Commentary for Bava Batra 282:1

דתניא המבשרני במה נפטר רחמה של אשתי אם זכר יטול מנה ילדה זכר נוטל מנה אם נקבה מנה ילדה נקבה נוטל מנה ילדה זכר ונקבה אין לו אלא מנה

as it was taught: '[If a person said]: "He who will bring me tidings whereby the womb of my wife was opened, shall receive, if the child be a male, a <i>maneh</i>", [then] if she gave birth to a male he receives a <i>maneh</i>. [If. however.] he said: "[He will receive] a <i>maneh</i> if [he brings 'me tidings that she gave birth to] a female", [then] if she gave birth to a female, he receives a <i>maneh</i>, [and if] she gave birth to a male and a female, he only receives a <i>maneh</i>'. But surely'. he did not speak of a 'male and a female'!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He only spoke of the birth of a male or a female; why then should he give the maneh when twins were born? ');">¹</span> — [This refers to the case] where he also said, 'He shall also receive a <i>maneh</i> if [he brings tidings that] a male and a female [were born]'. What. then. [did he mean] to exclude?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the maneh was promised to the reporter in the case of the birth of a male. a female or twins. i.e.. apparently in all possible cases. what need was there for the father to specify them, at all? It would have been sufficient for him, to say. that he would pay the maneh to him who would report'whereby the womb of my wife was opened'. Since the three apparently possible cases were specified the intention must have been to exclude' some other possible case. ');">²</span>

Explore commentary for Bava Batra 282:1. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.