## Bava Batra Daf 109b

###### Bava Batra 109b:1
[Bava Batra 109b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/109b:1)

וְאִי אַתָּה מַעֲבִיר נַחֲלָה מִן הָאָב אֲפִילּוּ בִּמְקוֹם בַּת! אִם כֵּן, לָא נִכְתּוֹב רַחֲמָנָא ״וְהַעֲבַרְתֶּם״!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**but you do not pass an inheritance from the father even in a case** where there is **a daughter,** so that the father precedes the daughter in the order of inheritance? The Gemara answers: **If so, the Merciful One would not write: “Then you shall pass** the inheritance to his daughter” (Numbers 27:8). This indicates that the logical order of inheritance is being overridden, as the fact that the daughter precedes the brothers of the deceased is due to her being a closer relative of his. It is obvious that the Torah intends that she precede even the father.


###### Bava Batra 109b:2
[Bava Batra 109b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/109b:2)

וּלְמַאן דְּנָפְקָא לֵיהּ מִ״וְהַעֲבַרְתֶּם״, הַאי ״שְׁאֵרוֹ״ מַאי עָבֵיד לֵיהּ? מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ לְכִדְתַנְיָא: ״שְׁאֵרוֹ״ – זוֹ אִשְׁתּוֹ, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהַבַּעַל יוֹרֵשׁ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Having quoted two derivations for the *halakha* that the father precedes the brothers, the Gemara proceeds to discuss them and asks: **And according to the one who derives it from** the term: **“And you shall pass,” what does he do with this** term: **“His kinsman,”** which was said to refer to the father? The Gemara answers: **He requires it for that which is taught** in a *baraita*: **“His kinsman.” This** is referring to **his wife,** and the Torah **teaches that a husband inherits** from **his wife.**


###### Bava Batra 109b:3
[Bava Batra 109b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/109b:3)

וּלְמַאן דְּנָפְקָא לֵיהּ מִ״שְּׁאֵרוֹ״, הַאי ״וְהַעֲבַרְתֶּם״ מַאי עָבֵיד לֵיהּ? מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ לְכִדְתַנְיָא – רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: בְּכוּלָּן נֶאֱמַר בָּהֶן ״נְתִינָה״, וְכָאן נֶאֶמְרָה בָּהֶן ״הַעֲבָרָה״; שֶׁאֵין לְךָ שֶׁמַּעֲבִיר נַחֲלָה מִשֵּׁבֶט לְשֵׁבֶט אֶלָּא בַּת, הוֹאִיל וּבְנָהּ וּבַעְלָהּ יוֹרְשִׁין אוֹתָהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And according to the one who derives it from** the term: **“His kinsman,” what does he do with this** term: **“And you shall pass”? He requires it for that which is taught** in a *baraita*, that **Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi **says: In** the context of **all of** the relatives listed in the passage detailing the laws of inheritance, it **is stated concerning them** with the terminology of **giving, and** only **here,** in the context of daughters, it **is stated concerning them** with the terminology of **passing.** This teaches us **that you have no one who passes an inheritance** of land in Eretz Yisrael **from one tribe to another except for a daughter, since her son and husband inherit** from **her.**


###### Bava Batra 109b:4
[Bava Batra 109b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/109b:4)

וּמִמַּאי דִּ״שְׁאֵרוֹ״ זֶה הָאָב? דִּכְתִיב: ״שְׁאֵר אָבִיךָ הִיא״. אֵימָא: ״שְׁאֵרוֹ״ – זוֹ הָאֵם, דִּכְתִיב: ״שְׁאֵר אִמְּךָ הִיא״!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The Gemara returns to discuss the interpretation of the term: “His kinsman” (Numbers 27:11). **And from where** does one know to derive **that** with regard to the term: **“His kinsman [*she’ero*],” this** is referring to **the father, as it is written** in the context of forbidden sexual relations: **“She is your father’s kinswoman [*she’er*]”** (Leviticus 18:12)? Perhaps one should **say** instead: **“His kinswoman,” this** is referring to **the mother, as it is** also **written: “For she is your mother’s kinswoman [*she’er*]”** (Leviticus 18:13).


###### Bava Batra 109b:5
[Bava Batra 109b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/109b:5)

אָמַר רָבָא, אָמַר קְרָא: ״מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ וְיָרַשׁ אֹתָהּ״; מִשְׁפַּחַת אָב קְרוּיָה ״מִשְׁפָּחָה״, מִשְׁפַּחַת אֵם אֵינָהּ קְרוּיָה ״מִשְׁפָּחָה״ – דִּכְתִיב: ״לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rava said** in response that **the verse states:** “Then you shall give his inheritance to his kinsman who is next to him **of his family, and he shall inherit it”** (Numbers 27:11), emphasizing that “kinsman” is referring specifically to someone who is of his family, and it is **the father’s family** that **is called** one’s **family,** while one’s **mother’s family is not called** one’s **family.** Proof for this is found in another verse, **as it is written: “By their families, by their fathers’ houses”** (Numbers 1:2).


