Bava Metzia 42

Chapter 42

א יאוש שלא מדעת אביי אמר לא הוי יאוש ורבא אמר הוי יאוש

1 Anticipated abandonment [of the hope of recovering a lost article]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'unconscious abandonment.' I.e., if an article is found before the loser has become aware of his loss, and the circumstances are such that the loser would have abandoned the hope of recovering the article had he known that he lost it. ');">1 is, Abaye maintains,no abandonment,2

ב בדבר שיש בו סימן כולי עלמא לא פליגי דלא הוי יאוש ואף על גב דשמעיניה דמיאש לסוף לא הוי יאוש דכי אתא לידיה באיסורא הוא דאתא לידיה דלכי ידע דנפל מיניה לא מיאש מימר אמר סימנא אית לי בגויה יהבנא סימנא ושקילנא ליה

2 but Raba maintains, it is an abandonment.3 [If the lost article is] a thing which has an identification mark, all agree that [the anticipation of its abandonment by the owner] is no abandonment, and even if in the end4

ג בזוטו של ים ובשלוליתו של נהר אע"ג דאית ביה סימן רחמנא שרייה כדבעינן למימר לקמן

3 we hear him [express regret at his loss in a way that makes it clear] that he has abandoned it, it is not [deemed to be an] abandonment, for when [the finder] took possession5 of it he had no right to it6

ד כי פליגי בדבר שאין בו סימן אביי אמר לא הוי יאוש דהא לא ידע דנפל מיניה רבא אמר הוי יאוש דלכי ידע דנפל מיניה מיאש מימר אמר סימנא לית לי בגויה מהשתא הוא דמיאש

4 because [it is assumed that] when [the loser] becomes aware that he lost it he will not give up the hope [of recovering it] but says [to himself], 'I can recognise it by an identification mark; I shall indicate the identification mark and shall take it back.' [If the lost article is found] in the intertidal space of the seashore or on ground that is flooded by a river, then, even if it has an identification mark, the Divine Law permits [the finder to acquire it], as we shall explain further on.7 They differ only where the article has no identification mark. Abaye says: It is no abandonment because [the loser] did not know that he lost it;8

ה (סימן פמג"ש ממקגט"י ככסע"ז)

5 Raba says: It is an abandonment, because when he becomes aware that he lost it he gives up the hope [of recovering it] as he says [to himself], 'I cannot recognise it by an identification mark,' it is therefore as if he had given up hope from the moment [he lost it].9 (Mnemonic: PMGSH MMKGTY KKS'Z.)10

ו תא שמע פירות מפוזרין הא לא ידע דנפל מיניה הא אמר רב עוקבא בר חמא הכא במכנשתא דביזרי עסקינן דאבידה מדעת היא

6 Come and hear: SCATTERED FRUIT11 — [is not this a case where the loser] did not know that he lost it? — R. 'Ukba b. Hama has already explained that we deal here with [the remains of] what has been gathered on the threshing floor, so that [the owner] is aware of his loss.

ז ת"ש מעות מפוזרות הרי אלו שלו אמאי הא לא ידע דנפל מיניה התם נמי כדרבי יצחק דאמר אדם עשוי למשמש בכיסו בכל שעה ושעה הכא נמי אדם עשוי למשמש בכיסו בכל שעה ושעה

7 Come and hear: SCATTERED MONEY, [etc.] BELONG TO THE FINDER. Why? [Is it not a case where the loser] did not know that he lost it? — There also it is even as R. Isaac said: A man usually feels for his purse at frequent intervals.12 So here, too, [we say,] 'A man usually feels for his purse at frequent intervals' [and soon discovers his loss].

ח ת"ש עיגולי דבילה וככרות של נחתום הרי אלו שלו אמאי והא לא ידע דנפל מיניה התם נמי אגב דיקירי מידע ידע בהו

8 Come and hear: ROUND CAKES OF PRESSED FIGS, A BAKER'S LOAVES, [etc.] BELONG TO THE FINDER. Why? [Is it not a case where the loser] did not know that he lost it? — There also he becomes aware of his loss, because [the lost articles] are heavy. Come and hear: STRIPES OF PURPLE [etc.] — THEY BELONG TO THE FINDER. Why? [Is it not a case where the loser] did not know that he lost them? — There also [he becomes aware of his loss] because the articles are valuable, and he frequently feels for them, even as R. Isaac said.

