Bava Batra 187

נותן לו דמי חטין

he must pay him [for it] the price<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because the seller is entitled to include a pebble in the weight of his wheat and to receive for it the price of the wheat; but is not permitted to put in a pebble. ');">¹</span> of wheat!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This shows that sandy matter, such as a pebble is, must also be accepted by the buyer. How, then, can it be said that sandy matter need not be accepted? ');">²</span>

קטנית רובע עפרורית פחות מרובע

— [Of] pulse. a quarter<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As R. Kattina said. ');">³</span> [of a <i>kab</i> must be accepted; of] sandy matter less<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But a full quarter need not be accepted. ');">⁴</span>

ועפרורית רובע לא והא תניא המוכר פירות לחברו חטין מקבל עליו רובע קטנית לסאה שעורים מקבל עליו רובע נישובת לסאה עדשים מקבל עליו רובע עפרורית לסאה

than a quarter. And [need he] not [accept] a [full] quarter [of a <i>kab</i> of] sandy matter? Surely it has been taught: [If] one sells fruit to another, [the buyer] must accept, [in the case of] wheat, a quarter [of a Lab of] pulse<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Pulse usually grows among the wheat. ');">⁵</span> for [each] <i>se'ah</i>; [in the case of] barley, he must accept a quarter [of a <i>kab</i> of] chaff<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Chaff cannot be entirely separated from the barley. ');">⁶</span>

מאי לאו הוא הדין לחטים ולשעורין שאני עדשים דמיעקר עקרי להו

for [each] <i>se'ah</i>; [in the case of] lentils, he must accept a quarter [of a <i>kab</i> of] sandy matter<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sandy matter is usually mixed up with lentils. ');">⁷</span> for [each] <i>se'ah</i>. Now, may it not be assumed that the same law<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That a quarter of a kab of sandy matter must be accepted by the buyer. ');">⁸</span>

אלא טעמא דעדשים דמיעקר עקרי להו אבל חטי ושערי לא תפשוט מינה חטי ושערי דעפרורית לא מקבל

[applies not only to lentils but also] to wheat and to barley?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is assumed that sandy matter was mentioned in the case of lentils because it is usual to find it there just as pulse. e.g.. was mentioned with wheat with which it is usually mixed up; but that in reality the buyer must accept a quarter of a kab of sandy matter, or any refuse, in whatever kind of produce it is found. ');">⁹</span> Lentils are different [from wheat and barley], because they are usually plucked.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And more sandy matter must, therefore, be expected. ');">¹⁰</span>

לעולם חטי ושערי מקבל עפרורית עדשים איצטריכא ליה דסלקא דעתך אמינא כיון דמיעקר עקרי להו יותר מרובע נמי לקבל קא משמע לן

But [since] the reason why lentils [are allowed a full quarter of a <i>kab</i> of sandy matter is] because they are usually plucked while wheat and barley [are] not, infer [then] from this, [that in the case of] wheat and barley [the buyer need] not accept [a full quarter of a <i>kab</i>] of sandy matter!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which would confirm the answer given above, in justification of R. Kattina, that of sandy matter, 'less than a quarter'. ');">¹¹</span> — [It may be retorted that a buyer], in fact, must accept [a full quarter of a <i>kab</i> of] sandy matter [in the case also of] wheat and barley<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The same quantity as that stated in the case of lentils. ');">¹²</span>

אמר רב הונא אם בא לנפות מנפה את כולו אמרי לה דינא ואמרי לה קנסא

lentils, [however,] had to be [specifically mentioned].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That only a quarter of a kab of sandy matter need be accepted. ');">¹³</span> Because it might have been thought that, since they are usually plucked, [the buyer] must accept even more than a quarter [of a <i>kab</i>], [the quantity], therefore, had to be [specifically] stated.

