Daf in < 100 words - Gittin 51

If someone buys land which is later found to be stolen and the original owner repossesses it, the deceived buyer can sue the seller (thief) for the amount. However, he can not sue for the crop which was on the land - because this obligation was not fixed and thus was not guaranteed by the seller (thief).


If someone is returning a lost object and the owner claims that not everything is returned, then it is decreed that the finder does not have to take an oath to his truthfulness - so that the people should not refrain from returning found objects.

Please make sure you see the images.

Daf in < 100 words - Gittin 50

A guarantor of the Ketubah obligation is not obligated to pay – he is just encouraging the couple to marry.








A creditor collecting from the deceased father's estate is entitled to the worst land only. If orphans are minors, they are protected by not having to deal with selling the worst land. If adults, they do not know the affairs of their father, so an oath that the debt was not paid is required.

Creditors collecting from the estate first collect from available property, and only then proceed to repossess from purchasers those fields on which there is a prior lien.

Daf in < 100 words - Gittin 49

If a person or property was damaged, payments are collected from the best land of the liable party – so that people should not be negligent. Money and readily-sold personalty, if available, are first choice.

Creditors collect their payments from the medium quality land – so that people would not refrain from making loans. However, since money was loaned, if the borrower has money, he pays that.

Ketubah payments are collected from the inferior land, in order to prevent women who unscrupulously marry in order to provoke divorce and collect their ketubah dowers.

These measures are for the benefit of society.

Gittin 48 - First Fruit

When a man brings first fruit to the priest, but does not own the land on which they grew, should he say the thanksgiving? Yes, because when he brings his wife's fruit, he says thanksgiving, and this is the rule. No, because his wife's fruit are exception from the rule.


When a Jubilee (50th) year is in force, any land sold in the interim reverts to the owner in the Jubilee year. Therefore, two brothers inheriting land rent from each other till the Jubilee year. They can bring first fruit only according to the “Yes” answer above.

Daf in < 100 words - Gittin 47

If one is accustomed to sell himself to idolaters as a slave for profit, so that the community should ransom him, eventually he is not ransomed, but his children are ransomed after his death.

Resh Lakish worked hard but spent his earnings liberally and good-heartedly. Leaving a quart of safflower oil as inheritance, he was still upset, quoting “they left their possessions to others.”

When an idolater buys land in Israel, does this remove mitzvot such as tithes? No, because of “since the (holiness of the) land is Mine.“ Yes, because “and the land He gave to the men”.







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Daf in < 100 words - Gittin 46

A husband who divorces his wife because of her bad reputation can not later remarry her, provided he told her the reason. Why? Should he later find that his information was false, he may be tempted to regret, attempt to invalidate the Get and thus create complications.









If a husband divorces his wife because she is sterile, he can not remarry her, for the same reason. If she later marries another man, has children, and wants her ketubah payment from her first husband, he can tell her: “Your silence is better than your speech”, because he can invalidate her divorce.

Daf in < 100 words - Gittin 45

If a man gives his sister a ring in marriage (which all know to be invalid), Rav says, he gave it for safekeeping to be returned, but Shmuel says, he gave it as a present to keep.

If a slave runs away to Israel, he is not returned to his master.

One should not ransom captives (with some exceptions) for much more than their worth. Is it not to burden the community, or not to accustom the captors to gain? - Unresolved.

One should not ransom tefillin or Torah for more than their worth nor should one provoke with low offer.

Daf in < 100 words - Gittin 44

Is one sells his slave to an idolater , the slave is freed as a penalty to his owner, because the slave will have to violate commandments. Same for selling the slave to outside of Israel, because of the precept against leaving Israel.

If one fertilizes his field in the seventh year, then as a penalty he can not sow it next year; however, if he dies, his sons can sow that field.




If an Israeli woman marries outside of Israel and brings slaves as her dowry, is this a sale and do the slave go free? The question remains unresolved.

Daf in < 100 words - Gittin 43

If a master sells his slave only for the right to collect penalty payment in the event the slave is killed by an ox, is the sale valid?

Since there is a law about the rights of a slave whose value is zero, the sale must be invalid, because any slave should have at least this value?

Rebuttal: no, if the slave is mortally ill, there is no penalty for goring.

Result: answer is unknown.


If one engages a half-slave, half-free woman, she is engaged, but if one engages half of a free woman, she is not engaged.

Daf in < 100 words - Gittin 42

If an ox gores a half-slave, then on master's day the damages go to the master, otherwise, to the slave. - Then can he marry a slavewoman one day and a free women the other? - No, prohibitions are not same as money.








If a master intentionally knocks out a slave's tooth or eye or any other of the 22 protrusions, the slave goes out to freedom, but needs a Get.

If an ox gores a half-slave, then on master's day the damages go to the master, otherwise, to the slave. - Then can he marry a slavewoman one day and a free women the other? - No, prohibitions are not same as money.

