Lexie Botzum

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Sanhedrin 29 | My Jewish Learning

Jan 14, 2025 | myjewishlearning.com | Lexie Botzum

The mishnah on 27b began by listing all the relatives who are disqualified to testify in a case and concluded with this dispute between Rabbi Yehuda and the rabbis:One who loves or one who hates one of the litigants is also disqualified. One who loves — this is referring to his groomsman. One who hates — this is referring to anyone who, out of enmity, did not speak with the litigant for three days.
Sanhedrin 27 | My Jewish Learning

Jan 13, 2025 | myjewishlearning.com | Lexie Botzum

For the last several pages, the Gemara has been exploring the laws of witnesses who are disqualified from giving testimony. At the top of today’s daf, the Gemara brings a dispute with regard to edim zomemim, or conspiring witnesses. The case of conspiring witnesses is a very specific one. It isn’t simply that two sets of witnesses give contradictory testimony, but rather that one set of witnesses testifies that another set of witnesses could not have truthfully given the testimony they did.
Sanhedrin 20 | My Jewish Learning

Jan 6, 2025 | myjewishlearning.com | Lexie Botzum

The second chapter of Sanhedrin is primarily focused on the rules pertaining to a king: his rights and obligations and, especially, his unique position in the legal system. On balance, the mishnahs of this chapter (all written by the tannaim, of course), paint a portrait of a relatively unfettered king with few checks on his power. In the Gemara’s discussion, however, some of the amoraim challenge the extent of the king’s power.
Bava Batra 163 | My Jewish Learning

Dec 3, 2024 | myjewishlearning.com | Lexie Botzum

On yesterday’s daf, we established that any document with two or more blank lines between the end of the text and the witnesses’ signatures is invalid. The Gemara on today’s daf, in typical fashion, demands clarification:A dilemma was raised before the sages: With regard to the two blank lines, which the sages said invalidates the document, does this refer to the lines with the space between lines added? Or is it perhaps without their spaces?
Bava Batra 162 | My Jewish Learning

Dec 3, 2024 | myjewishlearning.com | Lexie Botzum

Preventing forgeries has been a concern as long as there have been legal documents. On today’s daf, we learn two new stipulations for a kosher document that are designed to prevent fraud:Rav Yitzhak bar Yosef says that Rabbi Yohanan says: For any erasures, the scribe must write at the end of the document: “And this is their verification.”And the scribe must review some of the details of the document in the final line. What is the reason for this?
Bava Batra 158 | My Jewish Learning

Nov 29, 2024 | myjewishlearning.com | Lexie Botzum

Today’s daf continues to examine cases where two people die in quick succession, and it’s unknown who died first. In such cases, what do we do with their property, whose division will vary depending on the order of their deaths? The first several mishnahs examining this question contained a dispute between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel.
Bava Batra 150 | My Jewish Learning

Nov 21, 2024 | myjewishlearning.com | Lexie Botzum

When someone gifts their “movable property” questions might arise about which items are included. The Gemara today notes that the precise phrasing of the gift can also affect the meaning:It is obvious that if one said: “I give my movable property (metaltalai) to So-and-so,” — then that person acquires all of his utensils, excluding his wheat and barley.
Bava Batra 145 | My Jewish Learning

Nov 15, 2024 | myjewishlearning.com | Lexie Botzum

A mishnah on yesterday’s daf continued the discussion of what monetary obligations and rewards are received individually by inheriting brothers and which are split evenly amongst them by examining the case of the shoshbinut, or groomsmen’s gift. Commentators explain that it was common practice for a groomsman (or his father) to contribute to the wedding feast, with the understanding that the groom would reciprocate when his friend got married.
Bava Batra 143 | My Jewish Learning

Nov 14, 2024 | myjewishlearning.com | Lexie Botzum

On today’s daf, the Gemara relates another incident of a man verbally bequeathing his inheritance:There was a certain man who said to his wife: “My property is given to you and to your sons.” Rav Yosef says: The wife acquires half of the property. And Rav Yosef said: From where do I say this?
Bava Batra 140 | My Jewish Learning

Nov 13, 2024 | myjewishlearning.com | Lexie Botzum

At the end of yesterday’s daf we began a new chapter which begins by examining how different children are sustained from a deceased’s property. The mishnah states:One who died and left behind both sons and daughters: When the estate is large, the sons inherit the estate and the daughters are provided with sustenance. When the estate is small, the daughters are provided with sustenance. And if the sons (cannot support themselves), they go and request charity at the doors.