Bava Metzia 119

ואין צריך לומר חדשים בישנים

HOW MUCH MORE SO NEW WITH OLD!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If one undertakes to supply the produce of a particular field, he may not intermix it with the produce of another, even of the same year. If he undertakes to supply last year's grain, he may certainly not intermix the current year's the former being more suitable for milling. ');">¹</span>

באמת אמרו ביין התירו לערב קשה ברך מפני שהוא משביחו אין מערבין שמרי יין ביין אבל נותן לו את שמריו

YET IN TRUTH IT WAS SAID THAT STRONG WINE MAY BE MIXED WITH MILD, BECAUSE IT IMPROVES IT.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But not vice versa; having agreed to supply full-bodied wine, one must not mix it with light wine. ');">²</span>

מי שנתערב מים ביינו לא ימכרנו בחנות אלא א"כ הודיעו ולא לתגר אע"פ שהודיעו שאינו אלא לרמות בו מקום שנהגו להטיל מים ביין יטילו

A MAN MUST NOT MIX THE LEES OF WINE WITH WINE, BUT HE [THE VENDOR] MAY GIVE HIM [THE VENDEE] ITS LEES.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is discussed in the Gemara. ');">³</span>

התגר נוטל מה' גרנות ונותן לתוך מגורה אחת מה' גיתות ונותן לתוך פיטום אחד ובלבד שלא יהא מתכוין לערב:

IF HIS WINE WAS DILUTED WITH WATER HE MUST NOT SELL IT IN HIS SHOP [IN SMALL QUANTITIES] UNLESS HE INFORMS HIM [THE CUSTOMER], NOR TO A MERCHANT, EVEN IF HE INFORMS HIM, BECAUSE [THE LATTER BUYS IT] ONLY IN ORDER TO CHEAT THEREWITH. WHERE IT IS THE PRACTICE TO ADULTERATE WINE WITH WATER, IT IS PERMISSIBLE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because there is no cheating then, the practice being known and taken into account. ');">⁴</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> ת"ר אין צ"ל חדשות מארבע וישנות משלש דאין מערבין אלא אפילו חדשות משלש וישנות מארבע אין מערבין מפני. שאדם רוצה לישנן:

A MERCHANT MAY PURCHASE [GRAIN] FROM FIVE GRANARIES AND PUT IT INTO ONE STORE-ROOM,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For selling from the whole indiscriminately. ');">⁵</span>

באמת אמרו ביין התירו לערב קשה ברך מפני שהוא משביחו (וכו'): א"ר אלעזר עדא אמרה כל באמת אמרו הלכה היא

OR [WINE] FROM FIVE PRESSES AND PUT IT INTO THE SAME CASK, PROVIDING THAT IT IS NOT HIS INTENTION TO MIX THEM.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., he must not represent that he bought all from the same source, which is known for providing superior merchandise. ');">⁶</span>

אמר ר"נ ובין הגיתות שנו

<b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Our Rabbis taught: it goes without saying, when new [produce] stands at four [se'ahs per <i>sela'</i>], whilst old is priced at three, that they may not be intermixed; but even when new is at three and old at four, they may still not be mixed, because [the higher price of the new corn is due to the fact that] one wishes to store them until old.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The higher price of the new corn is not due to its superiority, but to the fact that there is no sale that year and merchants are buying ahead for the following, whereas if they store last year's grain, it may be too old when they need it. Hence when one stipulates that he wants old corn, it is evident that he requires it for immediate use, and therefore it may not be mixed with new, though this is dearer. ');">⁷</span>

והאידנא דקא מערבי שלא בין הגיתות אמר רב פפא דידעי וקא מחלי רב אחא בריה דרב איקא אמר הא מני רבי אחא היא דתניא רבי אחא מתיר בדבר הנטעם:

YET IN TRUTH IT WAS SAID THAT STRONG WINE MAY BE MIXED WITH MILD, BECAUSE IT IMPROVES IT. R. Eleazar said: From this it may be concluded that wherever it is stated 'in truth it was said', that is the <i>halachah</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the reason given is that it improves it, leaving no room for doubt on the matter, and this is introduced by the phrase, 'in truth etc.,' it follows that this phrase indicates the absolute certainty of the law. [Adopting this principle, the Tanna of our Mishnah will permit the mixing of old produce with new, contrary to the view of the Tanna in Tosef. B.M. III, v. Rosenthal, F., Hoffmann's Festschrift, p. 34ff.] ');">⁸</span>

ואין מערבין שמרי יין ביין אבל נותן לו את שמריו (וכו'): והא אמרת רישא אין מערבין כלל וכי תימא מאי נותן לו את שמריו דקא מודע ליה הא מדקתני סיפא לא ימכרנו בחנות אלא א"כ מודיעו ולא לתגר אע"פ שמודיעו מכלל דרישא אע"ג דלא מודע ליה

Said R. Nahman: This was taught only when they [the wines] are in the Presses.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The mixing is then advantageous. But after each has acquired its own taste and bouquet, mixing of different wines has a deleterious effect. ');">⁹</span>

אמר רב יהודה ה"ק אין מערבין שמרים של אמש בשל יום ולא של יום בשל אמש אבל נותן לו את שמריו תניא נמי הכי רבי יהודה אומר השופה יין לחבירו ה"ז לא יערב של אמש בשל יום ולא של יום בשל אמש אבל מערב של אמש בשל אמש ושל יום בשל יום:

But nowadays [wines] are mixed [even] after they have left the presses.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'not among the presses.' ');">¹⁰</span>

מי שנתערב מים ביינו ה"ז לא ימכרנו בחנות אלא א"כ מודיעו וכו': רבא אייתו ליה חמרא מחנותא מזגיה טעמיה לא הוה בסים שדריה לחנותא א"ל אביי והא אנן תנן ולא לתגר אע"פ שהודיעו א"ל מזגא דידי מידע ידיע וכי תימא דטפי ומחייליה ומזבין ליה א"כ אין לדבר סוף:

— Said R. Papa: It is known and forgiven. R. Aha son of R. Ika said: That is in accordance with R. Aha. For it has been taught: R. Aha permits [mixing] in a commodity that is [first] tasted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the customer tastes the wine before buying it, there is no fraud. ');">¹¹</span>

מקום שנהגו להטיל מים ביין יטילו וכו': תנא למחצה לשליש ולרביע אמר רב ובין הגיתות שנו:

A MAN MUST NOT MIX THE LEES OF WINE WITH WINE, BUT HE [THE VENDOR] MAY GIVE HIM [THE VENDEE] ITS LEES. But you have ruled in the first clause that they may not be mixed at all? And should you reply that what is meant by, BUT HE MAY GIVE HIM ITS LEES, is that he informs him thereof; since the subsequent clause states, HE MUST NOT SELL IT IN HIS SHOP UNLESS HE INFORMS HIM [THE CUSTOMER], NOR TO A MERCHANT, EVEN IF HE INFORMS HIM, it follows that this clause means even if he does not inform him! — Said Rab Judah: It means this: A MAN MUST NOT MIX THE LEES OF yesterday's WINE with that of to-day's, nor vice versa, BUT HE [THE VENDOR] MAY GIVE HIM [THE VENDEE] ITS OWN LEES. It has been taught likewise: R. Judah said: When a man pours out<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Heb. [H] denotes 'to pour out slowly,' so as to leave the sediment behind. ');">¹²</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> רבי יהודה אומר לא יחלק החנוני קליות ואגוזין לתינוקות מפני שהוא מרגילן לבא אצלו וחכמים מתירין ולא יפחות את השער וחכ"א זכור לטוב

wine for his neighbour [selling it to him], he must not mix [the lees] of yesterday's wine with that of to-day's, nor vice versa, but may mix yesterday's with yesterday's and to-day's with to-day's.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The lees of a different day's wine have an injurious effect, but not those of the same day's. Rashi, however observes that this is not meant literally, but that wine when sold may contain its own sediment, but not that of a different wine. 'To-day's' and 'yesterday's' are merely employed a convenient expressions of different wines. ');">¹³</span>

