Bava Batra 175

Chapter 175

א כגון שנטלה למוד בה וכדרבה דאמר רבה הכישה נתחייב בה
1 such as where [the shopkeeper] took [the bottle]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Brought by the child. According to their explanation, neither of the parties sells bottles. ');"><sup>1</sup></span> to measure with it, [and by this action,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By taking the bottle from the child, he becomes responsible for its safety, until it has been returned to its owner. Cf. 358, n. 5. ');"><sup>2</sup></span> he becomes responsible] In accordance with [a decision of] Rabbah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But in the case where the shopkeeper did not take hold of the bottle, (as in the first clause of our Mishnah), the Rabbis rightly agree with R. Judah. ');"><sup>3</sup></span>
ב אימור דאמר רבה בבעלי חיים דאנקטינהו ניגרא ברייתא כי האי גונא מי אמר
2 For Rabbah said:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' B.M. 30b. ');"><sup>4</sup></span> [If] he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though an old, or eminent man, who is not obliged to take the trouble of returning a lost thing. ');"><sup>5</sup></span> struck [a lost animal], he assumed [thereby] the obligation of [returning] it [to its owner].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By striking the animal and thus causing it to move, responsibility for its safe return is assumed until it is delivered to its owner; so, in the case of the bottle, the act of grasping it throws responsibility for its safe return to its owner, on the shopkeeper. ');"><sup>6</sup></span>
ג אלא אמר רבא אני וארי שבחבורה תרגימנוה ומנו ר' זירא הכא במאי עסקינן כגון שנטלה למוד בה לאחרים
3 Might it not be suggested that Rabbah said [so, only] in [the case of] living beings, because he [who strikes them] assists<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit. 'makes them take the track of the fields' or 'the external step'. By striking the animal, he causes it to run away still farther. ');"><sup>7</sup></span> in their running away.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Therefore he incurs the obligation of ensuring their safe return to their owners. ');"><sup>8</sup></span> Would he, [however], have said [so in] such a case as this?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the grasping of the bottle, where no possible loss to its owner is involved. ');"><sup>9</sup></span>
ד ובשואל שלא מדעת קא מיפלגי מר סבר שואל הוי ומר סבר גזלן הוי
4 — But, said Raba, I and the lion of the college — who is R. Zera — have interpreted this [as follows]: We deal here with a case where [the shopkeeper] took [the bottle] to use it as a measure for others;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., other customers. ');"><sup>10</sup></span> and the dispute [between the Rabbis and R. Judah] is [dependent] on [their respective opinions as to the legal status of] one who borrows without the knowledge [of the owner].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. B.M. 41a, 43b. ');"><sup>11</sup></span> One<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Judah. ');"><sup>12</sup></span>
ה גופא אמר שמואל הנוטל כלי מן האומן לבקרו ונאנס בידו חייב והני מילי הוא דקיצי דמיה
5 is of the opinion [that such a person] is [legally considered] a borrower,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The shopkeeper, therefore, is absolved from all responsibility as soon as he returns the bottle to the child from whom he has borrowed it. ');"><sup>13</sup></span> and the others<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Rabbis. ');"><sup>14</sup></span> are of the opinion [that] he is a robber.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who remains responsible until the object (in this case, the bottle), is returned to the owner himself (Cf. B.K. 118a). ');"><sup>15</sup></span>
ו ההוא גברא דעל לבי טבחא אגבה אטמא דבישרא בהדי דקא אגבה אתא פרשא מרמא מיניה אתא לקמיה דרב יימר חייביה לשלומי דמיה והני מילי הוא דקיצי דמיה
6 Reverting to the above text. Samuel said: 'He who takes a vessel from the artisan to examine it, and an accident happened [while it was] in his hand, is liable'. This law<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'these words'. ');"><sup>16</sup></span> [applies only to the case] where the price had been fixed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the price was known, it is assumed that the buyer had picked up the vessel with the intention of acquiring possession, if no defect should be detected. ');"><sup>17</sup></span> Once a person entered a butcher's shop [and] lifted up a thigh of the meat.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To examine its quality. ');"><sup>18</sup></span>
ז ההוא גברא דאייתי קארי לפום נהרא אתו כולי עלמא שקול קרא קרא אמר להו הרי הן מוקדשין לשמים
7 A rider came while he was holding it up [and] snatched it away from him. He<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The man. ');"><sup>19</sup></span> came before R. Yemar [who] ordered him to pay its price. But this law<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. n. 1. ');"><sup>20</sup></span> is [applicable only to the case] where the price has been fixed.
