Commentary for Bava Metzia 88:2
אמר רב אשי כילדותיה מסתברא מדקתני הנחשת קונה את הכסף
R. Ashi said: Reason supports the opinion held in his youth, since it [the Mishnah] teaches: COPPER ACQUIRES SILVER. Now, should you agree that silver ranks as produce vis a vis gold, it is well: hence it states, COPPER ACQUIRES SILVER, to show that though it is accounted as produce in relation to gold, it ranks as money in respect of copper; but should you maintain that silver ranks as money in respect of gold, then [the question arises:] If in relation to gold, which is more valuable, you say that it ranks as money, is it necessary [to state so] in relation to copper, seeing that it is both more valuable and also current?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Ashi thus attempts to prove that the second clause of the Mishnah is more in consonance with the first clause on Rabbi's early view, since on his subsequent opinion the whole of the second clause would be superfluous. Rashi observes that the second clause will be in the form taught to Rabbi by R. Meir his teacher, it being a Talmudic principle that an anonymous Mishnah agrees with R. Meir. Cf. however, Weiss, Dor II, ch. 22. ');"><sup>1</sup></span>
Explore commentary for Bava Metzia 88:2. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.