Bava Batra 177

(דברים כח, א) מוהיה אם שמוע תשמע ועד לעבדם וקללן בעשרים ושתים (דברים כח, טו) מוהיה אם לא תשמע עד ואין קונה:

from And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXVIII, 1, begins with Waw, ([H]) [H] ');">¹</span> to to serve them,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. v. 14, ends with Mem, ([H]) [H] (Waw — Mem, eight letters). ');">²</span>

מקום שנהגו למוד בגסה כו': (סימן אין מעיינין ואין גודשין באגרדמין ובליטרא שלשה ועשר נפש משקלות ממחק)

and cursed them with twenty-two, from But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. v. 15, begins with Waw. [H] V. following note. ');">³</span> to And no man shall buy you.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. v. 68. ends with He, [H] The section beginning with the sixth letter of the alphabet (Waw [H]) and ending with the fifth (He, [H]) includes, therefore, all the alphabet. ');">⁴</span>

ת"ר מנין שאין מוחקין במקום שגודשין ואין גודשין במקום שמוחקין ת"ל (דברים כה, טו) איפה שלמה

WHERE THE USAGE IS TO MEASURE WITH A&nbsp;… BIG MEASURE, etc. (Mnemonic: <i>Neither exact weight nor heaped up with market officers and with a pound three and ten </i><smallnefesh< small=""><i>, weights, a thick strike, you shall not do, he shall not do</i>.)<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The mnemonic consists of key words and phrases in the teachings of the Rabbis that follow. ');">⁵</span></smallnefesh<>

ומנין שאם אמר הריני מוחק במקום שגודשין ולפחות לו מן הדמים והריני גודש במקום שמוחקין ולהוסיף לו על הדמים שאין שומעין לו ת"ל (דברים כה, טו) איפה שלמה וצדק יהיה לך

</smallnefesh<> Our Rabbis taught: Whence [may it be inferred] that [the measure] must not be levelled<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even with the consent of the buyer. ');">⁶</span>

ת"ר מנין שאין מעיינין במקום שמכריעין ואין מכריעין במקום שמעיינין ת"ל אבן שלמה

where the practice is to heap it up, and [that] it must not be heaped up<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even with the desire of the seller. ');">⁷</span> where the practice is to level it? — For it has been definitely stated, A perfect&nbsp;… measure.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 25. By deviating from the usual practice the buyer, or the seller, may be the means of defrauding, or misleading others. ');">⁸</span>

ומנין שאם אמר הריני מעיין במקום שמכריעין ולפחות לו מן הדמים והריני מכריע במקום שמעיינין ולהוסיף לו על הדמים שאין שומעין לו ת"ל אבן שלמה וצדק

And whence [may it be inferred] that we are not to listen to one who Says, 'I will level where the practice is to heap up, and reduce the price' or 'I will heap up where they level, and raise the price'? — For it has been definitely stated, A perfect and just measure thou shalt have.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 25. By deviating from the usual practice the buyer, or the seller, may be the means of defrauding, or misleading others. ');">⁸</span> Our Rabbis taught: Whence [is it to be inferred] that the exact weight must not be given where the practice is to allow overweight, and that overweight must not be allowed where the practice is to give the exact weight? — For it has been definitely stated, <i>A perfect weight</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">⁹</span>

אמר רב יהודה מסורא (דברים כה, יד) לא יהיה לך בביתך מה טעם משום איפה ואיפה

And whence [may it be inferred] that we are not to listen to one who says, 'I will give the exact weight where the practice is to allow overweight, and reduce the price', or 'I will allow overweight where they give the exact weight, and raise the price'? — For it has been definitely stated, <i>A perfect and just weight</i>. Rab Judah of Sura said:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Expounded the following verse. ');">¹⁰</span> <i>Thou shalt not have</i> [anything]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Anything of value; i.e., thou wilt be poor. ');">¹¹</span>

לא יהיה לך בכיסך מה טעם משום אבן ואבן אבל אבן שלמה וצדק יהיה לך איפה שלמה וצדק יהיה לך

<i>in thy house</i>;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. v. 14. ');">¹²</span> why? — Because of [thy] <i>diverse measures</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even with the desire of the seller. ');">⁷</span>

ת"ר (לא) יהיה לך מלמד שמעמידין אגרדמין למדות ואין מעמידין אגרדמין לשערים דבי נשיאה אוקימו אגרדמין בין למדות בין לשערים א"ל שמואל לקרנא פוק תני להו מעמידין אגרדמין למדות ואין מעמידין אגרדמין לשערים

<i>Thou shalt not have</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. v. 13. ');">¹³</span> [anything] <i>in thy bag</i>;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., purse. ');">¹⁴</span>

נפק דרש להו מעמידין אגרדמין בין למדות בין לשערים א"ל מה שמך קרנא תיפוק ליה קרנא בעיניה נפקא ליה קרנא בעיניה ואיהו כמאן סבר כי הא דאמר רמי בר חמא א"ר יצחק מעמידין אגרדמין בין למדות בין לשערים מפני הרמאין

why? — Because of [thy] <i>diverse weights</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. v. 13. ');">¹³</span> But [if thou keep] <i>a perfect and just weight, thou shalt have</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. v. 15. ');">¹⁵</span>