Daf in < 100 words - Gittin 41

One who is half-slave and half-free man (one of the two owners emancipated his share) works one day for his master and one day for himself – says Hillel school.

Shammai school says: You have solved his master's dilemma, but you have not solved his own. For it is impossible for him to marry a slavewoman, because half of him is already a free man. And it is impossible for him to marry a free woman, because half of him is still a slave. And Hillel school reversed itself to rule in accordance with the words of Shammai school.


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Daf in < 100 words - Gittin 40

If the master puts tefillin on his slave or helps him marry a free Jewish woman, we know that he had previously freed him.

A slave of two masters was freed by one. The second transferred ownership to his underage son, to prevent the court from emancipating the slave. The court commanded to jingle a few coins in front of the child, who agreed to sell the slave and was then paid in full.

If one says, "I make my slave a free man," the slave is free. But it has to be in writing. Same for a field transfer.

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Gittin 36 - For the Benefit of Society

Witnesses sign on a Get for the benefit of society. They add their names, so that they can later be found in case of trouble.


Hillel established Prosbul, which allows debt collection even after the 7th year (Shmita). People were refraining from loans close to Shmita, thus Prosbul benefits society.

Daf in < 100 words - Gittin 37

Prosbul is related to the Greek prosbuleibutei (a council to protect people from harm) and means "benefit or rich and poor". Rich, because they do not transgress "do not refrain from helping with a loan", and poor, because it helps them obtain a loan. Prosbul works by assigning the loan to court for collection. It is then "as if collected", and such loan is not canceled by the 7th year. Only unsecured loans are canceled and thus require prosbul. Even if a debt is canceled by the 7th year, it is meritorious to return the money as a gift.

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Daf in < 100 words - Gittin 38

A slave was captured, the owner lost hope of his return, and another person comes to redeem him. If the redemption is in order to free the slave, the slave achieves freedom and does not even need a document of emancipation. Since he was a slave of a Jew, he now becomes a full-fledged Jew and can marry a Jewish woman. If the redeemer wants to keep him as a slave, he can, and the captor, who owns the work of his hands, can transmit the ownership further. Slaves should not be redeemed, except for a good cause.

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Daf in < 100 words - Gittin 39

If a master makes his slave ownerless, the slave is free, but requires a letter of emancipation (Get), because he did not acquire himself. However, when a convert dies without children or wife, his adult slaves go free and do not need a Get, because they become their own masters, then free themselves. A slavewoman begged her dying master to free her. He threw her a hat intending for her to acquire herself through "exchange". But he did not achieve anything - not because a letter of emancipation was still needed, but because the hat was his.

Quick Links... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Purpose of the letter Daf on the web Mistakes are completely mine, and final law can not be definitely deduced from the summaries. Have a great day!

Purpose of the "Daf in < 100 words"...

is to summarize every page (Daf) of the Talmud on the day when it is learned in the Daf Yomi cycle.

I assume that I am talking to extremely intelligent and knowledgeable audience. For this reason I do not explain the terms every time they occur, such as, for example, Get meaning a divorce document. People either know it or will figure it out.

By reading the short emails for 7.5 years, one will cover the major points of the Talmud. Those who study the Daf daily will get a short summary as a reminder.

I am by no means sufficiently qualified, but my friends will forgive me my mistakes, I am sure.

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Rebecca Kerzner Bat Mitzvah Speech

January 5, 2008

Torah Portion Vaeira

Shabbat Shalom!

I recently learned the Mishna Bava Metziah with my dad. My favorite Mishna was the last one, "Shtei ginot zo al gab zo".

In this Mishna, there are two gardens, one above the other, and vegetables are growing out of the vertical surface between them. To whom do the vegetables belong?

Rabbi Meir says, "They belong to the owner of the higher garden." Rabbi Yehudah says, "They belong to the owner of the lower garden." Now Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehudah argue.

Rabbi Meir says, "If the owner of the upper garden, whom we will call A, wants to take his earth away, there would be no vegetables here!" Rabbi Yehudah says in response, "If the owner of the lower garden, whom we will call B, wants to fill his garden with earth, so that it is level with the upper garden, there would be no vegetables here!" Rabbi Meir then says, "Since each of them can destroy the vegetables, we will look from where the vegetables get their nourishment. Since they draw their nourishment from the earth of A, they should belong to A.

The Mishna continues. Rabbi Shimon says, "Any vegetables that A can reach with his hand and take, belong to him. And the other vegetables, which he cannot reach and take, belong to B.

Rabbi Shimon agrees with Rabbi Meir's view, that the vegetables belong to A because they are growing out of his earth. Rabbi Shimon, however, says that A abandons any vegetable that he cannot reach. Since he would have to go through his neighbor's garden in order to pick the vegetables and it would be embarrassing for him to ask his neighbor's permission do so, it is assumed the he gives them to his neighbor.

