Bava Batra 274

אי מיפק לא נפיק ביה למאי יהביה ניהליה

if [the first recipient] is not able<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to Rabbi. ');">¹</span> properly to perform the precept<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'if to go out, he cannot go out'. ');">²</span>

אלא מיפק דכולי עלמא לא פליגי דנפיק ביה מכרה או אכלה באנו למחלוקת רבי ורבן שמעון בן גמליאל

therewith, for what [other purpose] was the thing given to him!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not being allowed to consume the fruit, the only other purpose for which one can use an ethrog is for the performance of the commandment. ');">³</span> But [it is obvious] that no one [can]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'all the world do not'. ');">⁴</span>

אמר רבה בר רב הונא האחין שקנו אתרוג בתפוסת הבית נטלו אחד מהן ויצא בו אם יכול לאוכלו יצא ואם לאו לא יצא

dispute [the view] that [the first recipient] may properly perform the commandment with it;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. n. 4, supra. ');">⁵</span> [as regards, however, the case where] he sold, or consumed it, this will be a point of<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 580, n. 12. ');">⁶</span>

ודוקא דאיכא אתרוג לכל חד וחד אבל פריש או רמון לא

dispute between Rabbi and Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' according to Rabbi he does, nad according to Rabban Simeon he does not pay compensation to the second, the ethrog itself, through not productive of any usufruct, being treated as capital in relation to the ritual performed with it. ');">⁷</span> Rabbah son of R. Huna said: When brothers acquired an ethrog<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Either as part of the estate or by purchase from its proceeds, ');">⁸</span>

אמר רבא אתרוג זה נתון לך במתנה ע"מ שתחזירהו לי נטלו ויצא בו החזירו יצא לא החזירו לא יצא קא משמע לן דמתנה על מנת להחזיר שמה מתנה

out of an [inherited] estate,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'that which belongs to the house'; i.e., before the division of the property had taken place. ');">⁹</span> [and] one of them used for its ritual purpose,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'he took it and went out (from obligation) thereby'. ');">¹⁰</span>

ההיא איתתא דהוה לה דיקלא בארעא דרב ביבי בר אביי כל אימת דהות אזלא למיגזריה הוה קפיד עילוה אקניתיה ניהליה כל שני חייו אזל איהו אקנייה ניהליה לבנו קטן

if he is able to eat it,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., if the brothers do not object to his consumption of the fruit. ');">¹¹</span> he has [also] properly acquitted himself of his ritual duty;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., he went out'. Cf. n. 12, supra. ');">¹²</span>

אמר רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע משום דאתו ממולאי אמריתו מילי מוליאתא אפילו רשב"ג לא קאמר אלא לאחר אבל לעצמו לא

but if not, he has not acquitted himself of his ritual duty.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since an ethrog cannot be used for its ritual purpose unless it is in the exclusive possession of him who uses it, the ethrog of the inherited estate cannot be regarded as being in the undisputed possession of one of the brother unless it is known that the others do not object to his complete consumption of it. ');">¹³</span> This, however, only in the case where an ethrog is available for everyone [of the brothers].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Some edd., 'but not a quince or a pomegranate'. ');">¹⁴</span>

אמר רבא אמר רב נחמן שור זה נתון לך במתנה על מנת שתחזירהו לי הקדישו והחזירו ה"ז מוקדש ומוחזר

Raba said: [If one said to another,] 'This ethrog is given to you as a gift on the condition that you return it to me', [and the recipient] used it for its ritual purpose,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 581, n. 12. ');">¹⁵</span> then if he [subsequently] returned it, he is exempt;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., he has properly performed his ritual obligation. ');">¹⁶</span>

אמר ליה רבא לרב נחמן מאי אהדריה אמר ליה ומאי חסריה אלא אמר רב אשי חזינן אי אמר ליה על מנת שתחזירהו הא אהדריה אי א"ל על מנת שתחזירהו לי מידי דחזי ליה קאמר ליה

[if] he did not return it, be is not exempt. [Hereby] we are taught that a gift [presented] on the condition that it be returned is regarded as a [proper] gift.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., it is considered for the time being the property of the recipient. ');">¹⁷</span> A certain woman owned a palm-tree on ground belonging to R. Bibi b. Abaye. Whenever she went to cut it he showed resentment, [so] she made it over to him for life.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the understanding that after R. Bebai's death it would revert to her or her heirs ');">¹⁸</span>

אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל הכותב נכסיו לאחר ואמר הלה אי אפשי בהן קנה ואפילו עומד וצווח ורבי יוחנן אמר לא קנה

He thereupon went and made it over to his little son.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that, according to the view of Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel, the woman could not claim it after his death. ');">¹⁹</span> R. Huna the son of R. Joshua said: 'Because you are [yourselves] frail [beings] you speak frail words.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] 'frail things', applied to both people and words. [H] = because you. Others, [H] 'because you are descendants of short-lived people'. Abaye was a descendant of the house of Eli who were condemned to die young. V. I, Sam. II, 32. [Levias. HUC 1904, 155, connects the phrase with the Arabic 'to be foolish'.] ');">²⁰</span>

אמר רבי אבא בר ממל ולא פליגי

Even Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel gave his decision only [in the case where the original owner had assigned the estate] to another [person], but not when [it is to return] to [the owner] himself'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Here, the woman stipulated that the tree shall revert to her. Hence, R. Bibi's transfer to his son is legally invalid. ');">²¹</span> Raba said in the name of R. Nahman: [If one said to another], 'This ox is given to you as a gift on the condition that you return it to me', [and the recipient] consecrated, and returned it, both the consecration and the restitution are legally valid.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., it is consecrated and returned'. ');">²²</span> '[But] what', asked Raba of R. Nahman, 'has he returned to him?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The consecrated animal can no longer be used by him. ');">²³</span> 'And what', replied the other, 'has he taken away from him?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The ox he presented has been returned bodily intact. ');">²⁴</span> But, said R. Ashi, the matter is looked into: If he said to him, 'on condition that you return it' [he has no claim upon the donee, for] he had surely returned it, if, [however], he said to him, 'on condition that you return it to me', [he can claim compensation], since he implied [that the return must be of] a thing which he may use. Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel: [If a person] assigned his estate, in writing, to another, and the latter<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'that one'. ');">²⁵</span> said, 'I do not want it', he acquires possession [of it] even if he stands and protests.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'cries'. ');">²⁶</span> R. Johanan, however, said: He does not acquire possession. R. Abba b. Memel said: There is [really] no difference of opinion between them;