ח אתו לקמיה דרב כהנא אמר להו אין אדם מקדיש דבר שאינו שלו וה"מ הוא דקיצי דמייהו אבל לא קיצי דמייהו ברשות מרייהו קיימי ושפיר אקדיש
8 A person once brought pumpkins to Pum Nahara,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'rivermouth'. Name of a town on the Tigris. ');"><sup>21</sup></span> [when] a crowd<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'all the world'. ');"><sup>22</sup></span> assembled [and] everyone took<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With the intention of buying. ');"><sup>23</sup></span>
ט ת"ר הלוקח ירק מן השוק ובירר והניח אפילו כל היום כולו לא קנה ולא נתחייב במעשר
9 a pumpkin.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Everyone&nbsp;… pumpkin'. lit., 'pumpkin, pumpkin'. ');"><sup>24</sup></span> He called out to them,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Fearing that some might get away without paying. ');"><sup>25</sup></span> 'Behold these are dedicated to God'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'heaven'. ');"><sup>26</sup></span>
י גמר בלבו לקנותו קנה ונתחייב במעשר להחזירו אי אפשר שכבר נתחייב במעשר ולעשרו א"א שכבר מפחיתן בדמים הא כיצד מעשרו ונותן לו דמי מעשר
10 [When] they [the buyers] came before R. Kahana he said unto them: No one may dedicate a thing which is not his. But this [applies only to the case] where the price is fixed, but [when] the price is not fixed, they remain in the possession of their owner who may rightly dedicate them. Our Rabbis taught: A person, [who comes] to buy herbs in the market, and picks out and puts down, even all day long, does not acquire possession [of the herb] nor does he become liable to give [its] tithe. [If] he has made up his mind to buy it, he acquires possession and becomes liable to give the tithe. [If he desires to withdraw,] he cannot return it [to the seller], for it has become liable to the tithe;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And no one who observes the law must allow any produce to leave him before duly separating the priestly and Levitical gifts. ');"><sup>27</sup></span> and he cannot tithe it [before returning] because he would thereby reduce their value.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The separation of the tithe would reduce the quantity and, consequently, also the value. ');"><sup>28</sup></span>
יא אטו משום דגמר בלבו לקנות קנה ונתחייב במעשר אמר רב הושעיא הכא בירא שמים עסקינן כגון רב ספרא דקיים בנפשיה (תהלים טו, ב) ודובר אמת בלבבו:
11 How then [is he to proceed]? — He gives the tithe and [returning the remainder] pays [to the seller] the price of the tithe. Does one, then, acquire possession and become liable to give tithe because he has made up his mind to buy? — R. Hoshaia replied: We deal here with [the case of] a God-fearing man like R. Safra,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Mak. 241. ');"><sup>29</sup></span> for instance, who applied to himself, And speaketh truth in his heart.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XV, 2. Once he made up his mind to do something he did not withdraw from it though that involved him in a loss. ');"><sup>30</sup></span> <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. A WHOLESALE DEALER<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. Siton, cf. [G] 'wheat', 'corn'; gen. 'food', 'victuals'. [G], 'a buyer of corn', corn merchant'. Gen. 'provision dealer'. From the Gemara, it will be seen that a dealer in sticky, and oily liquids, such as wine and oil, which cling to the sides of the measures, is here the subject of the discussion. ');"><sup>31</sup></span>
יב <big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> הסיטון מקנח מדותיו אחד לשלשים יום ובעל הבית אחד לשנים עשר חדש רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר חילוף הדברים
12 MUST CLEAN<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To remove any wine or oil that clings to the measures and reduces their capacity. The cleansing is in the interest of the customers to enable them to receive full measure. ');"><sup>32</sup></span> HIS MEASURES ONCE IN THIRTY DAYS, AND A PRODUCER<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'owner of the house'. One who sells his own products. ');"><sup>33</sup></span> ONCE IN TWELVE MONTHS.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The number of his customers being smaller than those of the wholesale dealer, he uses his measures less frequently, and, consequently, there is less stickiness, and less cleansing is required. ');"><sup>34</sup></span>
יג חנווני מקנח מדותיו פעמים בשבת וממחה משקלותיו פעם אחת בשבת ומקנח מאזנים על כל משקל ומשקל אמר רשב"ג במה דברים אמורים בלח אבל ביבש אינו צריך
13 R. SIMEON B. GAMALIEL SAYS: THE STATEMENT IS TO BE REVERSED.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus: The producer must cleanse once in thirty days and the wholesale dealer only once in twelve months. The measures of the latter, being in frequent use, do not allow of the accumulation of so much stickiness as do those of the producer who uses his less frequently. ');"><sup>35</sup></span> A SHOPKEEPER MUST CLEAN HIS MEASURES TWICE A WEEK,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The measures of a shopkeeper who is not obliged to allow three drops to fall from his measures after every sale (supra 87a), accumulate much more of the oily and sticky substances than do those of a wholesaler or a producer. ');"><sup>36</sup></span> WIPE HIS WEIGHTS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Wherewith meat and similar moist foodstuffs are weighed. ');"><sup>37</sup></span> ONCE A WEEK AND CLEANSE THE SCALES AFTER EVERY WEIGHING.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The cavity of the scales is better ground for the accumulation of moist substances than the flat surfaces of the weights. Hence more frequent cleaning is required. ');"><sup>38</sup></span> R. SIMEON B. GAMALIEL SAID: THESE LAWS APPLY ONLY TO MOIST<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., wine, meat. ');"><sup>39</sup></span> [COMMODITIES], BUT IN [THE CASE OF] DRY [ONES]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Such as fruit. ');"><sup>40</sup></span> THERE IS NO NEED [FOR THE CLEANING].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since these do not stick to the measures or weights. ');"><sup>41</sup></span>
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