Bava Kamma 238

ולא יטיל בו יותר משלשה חובין ולא יסרוק הבגד לשתיו אלא לערבו ומשויהו לארכו אבל לא לרחבו ואם בא להשוותו עד טפח רשאי

[The carder] must not use [of the cloth for stretching and hackling] more than three widths of a seam. He should similarly not comb the garment towards the warp but towards its woof.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Where greater importance is attached to appearances, which may be improved by combing towards the woof, than to durability.] ');">¹</span>

אמר מר שני חוטין והאנן תנן שלש לא קשיא הא באלימי והא בקטיני:

He may straighten it out lengthways but not breadthways. If he wants, however, to straighten it out up to a handbreadth he may do so.

ולא יסרוק הבגד לשתיו אלא לערבו והתניא איפכא לא קשיא הא בגלימא הא בסרבלא:

The Master stated: 'Two threads.' But did we not learn, THREE'? — There is no difficulty, as the former statement applies to thick threads and the latter to thin ones.

ולא יטיל בו יותר משלשה חובין בעי רבי ירמיה אמטויי ואתויי חד או דלמא אמטויי ואתויי תרי תיקו:

'He should similarly not comb the garment towards the warp but towards its woof.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Where greater importance is attached to appearances, which may be improved by combing towards the woof, than to durability.] ');">¹</span>

ומשויהו לארכו אבל לא לרחבו והתניא איפכא לא קשיא הא בגלימא הא בהמיוני

But was it not taught to the contrary? — There is no difficulty, as the latter statement refers to an everyday garment whereas the former deals with a best cloak [used very seldom].

ת"ר אין לוקחין מן הסורק מוכין מפני שאינו שלו ובמקום שנהגו להיות שלו לוקחין ובכל מקום לוקחין מהן כר מלא מוכין וכסת מלאה מוכין מאי טעמא קננהו בשינוי

'[He must] not use [of the cloth for stretching or hackling] more than three widths of a seam.' R. Jeremiah asked: Does [the preliminary drawing of the] needle to and fro count as one stitch, or does it perhaps count as two stitches? — Let it stand undecided. 'He may straighten it out lengthways but not breadthways.' But was it not taught to the contrary? — There is no difficulty, as the former statement refers to a garment and the latter refers to a girdle.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Of which only the ends hanging down are visible and these alone require straightening out.] ');">²</span>

ת"ר אין לוקחין מגרדי לא אירין ולא נירין ולא פונקלין ולא שיורי פקיעות

Our Rabbis taught: It is not allowed to buy hackled wool from the carder as it is not his, but in places where it is customary for it to belong to him, it is allowed to buy it. In all places, however, it is allowed to buy from them a mattress full of stuffing and a cushion full of stuffing,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 716, n. 4. ');">³</span>

אבל לוקחין מהן בגד מנומר ערב ושתי טווי ואריג

the reason being that these articles had [in any case] been transferred to them through the change [which the stuffing underwent].

אמרי השתא טווי שקלי ארוג מבעיא מאי אריג תיכי

Our Rabbis taught:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 716, n. 4. ');">³</span>

ת"ר אין לוקחין מן הצבע לא אותות ולא דוגמות ולא תלושים של צמר אבל לוקחין מהן בגד צבוע טווי בגדים השתא טווי שקיל בגדים מיבעיא מאי בגדים נמטי

It is not right to buy from a weaver either remnants of woof or of warp or threads of the bobbin or remnants of coils. It is however allowed to buy from him [even] a chequered web,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'garment'. [Although it apparently consists of remnants of different materials which he might have acquired unlawfully, for even so the ownership of them was transferred to him by the change in substance.] ');">⁴</span>

ת"ר הנותן עורות לעבדן הקיצועין והתלושין הרי אלו של בעל הבית והעולה ומשטף במים הרי אלו שלו:

[and] woof and warp if they are spun and woven. I would here ask: [Since it is] now stated that 'if spun' it may be accepted from them, what necessity was there to say 'woven'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For if it is woven it had surely been previously spun; cf. Bek. 29b. ');">⁵</span>

אם היה שחור [וכו']: א"ר יהודה קצרא שמיה וקצרא שקיל ליה אמר רב יהודה הכל עולין למנין תכלת ויצחק ברי קפיד עלייהו:

— What is meant by 'woven' is merely 'twisted' [without first having been spun].