אמרי לה דינא מאן דיהיב זוזי אפירי שפירי יהיב ורובע לא טרח איניש יותר מרובע טרח איניש וכיון דטרח טרח בכוליה

R. Huna said: If [the buyer] wishes to sift<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Suspecting that the refuse amounts to more than a quarter of a kab for each se'ah. ');">¹⁴</span> [and, on sifting, the quantity of the refuse is found to be more than what is permitted]. he may sift all of it [and the seller must compensate him for all the refuse, even for the permitted quantities]. Some say, [this is the] law; and others say, [this is a] penalty. Some say [this is the] law, [because] whoever pays money. pays it for good fruit,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He does not consent to take any refuse in the weight. ');">¹⁵</span>

ואמרי לה קנסא רובע שכיח יותר לא שכיח ואיהו הוא דעריב וכיון דעריב קנסוהו רבנן בכוליה

but a person does not take the trouble [to sift, if the refuse only amounts to] a quarter [of a <i>kab</i> for every <i>se'ah</i>;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rather than have the trouble of sifting. he accepts the comparatively little refuse. ');">¹⁶</span> if] more than a quarter, a person does take the trouble; and, since he takes the trouble [to start sifting], he takes [a little more] trouble with all of it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Once the sifting commences, it is not much more trouble to complete the whole. Hence, the buyer exercises his right and demands compensation for all the refuse. ');">¹⁷</span>

(סימן כל תרי שטרי דראבין בר רב נחמן אונאה וקבלנותא)

And others say, [this is a] penalty,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The compensation is not based on the Biblical law, according to which a person is always assumed to consent to buy fruit together with a certain quantity of refuse. ');">¹⁸</span> [because] it is usual [only for] a quarter [of a <i>kab</i> of refuse] to be found [in each <i>se'ah</i>];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the seller must not be penalised for this. ');">¹⁹</span>

מיתיבי כל סאה שיש בה רובע ממין אחר ימעט סברוה דרובע דכלאים כיותר מרובע דהכא וקא תני ימעט

more is not usual; he himself [therefore must have] mixed it. and since he has mixed [at least some of] it, the Rabbis have imposed upon him the penalty [of paying] for all.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since he has mixed a portion he is suspected of having mixed the whole. ');">²⁰</span> (Mnemonic: <i>Every two bills of Rabin son of R. Nahman [are] overcharge and undertaking</i>.)<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The mnemonic aids in the recollection of the passages that follow in support of, or objection to R. Huna's law. ');">²¹</span>

לא רובע דכלאים כי רובע דהכא דמי

An objection was raised.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To the statement that the buyer may sift the grain in accordance with the law which entitles him to compensation for all the refuse found. ');">²²</span> [It has been taught:]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Kil.II. 1. ');">²³</span>

אי הכי אמאי ימעט משום חומרא דכלאים

Every <i>se'ah</i> [of produce] which contains a quarter [of a <i>kab</i>] of another kind shall be reduced<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To less than a quarter. ');">²⁴</span> [in order that it be permitted to be sown].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Two different kinds must not be sown together, in accordance with the prohibition of 'mingled seeds'. (Cf. Lev. XIX. 29.) ');">²⁵</span>

אי הכי

Now, it has been assumed that the quarter [in the case] of <i>kilayim</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] 'mingled seed'. V. n. 12. ');">²⁶</span> is [in the same category] as [the quantity of] more than a quarter here,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the case of a purchase. ');">²⁷</span> and yet it has [only] been taught. 'it shall be reduced',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The entire se'ah is not disqualified by reason of the excess, and as soon as the excess is reduced (from a 'quarter' to 'less than a quarter') the grain may be sown. ');">²⁸</span> [while the rest may be sown. Why, then, in the case of a purchase,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the case of a purchase also, it should suffice to reduce the 'more than a quarter' of the refuse to a 'quarter'. by the seller's paying of compensation for the excess. ');">²⁹</span> must compensation be paid for all the refuse]? — No; a quarter [in the case] of <i>kilayim</i> is [in] the same [category] as a quarter here.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In both eases such a small quantity as a quarter of a kab in a se'ah is disregarded. But if this quantity is exceeded, it might, indeed, have to be removed in its entirety even in the case of kilayim. ');">³⁰</span> If so,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That a quarter is disregarded, even in the case of kilayim. ');">³¹</span> why should it be reduced? — On account of the restrictions of the law of <i>kilayim</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is a restriction imposed by the Rabbis to prevent people from transgressing the laws of kilayim. ');">³²</span> If so,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the restriction is only Rabbinical, and that in accordance with the Biblical law there is no need to reduce. ');">³³</span>