Commentary for Bava Metzia 211:15

משום דאמר ליה אי הוית חזית לאיתרחושי לך ניסא הוה איתרחיש לך ניסא כר' חנינא בן דוסא דמתיין עיזי דובי בקרנייהו ונימא ליה נהי דלניסא רבה לא הוה חזינא לניסא זוטא

[meaning], years in which the world enjoys harvests.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And this is the verse from which pro rata redemption after two years is deduced ('Ar. 29b). Hence, even if there is a widespread blight in which the whole plain is smitten, yet since some harvests are reaped elsewhere, the year is taken into account. ');">¹³</span> R. Ashi objected before R. Kahana: If so, the seventh should be included in the count, since there are harvests outside Palestine! — The seventh year, replied he, is excluded by royal decree.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., since Scripture forbade sowing in the seventh year, it was specifically excluded from the years of produce; hence is regarded as non-existent. ');">¹⁴</span> Mar Zutra, the son of R. Mari, said to Rabina: If so, the seventh year should not rank for rebate; why then did we learn, He must pay a <i>sela'</i> and a pundion per annum?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Ar. 25a. The reference is to Lev. XXVII, 16-19: And if a Man shall sanctify unto the Lord a field of his possession, then thy estimation shall be according to the seed thereof an homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver. If he sanctify his field from the year of jubilee, accordingly to thy estimation it shall stand. But if he sanctify the field after the jubilee, then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain, even unto the year of jubilee, and it shall be abated from thy estimation. Now, the Mishnah states that according to this reckoning, for every year that remains a sela' and a pundion, which is 1/48th of a sela', is due. This shews that the fifty shekels are divided into 49, the number of years in a jubilee (excluding the jubilee itself). But if the Sabbatical years, not being years of seed, are excluded, there are only 42 years of seed into which the fifty must he divided, which gives almost a sela' and a denar per annum. ');">¹⁵</span> — He replied, There it is different, because it [the seventh year] is fit for fruits to be spread out therein.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., some use can be made of the seventh year, and the Bible did not specify 'years of harvests' in this connection. ');">¹⁶</span> Samuel said: This [sc. that a deduction may be made when there is a widespread epidemic] was taught only if he [the lessee] sowed it [the field], it [the crop] grew and was eaten by grasshoppers;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., blighted. ');">¹⁷</span> but not if he failed to sow it altogether, because he can say to him, 'Had you sown it, the promise, <i>They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,' and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied</i>,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XXXVII, 19. ');">¹⁸</span> would have been fulfilled for me.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Therefore no deduction can he made, notwithstanding the widespread epidemic. ');">¹⁹</span> R. Shesheth raised an objection: If a shepherd, who was guarding his flock, left it and entered the town; and then a wolf came and killed [a sheep], or a lion [came], and tore it to pieces, we do not say, 'Had he been there, he could have saved them,' but judge his strength: if he could have saved them, he is responsible; if not, he is exempt.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 41a. ');">²⁰</span> But why so? Let him say to him, 'Had you been there, the verse, <i>Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear</i>,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Sam. XVII, 36. ');">²¹</span> would have been fulfilled for me!' — Because he can answer, 'Had you been worthy that a miracle should happen on your behalf, it would have happened, as in the case of R. Hanina b. Dosa, whose goats brought in bears by their horns.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Complaints being made that his goats were damaging the crops, he exclaimed, 'If it be so, let bears devour them; if not, let them capture bears and bring them in by their horns.' In the evening his goats came in, drawing the bears by their horns! V. Ta'an. 25a. ');">²²</span> But cannot he reply, 'Granted that I am not worthy of a great miracle,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That my flock should be saved even in your absence. ');">²³</span> yet am I worthy of a minor one!'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That it should be saved through your presence. ');">²⁴</span>

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