what is "the middle gate" ?

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"The middle gate" is the English translation of “Bava Metzia”, which is the title of the thirteenth volume of the Babylonian Talmud (Gemara). The Talmud is a primary source for Jewish law, ethics, and traditions, as it explains the specifics of what the Torah (the Hebrew Bible) requires of us.

The Gemara records conversations, debates, and stories that explain the rulings of the Mishnah, the oral partner to the written Torah.  The Talmud was written down about 1600 years ago, but existed in oral form for over a thousand years.   There are some Mishnaot (the plural of "Mishnah") that are unchanged from the time of Moses, who lived 3200 years ago.

Bava Metzia is called the middle gate since it comes after Bava Kama "the first gate" and Bava Batra "the final gate".  Bava Kama mainly discusses damages and restitution (torts in modern legal parlance) while Bava Batra contains property law and inheritance.  These three volumes together are referred to as the Order of Nezikin (damages).

Bava Metzia generally is about laws that apply between people in the context of doing business.  For example, Bava Metzia describes laws related to returning lost objects, hiring and paying workers, making acquisitions and using credit, contracts, futures, and interest payments, and the responsibilities of a person guarding the property of another.

As with any volume of the Talmud, Bava Metzia is much more than a law tome.  The legal rulings and traditions contain many profound concepts that guide interpersonal interactions every day.  Some of these are give explicit guidance or examples, while other concepts are hidden within complex legal standards. Bava Metzia also contains some crucial passages which reveal the nature of the relationship our Creator has with us.


Our Torah is called “Torat Haim” literally “instructions for living”. Many elements which may seem simple have a deeper content or theme which we can apply to our life to enhance the way we live every day. I have chosen, with the help of our Creator, to study Bava Metzia with the goal of bringing some of these concepts to a wider audience.