This is a fascinating Mishna. What vegetables grow in the vertical wall? These are wild vegetables such as garlic or onions. Why would A destroy the vegetables by taking away his earth, if in doing so he ruins his garden? And why would B want to fill his garden with earth if in doing so he ruins his garden too? In their fight they have gone so far as to destroy their own gardens!

Rabbi Shimon reasons with them. He suggests to A, "Instead of ruining something for others, get what is legally yours." Rabbi Shimon continues, "Now that you can take that which is yours, won't you be ashamed of your neighbor? You would have to go and ask his permission to harm him. Will you actually do it?" And A agrees that he will become a friend of B and will leave those vegetables that he cannot reach to B. A and B are friends again.

There is an surprising connection between this Mishna and the story about the cow that kept Shabbos.

There was once a pious man who owned a cow. Every day, he took his cow out to the field and plowed his land. But on Shabbos he stopped his work and let the cow out to pasture, just as it is written in the Torah: "Six days shall you do your work, and on the seventh day, you shall rest so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your maidservant and the stranger be refreshed".

So every Shabbos the cow stayed in the barn or walked about in the farmyard. She ate, drank, and rested the whole day.

But the pious man came upon hard times. He was forced to sell his cow to a gentile neighbor. The owner took the cow away to his farm, and the next morning, he harnessed her to a plow and took her out to work. The cow did not disappoint him. Day after day, she worked hard and faithfully. But on Shabbos, when the new master tried to take her out to the fields, the cow would not move. She lay on the ground motionless. The owner tried to pull her up - but the cow refused to stand. He hit her with a whip, but in vain. The cow would not get up.

Angry and excited, the man ran to the Jew who had sold him the cow and exclaimed, "What kind of animal did you sell me? Take your lazy cow back and return my money!"

The pious man was puzzled. "What happened?" he asked. "I sold you a good, hardworking cow. She never gave me any trouble."

"Come and see for yourself," replied the gentile. "Your cow worked all week. But today, she refused to move. I have pulled her, coaxed her, and beat her; but nothing helps! She refuses to budge!"

The pious man immediately understood what happened. Today was Shabbos. His cow had always rested on Shabbos and she didn't want to work today either!

"Take me to the cow," said the Jewish man. "I will make her work for you."

They went out to the fields and found the cow lying in the grass. The pious man went and whispered in her ear, "Dear cow! When you belonged to me, you were able to rest on the Shabbos day just as I did. But I sold you and your new owner is not Jewish. He works on the Shabbos, and from now on, you will have to work too. Please get up and do whatever your new master tells you do to. Pull his plow on the Shabbos just as you pulled it during the week."

Slowly the cow rose to her feet. She was ready to work. The new owner could hardly believe his eyes.

"Wait a minute," he said. "I won't let you go until you tell me the secret of your power. What did you do to the cow? What did you say to her? Are you a wizard? And what shall I do if the cow refuses to work again next Shabbos?"

The pious Jew answered, "I am neither a magician nor a wizard! I simply told the cow that she no longer belongs to me. Now she must do as her new master bids her. When she was my cow she could rest on the Shabbos, for among the Jews, even animals do not work on the seventh day. But now she belongs to you and she will follow your orders. If you want her to work on the Shabbos, she will work."

But the gentile was troubled. "What about me? he cried. "Am I worse than this animal? The cow cannot think or reason, yet she knew enough to keep the Shabbos, while I, a human being, know nothing about God's commandments!"

He hurried back to the cow and took her back into the barn. From that day on, he accepted the laws of the Torah. He converted, studied and became known by the name of Rabbi Yochanan ben Tortha. Tortha means cow. To this day, we still quote his opinions in the Talmud.

The connection comes from what I learned about reincarnation in the book "Gilgulei Neshamot." It says there that the cow in this story was a reincarnation of Queen Vashti from Meggilat Esther and the gentile was King Ahashverosh. Vashti used to make Jewish girls work on Shabbos. Now as a cow, she did not work on Shabbos herself, and even brought her owner to become a Jew and a Rabbi.

What do the Mishna and the story about the cow have in common? It is a man, Rabbi Shimon, the major Kabbalist. In the Mishna Rabbi Shimon appears directly. In the story about the righteous man and the cow Rabbi Shimon is hidden. However, we know that Rabbi Shimon authored the major book about the Kabbalah, the Zohar. This book was later explained by the Arizal, and the students of Arizal explained the reincarnations of Vashti and Ahashverosh. It shows us that on the deeper level the arguments are resolved and peace is restored.

THANK YOU everybody for coming to celebrate my bat-mitzvah, and to all the wonderful people who made this Simcha possible.

Shabbat Shalom!