החייט ששייר (מן) [את] החוט כו': וכמה לתפור אמר רב אסי מלא מחט חוץ למחט איבעיא להו מלא מחט וחוץ למחט כמלא מחט או דלמא מלא מחט וחוץ למחט משהו

Our Rabbis taught:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 716, n. 4. ');">³</span>

ת"ש דתניא החייט ששייר את החוט פחות מכדי לתפור בו ומטלית שהיא פחותה משלש על שלש בזמן שבעל הבית מקפיד עליהן הרי אלו של בעל הבית אין בעל הבית מקפיד עליהן הרי אלו שלו

'It is not right to buy from a dyer either test pieces,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., pieces cut off to test the colour. ');">⁶</span>

אי אמרת בשלמא מלא מחט וחוץ למחט כמלא מחט פחות מכאן חזי לסיכתא אלא אי אמרת מלא מחט וחוץ למחט משהו פחות מכאן למאי חזי

or samples<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Specimens of colour. ');">⁷</span>

אלא ש"מ מלא מחט וחוץ למחט כמלא מחט שמע מינה:

or torn pieces of wool. But it is allowed to buy from him a coloured garment,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosef. B.K. XI: 'wool' instead of 'garment'. ');">⁸</span>

מה שהחרש כו': ורמינהי מה שהחרש מוציא במעצד והנפסק במגירה הרי אלו של בעל הבית והיוצא מתחת מקדח ומתחת רהיטני והנגרר במגירה הרי אלו שלו

yarn, and ready-made garments'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosef. ibid. 'warp and woof' instead of 'ready-made garments'; so also MS.M. ');">⁹</span>

אמר רבא באתרא דתנא דידן איכא תרתי חציני לרבתי קרי לה כשיל ולזוטרתי קרי לה מעצד באתרא דתנא ברא חד הוא דאיכא וקרו לה מעצד:

But [since it has] now been stated that yarn may be accepted from him, what doubt could there be regarding ready-made garments?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For these were surely first spun; v. Bek. 29b. ');">¹⁰</span>

ואם היה עושה אצל כו': ת"ר מסתתי אבנים אין בהם משום גזל מפסגי אילנות מפסגי גפנים מנקפי היגי מנכשי זרעים ועודרי ירקות בזמן שבעה"ב מקפיד עליהם יש בהן משום גזל אין בעל הבית מקפיד עליהן הרי אלו שלו

— What is meant by 'ready-made garments' is felt spreadings.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which were never spun. ');">¹¹</span>

א"ר יהודה כשות וחזיז אין בהם משום גזל באתרא דקפדי יש בהן משום גזל אמר רבינא ומתא מחסיא אתרא דקפדי הוא

Our Rabbis taught: 'If skins have been given to a tanner the [part] trimmed off and the [pieces of hair] torn off will belong to the proprietor, whereas what comes up by the rinsing in water would belong to him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Being negligible, v. Tosaf. ibid.] ');">¹²</span>

<br><br><big><strong>הדרן עלך הגוזל בתרא וסליקא לה מסכת בבא קמא</strong></big><br><br>