###### Bava Batra 109b:6
[Bava Batra 109b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/109b:6)

וּמִשְׁפַּחַת אֵם אֵינָהּ קְרוּיָה ״מִשְׁפָּחָה״?! וְהָא כְּתִיב: ״וַיְהִי נַעַר מִבֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת יְהוּדָה, וְהוּא לֵוִי, וְהוּא גָר שָׁם״ – הָא גוּפָא קַשְׁיָא; אָמְרַתְּ ״וְהוּא לֵוִי״ – אַלְמָא מִלֵּוִי אָתֵי, ״מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת יְהוּדָה״ – אַלְמָא מִיהוּדָה אָתֵי! אֶלָּא לָאו דַּאֲבוּהּ מִלֵּוִי, וְאִימֵּיהּ מִיהוּדָה? וְקָאָמַר ״מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת יְהוּדָה״!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara raises a difficulty: **And** is one’s **mother’s family** indeed **not called** one’s **family? But it is written** in the episode of Micah forming an idol to be worshipped: **“And there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah of the family of Judah who was a Levite, and he sojourned there”** (Judges 17:7). The Gemara explains the difficulty: **This matter itself** is **difficult. You said: “Who was a Levite,”** as **apparently he came from** the tribe of **Levi,** but the verse says: **“Of the family of Judah,”** so **apparently he came from** the tribe of **Judah. Rather, is it not that his father** was **from** the tribe of **Levi and his mother** was **from** the tribe of **Judah, and** yet the verse **says** that he was: **“Of the family of Judah”?** This appears to prove that one’s mother’s family is also called his family.


###### Bava Batra 109b:7
[Bava Batra 109b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/109b:7)

אָמַר רָבָא בַּר רַב חָנָן: לָא; גַּבְרָא דִּשְׁמֵיהּ לֵוִי. אִי הָכִי, הַיְינוּ דְּקָאָמַר מִיכָה: ״עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי כִּי יֵיטִיב ה׳ לִי, כִּי הָיָה לִי הַלֵּוִי לְכֹהֵן״? אִין, דְּאִיתְרְמִי לֵיהּ גַּבְרָא דִּשְׁמֵיהּ לֵוִי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rava bar Rav Ḥanan said** in response: **No,** the verse speaks of **a man whose name** was **Levi,** but his father was of the tribe of Judah. The Gemara asks: **If that is so,** how **is that which Micah said** when that man agreed to serve as his priest: **“Now I know that the Lord will do me good, seeing that I have a Levite as my priest”** (Judges 17:13), understood? It is understood only if he was an actual Levite, not if he was from the tribe of Judah and named Levi. Rava bar Rav Ḥanan responded: **Yes,** it is understood. Micah understood the fact **that a man whose name** is **Levi happened upon him** as an auspicious sign.


###### Bava Batra 109b:8
[Bava Batra 109b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/109b:8)

וְכִי לֵוִי שְׁמוֹ?! וַהֲלֹא יְהוֹנָתָן שְׁמוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וִיהוֹנָתָן בֶּן גֵּרְשֹׁם בֶּן מְנַשֶּׁה, הוּא וּבָנָיו הָיוּ כֹהֲנִים לְשֵׁבֶט הַדָּנִי״! (אֲמַר לֵיהּ: וְלִיטַעְמָיךְ) וְכִי בֶּן מְנַשֶּׁה הוּא?! וַהֲלֹא בֶּן מֹשֶׁה הוּא, דִּכְתִיב: ״בְּנֵי מֹשֶׁה גֵּרְשׁוֹם וֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר״!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks further: **But** is it **so** that **his name** was indeed **Levi; but wasn’t Jonathan his name, as it is stated: “And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites”** (Judges 18:30)? Rava bar Rav Ḥanan **said to him: And according to your reasoning,** that his name was not Levi but he was from the tribe of Levi, there is also a difficulty from that same verse: **But** is it **so** that **he** was **the son of Manasseh; but wasn’t he the son of Moses, as it is written: “The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer”** (I Chronicles 23:15)?


###### Bava Batra 109b:9
[Bava Batra 109b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/109b:9)

אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁעָשָׂה מַעֲשֵׂה מְנַשֶּׁה, תְּלָאוֹ הַכָּתוּב בִּמְנַשֶּׁה; הָכָא נָמֵי, מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁעָשָׂה מַעֲשֵׂה מְנַשֶּׁה – דְּאָתֵי מִיהוּדָה, תְּלָאוֹ הַכָּתוּב בִּיהוּדָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rava bar Rav Ḥanan explains the verse: **Rather,** although he was the son of Moses, **because he acted** as **Manasseh** the king of Judah, who was notorious for idol worship, **acted, the verse linked him to Manasseh** by calling him “the son of Manasseh.” **Here too,** in the verse from which you seek to prove that one’s mother’s family is called one’s family, **since he acted** as **Manasseh, who came from** the tribe of **Judah, acted, the verse linked him to Judah** by stating that he was “of the family of Judah,” but he was, in fact, a Levite.


