Bava Metzia 127

בעישורייתא וחומשייתא

In [denominations of] tens or fives.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They used to count in fives and tens (Tosaf.). Now, if the amount should have been e.g., fifty, and it was fifty-five or sixty, the lender may have mistakenly counted eleven fives instead of ten, or six tens instead of five; but if it were fifty-two or-three etc., it is impossible that it should have been an error. ');">¹</span>

א"ל רב אחא בריה דרבא לרב אשי ואי איניש תקיפא הוא דלא יהיב מתנה מאי א"ל דלמא מיגזל גזליה ואבלע ליה בחשבון דתניא הגוזל את חבירו והבליע לו בחשבון יצא

R. Aha the son of Raba asked R. Ashi: But what if he [the lender] is a hard man, who never gives presents? — He replied: He may have robbed him [on a previous occasion], and now included it in the total sum. For it has been taught: If one robbed his neighbour, and then included it in the account, he is quit [of his obligation]. But what if he [the lender] had come from elsewhere, and had never had business dealings with him? — He replied: He [the borrower] might have been robbed by some other person, and might say to him [the lender], 'When so and so borrows money from you, include this in the sum.'

ואי איניש דאתי מעלמא דלא שקיל וטרי בהדיה מאי א"ל דלמא איניש אחרינא גזליה וא"ל כי יזיף פלוני פשיטי מינך אבלע ליה בחשבון

R. Kahana said: I was sitting at the end of Rab's sessions,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H]; the phrase seems to be a technical term denoting a special session at the end of a series of lectures devoted to the reviewing of the conclusions reached during the course. Kaplan J. op. cit. p. 257.] ');">²</span>

אמר רב כהנא הוה יתיבנא בשילהי פרקי דרב ושמעית דקאמר קרי קרי ולא ידענא מאי קאמר בתר דקם רב אמרי להו מאי קרי קרי דקאמר רב

and heard him repeatedly mention 'gourds',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [As a kind of mnemonic, loc. cit.] ');">³</span>

אמרו לי הכי קאמר רב האי מאן דיהיב זוזי לגינאה אקרי וקא אזלי עשרה קרי בני זרתא וא"ל יהבינא לך בני גרמידא איתנהו שרי ליתנהו אסור

but did not know what he meant. After Rab arose [and departed], I asked them [sc. the students], To what did Rab refer in his repeated mention of gourds'? — They answered me, Thus did Rab say: If a man gives money to a gardener for gourds, ten gourds of a span's length being priced [at a <i>zuz</i>], and says to him, 'I will give you [gourds] a cubit in length [for the money];' if he actually has them, it is permitted; but if not,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' His gourds being small, and the purchaser must wait until they grow. ');">⁴</span>

פשיטא מהו דתימא כיון דממילא קא רבו שפיר דמי קמ"ל

it is forbidden.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For he gives him larger gourds in return for waiting, which looks like usury. ');">⁵</span>

כמאן כי האי תנא דתניא ההולך לחלוב את עזיו ולגזוז את רחליו ולרדות את כוורתו מצאו חבירו ואמר לו מה שעזי חולבות מכור לך מה שרחלי גוזזות מכור לך מה שכוורתי רודה מכור לך מותר

Is this not obvious? — I might think, since they naturally grow large [without requiring labour], it is in order. He therefore taught [otherwise]. With whom does this agree? — With the following Tanna. For it has been taught: If one is going to milk his goats, shear his sheep, or remove the honey from the combs, and meeting his neighbour, says to him, 'The milk which my goats will yield is sold to you; the wool sheared from my sheep is sold to you; the honey to be removed from my combs is sold to you;' it is permitted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For it is a speculation: though the buyer may receive more than his money's worth (the price being fixed and paid in advance), the yield might also be poor, in which case he would lose. ');">⁶</span>

אבל אם אמר לו מה שעזי חולבות כך וכך מכור לך מה שרחלי גוזזות כך וכך מכור לך מה שכוורתי רודה כך וכך מכור לך אסור ואע"ג דממילא קא רבו כיון דליתנהו בההיא שעתא אסור

But if he said to him, 'So much of my goats' milk yield is sold to you; so much of my sheep's shearings is sold to you; or so much of the honey which will be removed from the honeycombs is sold to you,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And in each case giving him a particular low quotation in return for advance payment. ');">⁷</span>

איכא דאמרי אמר רבא כיון דממילא קא רבו שפיר דמי והתניא כך וכך אסור

it is forbidden.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since a definite quantity must be supplied, the lower quotation is usury. ');">⁸</span>

התם לאו מיניה קא רבו דשקלי ליה להאי ואתי אחרינא בדוכתיה הכא מיניה קא רבו דכי שקלי ליה להאי לא אתי אחרינא בדוכתיה

Now, though such yield comes naturally,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Should there not be an immediate sufficiency, the goats etc. will yield again. ');">⁹</span>

אמר אביי שרי ליה לאיניש למימר ליה לחבריה הילך ארבעה זוזי אחביתא דחמרא אי תקפה ברשותך אי יקרא אי זילא ברשותי א"ל רב שרביא לאביי

yet since it is non-existent just then [when the transaction is made], it is forbidden.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus Rab's dictum is in accordance with this Baraitha. ');">¹⁰</span> Others Say, Raba ruled [in reference to the gourds]: Since they grow naturally, it is permitted. But it has been taught that 'so much and so much'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Viz., the dealings stated above. ');">¹¹</span> is forbidden! — There, the increase is not in [the product] itself, for the present yield is taken and other comes in its stead;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence it is forbidden. ');">¹²</span> here, however, that itself [the produce he has in his garden] increases [in size], for if that is taken away, others do not grow in its place.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Without replanting, since he supplies the gourds actually in his garden, it is not usury to keep them in the soil until they grow larger and then supply them. ');">¹³</span> Abaye said: A man may say to his neighbour, 'Here are four <i>zuz</i> for a barrel of wine; if it turns sour, it is in your ownership;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that another must be supplied. ');">¹⁴</span> but if it appreciates or depreciates [in value], it is in mine.' Said R. Sherabia to Abaye: