Study Bava Metzia folio 85B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
was stated by the rabbis, i.e., the wise man mentioned in the verse, and yet they could not explain it. It was stated by the prophets, i.e., those to whom the mouth of YHWH has spoken, and yet they could not explain it, until God Himself explained it, as it is stated in the next verse: “And YHWH
Rav Ḥama says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “In the heart of him that has discernment wisdom rests; but in the inward part of fools it makes itself known” (Proverbs 14:33)? “In the heart of him who has discernment wisdom rests”; this is a Torah scholar, son of a Torah scholar. “But
R' Yirmeya said to R' Zeira: What is the meaning of that which is written with regard to the World-to-Come: “The humble and great are there; and the servant is free from his master” (Job 3:19)? Is that to say that we do not know that the humble and the great are there in the World-to-Come? Rather,
§ The Talmud continues discussing the greatness of the rabbis. Reish Lakish was demarcating burial caves of the rabbis. When he arrived at the cave of R' Ḥiyya, the precise location of his grave eluded him. Reish Lakish became distressed, as he was apparently unworthy of finding the grave. He sai
The Talmud relates: When R' Ḥanina and R' Ḥiyya would debate matters of Torah, R' Ḥanina would say to R' Ḥiyya: Do you think you can debate with me? Heaven forbid! If the Torah were forgotten from the Jewish people, I could restore it with my powers of analysis and intellectual acumen. R' Ḥiyya sai