Study Bava Metzia folio 86B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
he has increased his obligation to them, since if he had meant to give them no more than the accepted amount, he would not have made any stipulation at all. The Mishnah then continues: And there is also a supporting incident involving R' Yoḥanan ben Matya, who said to his son: Go out and hire labor
The Talmud asks: Is this to say that the feast of Abraham, our forefather, was superior to that of King Solomon? But isn’t it written: “And Solomon’s provision for one day was 30 measures of fine flour, and 60 measures of meal; 10 fat oxen, and 20 oxen out of the pastures, and 100 sheep, beside hart
And R' Yitzḥak further says: King Solomon had 1,000 wives, each one of whom would prepare for him at her home a feast of such proportions. What is the reason that they did this? This wife reasoned: Perhaps he will feast with me today, and that wife reasoned: Perhaps he will feast with me today. But
The Talmud answers: There, with regard to Abraham, he prepared 3 oxen for 3 people, whereas here, in the case of Solomon, his wives would prepare a feast for the entire realms of Israel and Judah, as it is stated: “Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating a
With regard to the verse cited in relation to King Solomon, the Talmud asks: What is the meaning of the term “fatted fowl [avusim]”? Rav says: It means that they are fed [ovsim] by force. Shmuel says: It means that they were fattened [avusim] and maintained on their own accord, i.e., they were na