ט ת"ש ולשונות של ארגמן הרי אלו שלו ואמאי הא לא ידע דנפל מיניה התם נמי אגב דחשיבי משמושי ממשמש בהו וכדרבי יצחק

9 Come and hear: If one finds money in a Synagogue or in a house of study, or in any other place where many people congregate, it belongs to him, because the owner has given up the hope of recovering it. [Is not this a case where the loser] did not know that he lost it? — R. Isaac answered: people usually feel for their purse at frequent intervals. Come and hear: From what time are people allowed to appropriate the gleanings [of a reaped field]?13

י ת"ש המוצא מעות בבתי כנסיות ובבתי מדרשות ובכל מקום שהרבים מצויין שם הרי אלו שלו מפני שהבעלים מתיאשין מהן והא לא ידע דנפל מיניה אמר רבי יצחק אדם עשוי למשמש בכיסו בכל שעה

10 After the 'gropers' have gone through it.14 Whereupon we asked: What is meant by the 'gropers'? and R. Johanan answered: Old people who walk leaning on a stick,15

יא ת"ש מאימתי כל אדם מותרים בלקט משילכו בה הנמושות ואמרינן מאי נמושות וא"ר יוחנן סבי דאזלי אתיגרא ריש לקיש אמר לקוטי בתר לקוטי

11 while Resh Lakish answered: The last in the succession of gleaners.16 Now why should this be so? Granted that the local poor give up hope [of finding any gleanings].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As the local poor see the aged and feeble, or the successive groups, glean in the field, they come to the conclusion that there would be nothing more left to glean, and they 'give up hope'. ');">17

יב ואמאי נהי דעניים דהכא מיאשי איכא עניים בדוכתא אחריתא דלא מיאשי אמרי כיון דאיכא עניים הכא הנך מעיקרא איאושי מיאש ואמרי עניים דהתם מלקטי ליה

12 there are poor people in other places who do not give up hope?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The poor who live at a distance cannot be said to give up hope consciously as they do not see the local gleaners. It must therefore be assumed that the reason why people who are not poor are allowed to appropriate the gleanings which have escaped the attention of the local poor is that the distant poor will give up hope when they will have learned how thoroughly the field has been gleaned by the local poor. This would prove that 'anticipated abandonment' is valid — in contradiction to the view of Abaye. ');">18 — I will say: Seeing that there are local poor, those [in other places] give up hope straight away, as they say. 'The poor of that place have already gleaned it.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus the 'abandonment' is not 'anticipated' but real at the time when the people come and appropriate what is left of the gleanings, and there is contradiction to the view of Abaye. ');">19

יג ת"ש קציעות בדרך ואפילו בצד שדה קציעות וכן תאנה הנוטה לדרך ומצא תאנים תחתיה מותרות משום גזל ופטורות מן המעשר בזיתים ובחרובים אסור

13 Come and hear: Cut figs [found] on the road, even if [found] beside a field [covered with] cut figs.20 and also figs found under a fig-tree that overhangs the road, may be appropriated [by the finder] without him being guilty of robbery, and they are free from tithing,21

יד בשלמא רישא לאביי לא קשיא אגב דחשיבי ממשמש בהו תאנה נמי מידע ידיע דנתרא

14 but olives and carob-beans are forbidden.22 Now, the first part [of the Mishnah] implies no contradiction to Abaye23

טו אלא סיפא לרבא קשיא דקתני בזיתים ובחרובים אסור אמר רבי אבהו שאני זית הואיל וחזותו מוכיח עליו ואע"ג דנתרין זיתי מידע ידיע דוכתא דאיניש איניש הוא

15 because [cut figs], being valuable, are under constant observation;24 [whole] figs also are known to drop.25

טז אי הכי אפילו רישא נמי אמר רב פפא תאנה עם נפילתה נמאסת

16 But the last part [of the Mishnah]. which teaches that olives and carob-beans are forbidden, implies a contradiction to Raba!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The owners are not deemed to have given up the hope of recovering them, as olives and carob-beans do not usually drop, and the owner is not aware of his loss. And although the owner is bound to discover his loss later, and will then 'give up hope,' it is only 'anticipated abandonment' at the time when the lost goods are found and appropriated. Thus 'anticipated abandonment' is not valid — in contradiction to the view of Raba. ');">26 — R. Abbahu answered: Olives are different [from other fruit] because one can recognise them by their appearance, and although olives drop [to the ground] the place of each one is known.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., it is known to whom they belong. The owner therefore feels sure that he will recover them, and there is not even 'anticipated abandonment'. There is thus no contradiction to Raba. ');">27

יז תא שמע הגנב שנטל מזה ונתן לזה וכן גזלן שנטל מזה ונתן לזה

17 But if so, the same should apply to [whole figs in] the first part [of the Mishnah]?28 — R. papa answered: Figs become filthy when they [drop to the ground].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is why the owner abandons them at once and they become public property. According to another version the translation would be, 'Figs change colour when they drop, (and cannot therefore be identified).' ');">29 Come and hear: If a thief takes from one and gives to another, or if a robber takes from one and gives to another,

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