לא יבור את הגריסין דברי אבא שאול וחכמים מתירין ומודים שלא יבור מעל פי מגורה שאינו אלא כגונב את העין אין מפרכסין לא את האדם ולא את הבהמה ולא את הכלים:

IF HIS WINE WAS DILUTED WITH WATER HE MUST NOT SELL IT IN HIS SHOP [IN SMALL QUANTITIES] UNLESS HE INFORMS HIM, etc. Raba once brought wine from a shop. After diluting it he tasted it, and on finding that it was not good he returned it to the shop.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For sale there. ');">¹⁴</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מאי טעמייהו דרבנן דאמר ליה אנא מפליגנא אמגוזי ואת פליג שיסקי:

Thereupon Abaye protested: But we learnt, NOR TO A MERCHANT, EVEN IF HE INFORMS Him!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And this shopkeeper too will sell it as unadulterated wine. ');">¹⁵</span>

ולא יפחות את השער וחכ"א זכור לטוב וכו': מאי טעמא דרבנן

— He replied: My mixing is well known.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It was generally known that Raba diluted the wine with very much water. So that a prospective customer, in tasting it beforehand, would know what proportion of wine it contained, and pay accordingly. ');">¹⁶</span> And should you object, He may add [wine thereto], thus strengthening it, and then sell it [as pure wine] — if so, the matter is endless!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It would be forbidden to sell even water to a wine-merchant, lest he mix it with wine and sell the whole as pure. But that is obviously absurd. Therefore the Mishnah forbids only a sale of those commodities which lend themselves to immediate deceit. ');">¹⁷</span> WHERE IT IS THE PRACTICE TO ADULTERATE WINE WITH WATER, IT IS PERMISSIBLE, etc. A Tanna taught: In proportions of a half, a third or a quarter.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., whatever proportions are permitted by custom, but not more. ');">¹⁸</span> Said Rab: And this [sc. the Mishnah] was stated in the time of the presses.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The wine may be diluted whilst it is yet in the press, but not after. ');">¹⁹</span> <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. R. JUDAH SAID: A SHOPKEEPER MUST NOT DISTRIBUTE PARCHED CORN OR NUTS TO CHILDREN, BECAUSE HE THEREBY ACCUSTOMS THEM TO COME TO HIM;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When sent by mothers to make a purchase; this is unfair competition. ');">²⁰</span> THE SAGES PERMIT IT. NOR MAY HE REDUCE THE PRICE; BUT THE SAGES SAY, HE IS TO BE REMEMBERED FOR GOOD. ONE MUST NOT SIFT POUNDED BEANS:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To remove the refuse. Owing to the better appearance of the beans he advances the price by more than the value of the refuse removed, and therefore this Tanna forbids it as fraud. ');">²¹</span> THIS IS THE VIEW OF ABBA SAUL. BUT THE SAGES PERMIT IT. YET THEY ADMIT THAT HE MUST NOT PICK OUT [THE REFUSE] FROM THE TOP OF THE BIN,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Leaving the refuse underneath. ');">²²</span> BECAUSE ITS ONLY PURPOSE IS TO DECEIVE THE EYE. MEN, CATTLE, AND UTENSILS MAY NOT BE PAINTED.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To give them a younger or newer appearance, and thus make them realise a higher price. 'Men' refers to slaves. ');">²³</span> <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. What is the Rabbis' reason? — Because he [this shopkeeper] can say to him [another shopkeeper], 'I distribute nuts; you distribute plums. NOR MAY HE REDUCE THE PRICE; BUT THE SAGES SAY, HE IS TO BE REMEMBERED FOR GOOD, etc. What is the Rabbis' reason? —