Bava Batra 176

וחייב להכריע לו טפח היה שוקל לו עין בעין נותן לו גירומין אחד לעשרה בלח ואחד לעשרים ביבש

AND [A SHOPKEEPER] MUST ALLOW [THE PROVISION SCALE] TO SINK A HANDBREADTH [LOWER THAN THE SCALE OF THE WEIGHTS].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., overweight must be allowed to the customer. ');">¹</span> [IF] HE GAVE HIM THE EXACT WEIGHT<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where it is not the usage to allow overweight. ');">²</span> HE MUST ALLOW HIM THE [FOLLOWING] ADDITIONS,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] (from [H], 'to drag along'), surplus weight or measure which in certain localities shopkeepers allow to their customers. ');">³</span>

מקום שנהגו למוד בדקה לא ימוד בגסה בגסה לא ימוד בדקה למחוק לא יגדוש לגדוש לא ימחוק:

A TENTH<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is explained in the Gemara, infra. ');">⁴</span> IN [THE CASE OF] LIQUIDS AND A TWENTIETH IN [THE CASE OF] DRY [PROVISIONS]. WHERE THE USAGE IS TO MEASURE WITH A SMALL [UNIT], ONE MUST NOT USE A BIG MEASURE; [IF THE USAGE IS TO MEASURE] WITH A BIG [UNIT], ONE MUST NOT USE A SMALL MEASURE. [IF THE USAGE IS] TO STRIKE [THE MEASURE],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By removing what is above the level of its top. ');">⁵</span> [ONE MUST] NOT HEAP [IT UP]. [IF THE USAGE IS] TO HEAP [IT UP], ONE MUST NOT STRIKE IT.

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מנהני מילי אמר ר"ל דאמר קרא (דברים כה, טו) אבן שלמה וצדק צדק משלך ותן לו א"ה אימא סיפא היה שוקל לו עין בעין נותן לו גירומין ואי הכרעה דאורייתא היכי יהיב ליה עין בעין

<b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Whence [is] this law<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'these words', the law that the scale must be allowed to sink a handbreadth. ');">⁶</span> [to be inferred]? — Resh Lakish said: Scripture Says: A perfect and just measure [shalt thou have].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 15. ');">⁷</span> [This means], make [your weight] just<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There was no need for Scripture to say 'just', when 'perfect' had already been mentioned. But it teaches that 'perfection' alone is not enough. One must also be 'just' by adding to the 'perfect weight' and, similarly, to the measure. ');">⁸</span>

אלא רישא במקום שנהגו וכי איתמר דר"ל אסיפא איתמר היה שוקל לו עין בעין נותן לו גירומין מנהני מילי אמר ר"ל דאמר קרא וצדק צדק משלך ותן לו וכמה גירומין א"ר אבא בר ממל אמר רב אחד מעשרה בליטרא בלח לעשרה ליטרין:

by giving of your own. If so,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the law of adding to weights is not merely Rabbinical, but pentateuchal. ');">⁹</span> explain the next clause. [It reads]: [IF] HE GAVE HIM THE EXACT WEIGHT, HE MUST ALLOW HIM THE [FOLLOWING] ADDITIONS. Now, if giving overweight is a Pentateuchal injunction, how is [he allowed] to give him the exact weight [only]? — But, [came the reply], the earlier clause<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Requiring the giving of a certain amount of overweight by allowing the provision scale to sink a handbreadth etc. ');">¹⁰</span> [is not based on a Pentateuchal injunction, but speaks] of a place where there was the practice [of giving overweight],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Wherever there exists such a practice, that clause teaches, the scale must be allowed to sink a handbreadth. ');">¹¹</span>

אחד לעשרה בלח ואחד לעשרים ביבש וכו': איבעיא להו היכי קאמר אחד מעשרה בלח לעשרה דלח ואחד מעשרים ביבש לעשרים דיבש או דלמא אחד מעשרה לעשרה דלח ולעשרים דיבש תיקו

and the statement of Resh Lakish has been made with reference to [what has been said, not in the earlier, but in] the latter clause, which reads, [IF] HE GAVE HIM THE EXACT WEIGHT, HE MUST ALLOW HIM THE [FOLLOWING] ADDITIONS [and with reference to this it has been asked], 'Whence [is] this law'? — [And] Resh Lakish said: Scripture says: and just,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. ibid. ');">¹²</span> [which means], make [your weight] just, by giving him of your own. And how much must be added to the weight? — R. Abba b. Memel said in the name of Rab: In [the case of] liquids, a tenth of a pound<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. litra, [G], the Roman libra. ');">¹³</span> for [every] ten pounds.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra. ');">¹⁴</span>

א"ר לוי קשה עונשן של מדות יותר מעונשן של עריות שזה נאמר בהן (ויקרא יח, כד) אל וזה נאמר בהן (דברים כה, טז) אלה ומאי משמע דהאי אל קשה הוא דכתיב (יחזקאל יז, יג) ואת אילי הארץ לקח

