam. 1. A man who divorces his wife because of a bad reputation, which turns out to be false - they still can't remarry. But what happens if the divorce is because of a vow? 2. A husband who divorces an aylonit - what happens when she remarries and has children with the second husband? 3. One who sells himself and his children into slavery to non-Jews, is not to be redeeme...

A slave ran away from his owner in the Diaspora and made his way to the land of Israel, where the owner pursued him to bring him back. Does that work, or does he need to free the slave? Plus, the story of Abaye who has lost his donkey and identifies it only by its white belly, which is accepted as an identifying mark only because of who he is, not because it's that specific, as so many donkeys hav...

A slave owned by a Jew who is sold to a non-Jew, never mind the penalty in place from the mishnah (on yesterday's daf). The Gemara provides different reasons for why a slave might end up with a new non-Jewish owner - including a Jewish owner trying to pay off debt, or the Sicarii taking the slave as property... Plus, the question of tithing in the context of another taking the property - what happ...

What happens when a half-slave gets betrothed to a fully free woman? Or vice versa? Plus, does a half-slave have heirs? Also, playing out the halakhah of a contradictory mishnah. Plus, a new mishnah - with a penalty to one who sells a slave to a non-Jew, and the factor of the Diaspora.

A person who is still half a slave and half freed, as done by the master... Can he aquire himself for himself? What about when a master gives his property to two slaves? Can they free each other? 2 beraitot establish a dispute on the issues. Also, what are the limitations on the case of the slave - specifically, of course, terumah.

2 mishnayot: 1. A slave whose owner uses him as a payment of debt to another person, but then is freed before he functions as that payment. What happens?? A tikkun olam decree to keep the peace - and ensure that the slave remains free. Plus, rereading the mishnah by the Gemara - in two ways (by Rav and Ulla). 2. A slave who is half-freed and half-slave... an in-between status that is not easily re...

When a slave-owner's conduct has impact on the slave's status. To what extent can a man free a female slave in order to marry her? Plus, the stories of R. Dimi, who traveled between Israel and Babylonia - to address the case where heirs are pushed to free the slaves if their benefactor. Also, a slave owned by 2 people, one of whom frees his half of the slave, but the other owner does not go along...

When one renounces ownership of a slave, the slave goes free, but still needs a get shichrur, bill of manumission - and then he can marry a Jewish woman. Plus, what happens when a death leaves slaves without clear owners. Also, why there is a "get" for divorce and also a "get" to free a slave.

An uncomfortable daf, given our modern sensibilities regarding slavery. Note that the Amoraim themselves owned slaves; it wasn't just a biblical practice. Note also, these are "avadim Canaanim," non-Jews who come to live among Jews, and are required to keep some Jewish practices (or perhaps shouldn't be kept as a slave). Some stories, and the halakhic positions that emerge from them. Plus, what if...

The daf continues to discuss Prozbul and how it relates to a plant in a pot. Then we have a new Mishnah which continues with the topic of loans and Shmeitah.

The daf discusses everything and anything you want to know about the Prozbul.

A disagreement between Shmuel and Rav widow’s taking an oath or a vow to collect her Ketubah followed by a series of stories illustrating this Halacha. The daf ends with a clarification of the Mishnah.

The daf shares a series of stories when the rabbis needed to help make sure a Get was given and received. Amud has 2 mishnayot. The first Mishnah discussed the importance of names in the Get. The second Mishnah takes us back to Nedarim and Ketubot

The daf describes why Rabban Gamliel need to make a takana for Tikkun Olam. What does Tikkun Olam mean in the world of the Talmud.

Once the Get is with a Shaliach can the Get be voided by the husband and how must the husband express that wish to void the Get? The daf also discusses if that same Get can be used again once the husband voided the Get.

What information can we trust as not changing? For example, that the husband stays alive, after he's sent a get. So too one who separates tithes. Plus, there's a time frame on that kind of given - often only the first 24 hours. Note the brevity of the mishnah. Also, a discussion of the east wind. And winds coming from other directions, and how strong they can be, as well as how much impact they ca...

A new mishnah! On the concept of "chazakah" - including trusting that people are still alive. But what if the person dies? There are questions of inheritance... including questions of borrowing and lending in the context of the kehunah. Also, getting permission from a debtors heirs to continue the terms of a loan. Plus kindness to the orphaned heirs to help them pay back the debt.

2 mishnayot: first, a shaliach who gets sick. What's he supposed to do to make sure the get reaches the wife? He can appoint another shaliach in his place - depending on the husband's designation of him as a shaliach. Also, establishing the power of the shaliach.

When a shaliach brings a get from the husband to the wife, the assumption is that status quo ante - the husband is presumed to remain alive, and other similar conditions (eg, one's right to eat terumah). Plus, a key dispute that reflects personal approach, within the debate. Plus, why only men did semicha (laying on if hands) for the sin-offering, and women did not. [Who's Who: R. Yehudah ben Prat...

What happens if the shaliach for a get loses the get? It depends how much time passes before he finds it, assuming he does. Could the get have been replaced in the interim, for example? What happens if the players in the get have the same names as others who are getting divorced. Also, Rabbi Zeira finds a contradiction to our mishnah in a baraita. Which turns out to be a bit lesser as compared to...

A new mishnah! And a template for a divorce, as well as other transactions, and the question of what blanks would need to filled with the right names and the date and so on. But templates don't really work for gittin. Plus, how the get is actually written. Also, what does it mean that the sages decreed... They wanted to prevent quarreling. They wanted to prevent conflicts over the same name. Or pu...