ת"ר היה מבקש ממנו ליטרא שוקל לו ליטרא חצי ליטרא שוקל לו חצי ליטרא רביע ליטרא שוקל לו רביע ליטרא מאי קמ"ל דמתקנינן מתקלי עד הכי

[possessions]; [if] <i>a perfect and just measure, thou shalt have</i> [wealth]. Our Rabbis taught: <i>Thou shalt have</i>,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. v. 15. ');">¹⁵</span>

ת"ר היה מבקש ממנו שלשה רבעי ליטרא לא יאמר לו שקול לי שלשה רבעי ליטרא אחת אחת אלא שוקל ליטרא ומניח רביע ליטרא עם הבשר

teaches that market officers<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. [H] cf. [G], 'market commissioner. ');">¹⁶</span> are appointed to [superintend] measures, but no such officers are appointed for [superintending] prices.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In order to allow for free and unfettered competition. ');">¹⁷</span>

ת"ר היה מבקש ממנו עשר ליטרין לא יאמר לו שקול לי אחת אחת והכריע אלא שוקל לו כולן בבת אחת ונותן הכרע אחד לכולן

Those of the Nasi's<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] 'Prince'. Here R. Judah II. ');">¹⁸</span> House appointed market officers to [superintend] both measures and prices. [Thereupon] said Samuel to Karna: Go forth and teach them [the law that] market officers are appointed to [superintend] measures, but no such officers are appointed to [superintend] prices. [But Karna] went forth [and] gave them the [following] exposition: Market officers are appointed to [superintend] both measures and prices. He said unto him: Is your name Karna? Let a horn<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] ');">¹⁹</span>

ת"ר נפש מאזנים תלויה באויר ג' טפחים וגבוהה מן הארץ שלשה טפחים וקנה ומתנא שלה שנים עשר טפחים ושל צמרים ושל זגגין תלויה באויר שני טפחים וגבוהה מן הארץ שני טפחים וקנה ומתנא שלה ט' טפחים

grow out of your eye. A horn,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., a sty (Aruch). ');">²⁰</span> [consequently] grew out of his eye. But whose opinion did he follow? — That voiced by Rami b. Hama in the name of R. Isaac that market officers are appointed to [superintend] both measures and prices, on account of the impostors.

ושל חנווני ושל בעה"ב תלויה באויר טפח וגבוהה מן הארץ טפח וקנה ומתנא שלה ששה טפחים ושל טורטני תלויה באויר שלש אצבעות וגבוהה מן הארץ שלש אצבעות וקנה ומתנא שלה איני יודע

Our Rabbis taught: If one asked him for a pound,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. ');">²¹</span> a pound must be weighed. [If] half a pound, half a pound must be weighed. A quarter of a pound, a quarter of a pound must be weighed. What does this teach us? — That weights must be provided in these [three] denominations.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' These denominations are essential. Any other weights have to be computed from these. ');">²²</span>

ואלא הך קמייתא דמאי

Our Rabbis taught: If he ordered from him three quarters of a pound, he shall not tell him, 'Weigh out for me the three quarters of the pound one by one'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As it is impossible to give the exact weight, the seller would be losing the overweight three times, once with each quarter. ');">²³</span> But a pound weight is laid [on the scale] against a quarter of a pound weight with the meat [on the other scale]. Our Rabbis taught: If he ordered from him ten pounds, he shall not say, 'Weigh out for me each [pound] separately and allow overweight [for each].' But all are weighed together and one overweight is allowed for all of them. Our Rabbis taught: The <i>nefesh</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] the hollow handle in which the tongue of the balance rests. ');">²⁴</span> of a balance<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Big scales, for the weighing of heavy things such as iron and copper, which are suspended from the roof of the house. ');">²⁵</span> must be suspended in the air three handbreadths [removed from the roof from which the balance hangs].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that the beam may have sufficient space in which to move without knocking against the ceiling and impeding the free movement of the scales. ');">²⁶</span> And [the scales must be] three handbreadths above the ground.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To allow for the free movement of the scales and to prevent their knocking against the ground and their consequent re-bounding, which would interfere with proper weighing. ');">²⁷</span> The beam<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To each end of which the ropes are fastened. ');">²⁸</span> and the ropes<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To which the scales are attached. ');">²⁹</span> [must contain a total length of] twelve<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The beam's length must be four handbreadths and that of the two ropes four handbreadths each; total twelve. ');">³⁰</span> handbreadths.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the length of these were less, the scales would not easily move, and small variations in weights could not be detected. ');">³¹</span> [The balances] of wool-dealers and glass-ware dealers [must] be suspended in the air two handbreadths [from the ceiling] and two handbreadths above the ground. Their beams and ropes [must contain a total of] nine handbreadths [in length]. [The balance] of a shopkeeper and of a producer<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 361. n. 5. ');">³²</span> [must] be suspended in the air one handbreadth [from above], and one handbreadth above the ground. The beam and ropes [must be of a total length of] six handbreadths. A gold balance [must] be suspended in the air three fingers from above, and three fingers above the ground. [The length of] its beam and cords I do not know. But what [kind of balance is] that [which has been mentioned] first?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the balances of wool and glass-ware dealers, shopkeepers, producers, and goldsmiths have been specifically mentioned, what kind of balance, then, is the one mentioned first? ');">³³</span> —