Claim Ledger · Thesis · Torah
The Babylonian Talmud (Bava Metzia 59b) applies “it is not in heaven” to rule that a heavenly voice cannot decide a question of law: the decision rests with the sages, by majority.
Provisional · awaiting editorial review. This revision is public and citable, but its references, wording and confidence levels have not yet been verified by an AbrahamMoses editor. It was drafted with AI assistance, as disclosed below. What provisional means
No — regarding what the passage narrates
Awaiting editorial review
Drafted with AI assistance; editorial verification pending.
How far the story licenses rabbinic legislative authority, as opposed to interpretive authority, is debated.
Never combined
Confidence, on separate axes
Levels as proposed in the draft. They have not yet been verified by an editor and may change on review.
Manuscripts of the passage differ in wording, not in the ruling it narrates.
Lexically and syntactically unambiguous; standard lexica and grammars agree.
The claim is about what a text says or means, not about an event, date or document, so external corroboration does not bear on it.
The source states the claim; no inferential step is involved.
Fifth axis
Traditional acceptance
As a report of what the text says, this claim is not disputed between traditions. Disagreement begins with the readings built on it, which are recorded as separate claims.
Witnesses, editions and evidence
| Primary witness | Work | Edition cited |
|---|---|---|
| b. Bava Metzia 59b | Babylonian Talmud, tractate Bava Metzia | Babylonian Talmud, Vilna edition |
Quotations and translations
The claim quotes no translated wording.
Textual variants
No variant bearing on this claim is recorded.
What this claim rests on
Grounded in its witness: as a report of what the text says, it remains supported unless it is set aside directly. Any argument recorded below is what supports it as a reading.
No argument is recorded; the claim is a direct report.
Claims that rest on this one: AM-CLAIM-000219. Reject it in the explorer
Provenance chain
- FindingThe Babylonian Talmud (Bava Metzia 59b) applies “it is not in heaven” to rule that a heavenly voice cannot decide a question of law: the decision rests with the sages, by majority. (Explicit textual proposition.)
- Claims usedNone — the claim is reported directly from its witness.
- Supporting evidenceThe primary witness itself: b. Bava Metzia 59b.
- Primary sourceb. Bava Metzia 59b (Babylonian Talmud, Vilna edition)
- Covenant relationshipsNone recorded.
- Doctrine connectionsAM-DOC-0022 (grounds) — “It is not in heaven.”
- InterpretationsAs a report of what the text says, this is not disputed between traditions. How far the story licenses rabbinic legislative authority, as opposed to interpretive authority, is debated.
- CounterviewsNo counter-model recorded against this claim.
Map connections: AM-DOC-0022 (grounds)
Editorial record and machine involvement
Author: AbrahamMoses editorial (Sagolik)
Reviewers: none recorded — this revision has not been externally reviewed.
Change note: First published.
Drafted with AI assistance
Drafted with AI assistance (Claude, Anthropic) in October 2026 from the cited editions and the published record. References, editions, variants and confidence levels await verification by an AbrahamMoses editor. Verification: pending.
Living record
Revision history
| Revision | Status | Published | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revision 1 | Provisional | 2026-10-14 | First published. |
Cite this claim
Citations point at revision 1, which will never change.