Bava Batra

in the name of R. Akiba b. Joseph.  Said R. Ashi: What is there strange in this? perhaps in this matter he was born under the same star. No, said R. Ashi; the proof is that a great man makes a statement and then it is found that the same rule was a halachah communicated to Moses at Mount Sinai. But perhaps the wise man was no better than a blind man groping his way through a window?  — And does he not give reasons [for his opinions]? R. Johanan said: Since the Temple was destroyed, prophecy has been taken from prophets and given to fools and children. How given to fools? — The case of Mar son of R. Ashi will illustrate. He was one day standing in the manor of Mahuza  when he heard a certain lunatic exclaim: The man who is to be elected head of the Academy in Matha Mehasia  signs his name Tabiumi. He said to himself: Who among the Rabbis signs his name Tabiumi? I do. This seems to show that my lucky time has come. So he quickly went to Matha Mehasia. When he arrived, he found that the Rabbis had voted to appoint R. Aha of Difti as their head. When they heard of his arrival, they sent a couple of Rabbis to him to consult him.  He detained them with him, and they sent another couple of Rabbis. He detained these also, [and so it went on] until the number reached ten. When ten were assembled, he began to discourse and expound the Oral Law and the Scriptures, [having waited so long] because a public discourse  [on them] should not be commenced if the audience is less than ten. R. Aha  applied to himself the saying: If a man is in disfavour [with Heaven] he does not readily come into favour, and if a man is in favour he does not readily fall into disfavour. How has prophecy been given to children? A case in point is that of the daughter of R. Hisda. She was sitting on her father's lap, and in front of him were sitting Raba and Rami b. Hama. He said to her: Which of them would you like? She replied: Both. Whereupon Raba said: And let me be the second. R. Abdimi from Haifa said: Before a man eats and drinks he has two hearts,  but after he eats and drinks he has only one heart, as it says, A hollow [nabub] man is two-hearted,  the word nabub occurring also in the text nebub luhoth,  which we translate 'hollow with planks'. R. Huna the son of R. Joshua said: If a man is a wine drinker, even though his heart  is closed like a virgin, the wine opens  it, as it is said: New wine shall make open out [yenobeb] the maids. R. Huna the son of R. Joshua said: That the portion [of a field assigned to a first-born]  as a first-born and the portion assigned to him as an ordinary son should be contiguous goes without saying. What is the rule in the case of a brother-in-law?  — Abaye replied: It is just the same. Why so? Because the Divine Law calls him 'first-born'.  Raba, however, said: The text says: And he shall be the first-born: this means that he is regarded as a firstborn, but the assignment is not made to him as to a firstborn. A certain man bought a field adjacent to the estate of his father-in-law.  When they came to divide the latter's estate, he said: Give me my share next to my own field. Rabbah said: This is a case where a man can be compelled not to act after the manner of Sodom.  R. Joseph strongly objected to this, on the ground that the brothers  can say to him: We reckon this field as specially valuable like the property of the family of Mar Marion.  The law follows R. Joseph. If there are two fields  with two channels [running by them],  Rabbah said: This is a case where we can apply the rule that a man can be compelled not to act after the manner of Sodom. R. Joseph strongly objected to this on the ground that sometimes one channel may continue running while the other dries up.  The law follows R. Joseph. If, however, there are two fields adjoining one channel, R. Joseph says that in such a case we do compel a man not to act after the manner of Sodom.  Abaye objected to this strongly on the ground that the one [who has two fields in the middle] can say, I want you to have more metayers.  The law, however, follows R. Joseph; the increase in the number of metayers is not a matter of consequence.