IF THEY WERE BLACK UPON A WHITE SURFACE HE MAY REMOVE THEM ALL AND THEY WILL BELONG TO HIM. Rab Judah said: A washer is named Kazra,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'shortener'. ');">¹³</span> and he takes the Kazre.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the shortening'; i.e., that which resulted from the garment having become shorter. ');">¹⁴</span> Rab Judah again said: All the [three] threads can be reckoned for the purpose of tekeleth<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'blue' riband to be put among the zizith (the 'fringes') on the borders of garments in accordance with Num. XV, 38; if the three threads were not taken away by the washer, they need not be removed for the sake of Zizith as they will be included in the measure of the first joint of the thumb required to be between the hold and the edge of the garment, for which v. Men. 42a. ');">¹⁵</span> though Isaac my son is particular about them.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To cut them off. ');">¹⁶</span> IF A TAILOR LEFT A THREAD SUFFICIENT TO SEW WITH. How much is SUFFICIENT TO SEW WITH? — Said R. Assi: The length of a needle and beyond the needle. The question was raised: [Does this mean] 'the length of a needle and as much again as the length of the needle,' or perhaps 'the length of the needle and anything beyond the needle'? Come and hear: If a tailor left a thread which is less than sufficient to sew with or a patch less than the width of three [fingers] by three [fingers], if the proprietor is particular about them they would belong to the proprietor, but if the proprietor is not particular about them they would belong to the tailor.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosef. B.K. XI. ');">¹⁷</span> Now, there is no difficulty if you say that 'the length of a needle and beyond the needle' means as much again as a needle, for a thread less than that can still make a clip;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'is fit as a pin' (fast.) as in the case of a seam. ');">¹⁸</span> but if you say that 'the length of a needle and anything beyond the needle' for what purpose could a thread which is less than this be fit? — We may therefore conclude from this that it means 'the length of a needle and beyond the needle as much again as the length of the needle.' This proves it. WHATEVER A CARPENTER REMOVES WITH THE ADZE BELONGS TO HIM, BUT THAT WHICH HE REMOVES BY THE AXE BELONGS TO THE PROPRIETOR. A contradiction could be raised from the following: Whatever a carpenter removes with the adze or cuts with his saw belongs to the proprietor, for it is only that which comes out from under the borer or from under the chisel or is sawed with the saw that belongs to [the carpenter] himself!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosef. B.K. XI. This ruling, that whatever he removes with the adze belongs to the proprietor, thus contradicts the Mishnah which roles that it belongs to the carpenter. ');">¹⁹</span> — Said Raba: In the place where our Tanna [of the Mishnah lived] two kinds of implements were used, the larger called 'axe' and the smaller called 'adze', whereas in the place of the Tanna of the Baraitha there was only one implement [i.e., the larger] and they still called it 'adze'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But was in fact the 'axe' of which it is mentioned in the Mishnah that whatever be removed by it belongs to the proprietor. ');">²⁰</span> IF HOWEVER HE WAS WORKING ON THE PROPRIETOR'S PREMISES EVEN THE SAWDUST BELONGS TO THE PROPRIETOR. Our Rabbis taught: Workmen chiselling stones do not become liable for robbery [by retaining the chips in their possession]. Workmen who thin trees or thin vines or trim shrubs or weed plants or thin vegetables, if the proprietor is particular [about the waste materials] become liable for robbery, but if the proprietor is not particular about them they will belong to the employees.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosef. ibid. ');">²¹</span> Rab Judah said: Also cuscuta<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., cucumbers or melons in an early stage when they are pubiscent' (Jast.). ');">²²</span> and lichen<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Young green cereal. ');">²³</span> are [under such circumstances] not subject to the law of robbery, though in places where proprietors are particular they would be subject to the law of robbery. Rabina thereupon said: Matha Mehasia<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the city of Mehasia or Mahesia; a suburb of Sora. V. B.B. (Sonc. ed.) p. 10, n. 1. ');">²⁴</span> is a place<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Abundant in cattle; Rashi a.l. and Rashbam, B.B. 36a; and thus in great need of fodder. ');">²⁵</span> where the proprietors are particular about them.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Hor. 12a. ');">²⁶</span>