###### Bava Batra 109b:10
[Bava Batra 109b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/109b:10)

אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי: מִכָּאן שֶׁתּוֹלִין אֶת הַקַּלְקָלָה בַּמְקוּלְקָל. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר חֲנִינָא אָמַר, מֵהָכָא: ״וְגַם הוּא טוֹב תֹּאַר מְאֹד, וְאֹתוֹ יָלְדָה אַחֲרֵי אַבְשָׁלוֹם״ – וַהֲלֹא אֲדֹנִיָּה בֶּן חַגִּית וְאַבְשָׁלוֹם בֶּן מַעֲכָה! אֶלָּא, מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁעָשָׂה מַעֲשֵׂה אַבְשָׁלוֹם – דְּמָרַד בַּמַּלְכוּת, תְּלָאוֹ הַכָּתוּב בְּאַבְשָׁלוֹם. הָכָא נָמֵי, מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁעָשָׂה מַעֲשֵׂה מְנַשֶּׁה – תְּלָאוֹ הַכָּתוּב בִּמְנַשֶּׁה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
In connection with this, **Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: From here** it is learned **that corruption is linked to one who is corrupt,** as this man was linked to Manasseh and Judah despite having no familial connection to them. **Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina says:** That concept can be seen **from here,** in the matter of Adonijah, the son of David: **“And he was also a very handsome man; and she gave birth to him after Absalom,”** (I Kings 1:6) **but Adonijah wasn’t the son of Haggith and Absalom was the son of Maachah,** so why does the verse state: “And she gave birth to him after Absalom,” as if they were sons of the same mother? **Rather, since Adonijah acted** in a manner fit for **Absalom, who** also **rebelled against the monarchy, the verse linked him to Absalom,** referring to him as his full brother. **Here too,** with regard to Jonathan, **since he acted** as **Manasseh acted, the verse linked him to Manasseh.**


###### Bava Batra 109b:11
[Bava Batra 109b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/109b:11)

אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: לְעוֹלָם יִדְבַּק אָדָם בַּטּוֹבִים, שֶׁהֲרֵי מֹשֶׁה שֶׁנָּשָׂא בַּת יִתְרוֹ – יָצָא מִמֶּנּוּ יְהוֹנָתָן; אַהֲרֹן שֶׁנָּשָׂא בַּת עַמִּינָדָב – יָצָא מִמֶּנּוּ פִּנְחָס.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ In connection with the story of Jonathan, son of Manasseh, the Gemara cites a related statement. **Rabbi Elazar says: A person should always cleave to good** people, meaning one should marry a woman from a good family, as this is beneficial for the offspring of that marriage. **As** in the case of **Moses, who married a daughter of Yitro,** who was a priest of idolatry, **Jonathan,** who was also a priest of idolatry, **descended from him,** while in the case of **Aaron, who married the daughter of Amminadab,** who was of distinguished lineage in the tribe of Judah, **Pinehas descended from him.**


###### Bava Batra 109b:12
[Bava Batra 109b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/109b:12)

וּפִנְחָס לָאו מִיִּתְרוֹ אָתֵי? וְהָא כְּתִיב: ״וְאֶלְעָזָר בֶּן אַהֲרֹן לָקַח לוֹ מִבְּנוֹת פּוּטִיאֵל לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה״; מַאי, לָאו דְּאָתֵי מִיִּתְרוֹ – שֶׁפִּיטֵּם עֲגָלִים לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה? לָא, דְּאָתֵי מִיּוֹסֵף – שֶׁפִּטְפֵּט בְּיִצְרוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And did Pinehas not** also **come from Yitro? But it is written: “And Elazar, Aaron’s son, took one of the daughters of Putiel as a wife;** and she bore him Pinehas” (Exodus 6:25). **What, is it not** stating **that** Pinehas **came from** the family of **Yitro, who** was also called Putiel because he **fattened [*pittem*] calves for idol worship?** The Gemara answers: **No,** it is stating **that he came from Joseph, who battled [*shepitpet*] with his desire** by resisting the advances of Potiphar’s wife.


###### Bava Batra 109b:13
[Bava Batra 109b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/109b:13)

וַהֲלֹא שְׁבָטִים מְבַזִּים אוֹתוֹ, וְאוֹמְרִים: רְאִיתֶם ״בֶּן פּוּטִי״ זֶה – בֵּן שֶׁפִּיטֵּם אֲבִי אִמּוֹ עֲגָלִים לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, יַהֲרוֹג נְשִׂיא שֵׁבֶט מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל?!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But didn’t** the **tribes denigrate him** after he killed Zimri (see Numbers, chapter 25), **and say** of him: **Have you seen this son of Puti, the son** of he **whose mother’s father fattened calves for idol worship? Should** such a man **kill a prince of a tribe of Israel?**