A TENTH IN [THE CASE OF] LIQUIDS, AND A TWENTIETH IN [THE CASE OF] DRY, etc. The question was raised: Does this mean, a tenth of the [unit of the] liquids for [every] ten [units] of the liquid, and a twentieth of [the unit of] dry [provisions] for [every] twenty [units] of dry; or [does it], perhaps, [mean] a tenth [of the unit] for [every] ten [units] of liquid and [a tenth of the unit] for [every] twenty [units] of dry [provisions]? — The matter stands undecided.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. s.v. Teko. ');">¹⁵</span> R. Levi said:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Yeb. 21a. ');">¹⁶</span> The punishment for [false] measures is more rigorous than that for [marrying] forbidden relatives;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XVIII, 6ff. ');">¹⁷</span>

גבי עריות נמי הכתיב אלה ההוא למעוטי מדות מכרת

for in the latter case<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit. 'this'. ');">¹⁸</span> it has been said: El,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XVIII, 27. V. following note. ');">¹⁹</span> but in the former<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit. 'this'. ');">¹⁸</span>

ואלא מאי עודפייהו דהתם אפשר בתשובה והכא לא אפשר בתשובה

Eleh.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 16. El and Eleh, [H], [H] have the same meaning, viz. 'these', but the additional eh at the end of the word is taken to imply additional punishment. ');">²⁰</span> Whence can it be shown that El [implies] rigor[ous punishment]? — For it is written: And the mighty [Elei] of the land he took away.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XVII, 13. ');">²¹</span> Is not Eleh written also in the case of forbidden relatives?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. Ibid. 29. ');">²²</span>

וא"ר לוי קשה גזל הדיוט יותר מגזל גבוה שזה הקדים חטא למעילה וזה הקדים מעילה לחטא

— That [Eleh has been written] to exclude<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the expression of 'abomination' has been applied by the Pentateuchal text to both false measures and forbidden relatives, it might have been thought that the sin of the former is subject to kareth as the latter. Hence the need for the excluding word. ');">²³</span> [the sin of false] measures from the punishment of <i>kareth</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Kareth, [H] (root [H], to cut off'); premature death, at fifty (kareth of years); or sudden death (kareth of days). ');">²⁴</span> [In] what [respect], then are [the punishments for giving false measures] greater<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since it has been said that the punishment of kareth is inflicted only for the sin of marrying forbidden relatives and not for that of false measures. ');">²⁵</span>

ואמר רבי לוי בוא וראה שלא כמדת הקב"ה מדת בשר ודם הקב"ה ברך ישראל בעשרים ושתים וקללן בשמנה ברכן בעשרים ושתים (ויקרא כו, ג) מאם בחקותי עד קוממיות

[than those for marrying forbidden relatives]? — There,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Forbidden relatives. ');">²⁶</span> repentance is possible, but here,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' False measures. ');">²⁷</span> repentance is impossible.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' One cannot remedy the sin of robbery, by mere repentance. The return of the things robbed must precede it. In the case of false measures, it is practically impossible to find out all the members of the public that have been defrauded. ');">²⁸</span>

וקללן בשמונה (ויקרא כו, טו) מואם בחקותי תמאסו עד ואת חקותי געלה נפשם

R. Levi further stated: Ordinary<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'private' or 'individual'. One of the meanings of yuhsj, 'a person in private station', 'layman.' Opposite to one of rank or profession. ');">²⁹</span> robbery is worse than the robbery of holy things,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., '(Most) High'. ');">³⁰</span> for [in] the former<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'this'. ');">³¹</span>

ואילו משה רבינו ברכן בשמונה וקללן בעשרים ושתים ברכן בשמונה

[case] 'sin' is placed before 'trespass'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Biblical text relating to ordinary robbery reads, If any one sin, and commit a trespass (Lev. V, 21), thus implying that the mere intention or commencement of the crime, even though the trespass had not yet been committed, is already called 'sin'. ');">³²</span> while in the latter, 'trespass' is mentioned before 'sin'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In speaking of the robbery of holy things the Bible reads, If any one commit a trespass and sin through error (Lev. V, 15). Thus implying that one is not guilty of 'sin' until after he has committed the 'trespass'. ');">³³</span> R. Levi further stated: Come and see [how] divine<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the Holy One, blessed be He'. ');">³⁴</span> disposition differs from that of mortals.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit.. 'flesh and blood'. ');">³⁵</span> The Holy One, blessed be He, blessed Israel with twenty-two [letters]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The passage of the blessings begins with the first, and finishes with the last letter of the alphabet. (Aleph ([H]) — Taw ([H]).) ');">³⁶</span> and cursed them [only] with eight.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The section of the curses begins with Waw ([H]) and finishes with Mem ([H]) (Sixth, to thirteenth letter of the alphabet = eight). ');">³⁷</span> He blessed them with twenty-two, from If [ye walk] in My statutes<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXVI, 3. It begins with [H] ');">³⁸</span> to [made you go] upright;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid, v. 13, ends with [H] ');">³⁹</span> and He cursed them with eight, from And if ye shall reject My statutes<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid, v. 15. beginning with [H] ');">⁴⁰</span> to And their soul abhorred My statutes.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. v. 43. ends with [H] ');">⁴¹</span> But Moses our teacher blessed them with eight and cursed them with twenty-two. He blessed them with eight,