Bava Metzia 46

ומחרוזות של דגים: אמאי להוי קשר סימן בקטרא דציידא דכולי עלמא הכי מקטרי ולהוי מנין סימן במנינא דשוין

AND STRINGS OF FISHES. Why [do they belong to the finder]? Should not the knot serve as an identification mark?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra 20b; infra 25b. ');">¹</span> — [The Mishnah speaks] of a fisherman's knot which is tied so universally.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The kind of knot which fishermen use everywhere and which therefore cannot be regarded as an identification mark. ');">²</span> But should not the number of [fishes on the string] serve as a distinguishing mark? — [The Mishnah speaks] of a fixed number [of fishes].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The number of fishes which fishermen usually hang on the same string, so that there is nothing distinctive about it. ');">³</span>

בעו מיניה מרב ששת [מנין] הוי סימן או לא הוי סימן אמר להו רב ששת תניתוה מצא [כלי כסף וכלי נחושת גסטרון של אבר וכל כלי מתכות הרי זה לא יחזיר עד שיתן אות או עד שיכוין משקלותיו ומדמשקל הוי סימן מדה ומנין נמי הוי סימן:

R. Shesheth was asked: Is the number<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Var. loc., weight instead of number. [This apparently is the correct reading, as is shown by what follows, unless we omit 'measurement' in the last sentence of this paragraph. There is however also a reading: 'Is the measurement, number and weight etc.?' v. D.S.] ');">⁴</span> a distinguishing mark or not? — R. Shesheth answered: You have learned it: If one finds a vessel of silver or copper or tin<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [G] ');">⁵</span> of lead or any other kind of metal,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [So MS.M., cur. edd.: 'vessels'.] ');">⁶</span>

וחתיכות של בשר וכו': אמאי להוי משקלא סימן במשקלא דשוין ותהוי חתיכה גופה סימן או דדפקא או דאטמא מי לא תניא מצא חתיכות דגים ודג נשוך חייב להכריז חביות של יין ושל שמן ושל תבואה ושל גרוגרות ושל זיתים הרי אלו שלו

one shall not return it unless [the loser] indicates a mark, or unless he states accurately its weight. And seeing that weight is an identification mark measurement and number are also [to be deemed] identification marks. AND PIECES OF MEAT, etc. Why [do they belong to the finder]? Should not the weight serve as a distinguishing mark? — [The Mishnah speaks] of a fixed weight.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The usual weight of pieces of meat cut by butchers for sale. Cf. p. 145. nn. 3-4. ');">⁷</span> But should not the piece itself, whether it be of the neck<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Or, 'rib'.] ');">⁸</span>

הכא במאי עסקינן בדאיכא סימנא בפסקא כי הא דרבה בר רב הונא מחתיך ליה אתלתא קרנתא דיקא נמי דקתני דומיא דדג נשוך שמע מינה

or of the loin, serve as an identification mark? Has it not been taught: 'If one finds pieces of fish, or a fish which has been bitten into,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This forms an identification mark. ');">⁹</span> one has to announce [the find]; barrels of wine, oil, corn, dried figs, or olives belong to the finder'? — Here we deal with a case where there is an identification mark in the cut.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The pieces of fish referred to in the quoted Baraitha are distinguishable by reason of the peculiar shape into which they are cut. ');">¹⁰</span> Thus Rabbah son of R. Huna used to cut [pieces of meat] in the shape of a triangle.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which made them distinguishable so that they remained Kasher even when they were lost sight of. ');">¹¹</span>

אמר מר חביות של יין ושל שמן ושל תבואה ושל גרוגרות ושל זיתים הרי אלו שלו והא תנן כדי יין וכדי שמן חייב להכריז א"ר זירא אמר רב מתניתין ברשום מכלל דברייתא בפתוח אי בפתוח אבידה מדעת היא אמר רב הושעיא במציף

There is also a proof for this:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The context bears out the correctness of the assumption that the shape of the pieces was peculiar and served as an identification mark. ');">¹²</span> For he mentions [cut pieces as if they were] like the fish which has been bitten into.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is obviously recognisable because of the identification mark. ');">¹³</span> This is conclusive.

אביי אמר אפילו תימא אידי ואידי ברשום ולא קשיא כאן קודם שנפתחו האוצרות כאן לאחר שנפתחו האוצרות כי הא דרב יעקב בר אבא אשכח חביתא דחמרא לאחר שנפתחו האוצרות אתא לקמיה דאביי א"ל זיל שקול לנפשך

The Master said [as quoted above]: 'Barrels of wine, oil, corn, dried figs, or olives belong to the finder.' But have we not learnt: Jars of wine and jars of oil have to be announced?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Infra 25a. ');">¹⁴</span> — R. Zera answered in the name of Rab: Our Mishnah deals with sealed [barrels].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Barrels which had been opened for the purpose of taking a sample of the wine, and were sealed again by the vendor with his own (distinctive) seal before delivery. ');">¹⁵</span> 'It must thus be assumed that the Baraitha deals with open [barrels] — but open barrels constitute a deliberate loss!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Barrels of wine which have been left open become unfit for use (cf. Ter. VIII, 4), and the person who leaves it open knows that he is incurring a loss. ');">¹⁶</span>

בעא מיניה רב ביבי מרב נחמן מקום הוי סימן או לא הוי סימן אמר ליה תניתוה מצא חביות של יין ושל שמן ושל תבואה ושל גרוגרות ושל זיתים הרי אלו שלו ואי ס"ד דמקום הוי סימן לכרוז מקום אמר רב זביד הכא במאי עסקינן ברקתא דנהרא

— R. Hosaia answered: [It deals with] barrels which have been stopped up.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But not sealed — so that there is no identification mark, while the wine is fit to be used. ');">¹⁷</span> Abaye says: You may even say that both [the Mishnah and the Baraitha] deal with sealed [barrels], yet there is no contradiction: Here<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the Mishnah. ');">¹⁸</span> [the law refers to the time] before the opening of the cellars;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Before the time when the sale and delivery of the barrels of wine begins, and when the barrels are still generally unsealed. If one vendor then sealed a barrel and sold it the seal constitutes an identification mark. ');">¹⁹</span>

אמר רב מרי מאי טעמא אמרו רבנן רקתא דנהרא לא הוי סימן דאמרינן ליה כי היכי דאתרמי לדידך אתרמי נמי לחברך איכא דאמרי אמר רב מרי מאי טעמא אמרו רבנן מקום לא הוי סימן דאמרינן ליה כי היכי דאתרמי לדידך האי מקום אתרמי נמי לחברך האי מקום

there [it refers to the time] after the opening of the cellars.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When the sealing of the barrels has become general, and the seal no more constitutes an identification mark. ');">²⁰</span> Thus R. Jacob b. Abba found a barrel of wine after the opening of the cellars, and when he appeared before Abaye the latter said to him: Go and take it for yourself.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He had a right to keep the found barrel as it was not deemed to have an identification mark. ');">²¹</span> R. Bibi asked of R. Nahman: Is the place [where an article is found] an identification mark or not? — [R. Nahman] answered him: You have learned it: If one finds barrels of wine, or of oil, or of corn, or of dried figs, or of olives, they belong to him. Now if you were to assume that the place [where an article is found] is an identification mark [the finder] ought to announce the place!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that the loser could claim the articles by indicating the place where he lost them. ');">²²</span>

ההוא גברא דאשכח כופרא בי מעצרתא אתא לקמיה דרב א"ל זיל שקול לנפשך חזייה דהוה קא מחסם א"ל זיל פלוג ליה לחייא ברי מיניה לימא קא סבר רב מקום לא הוי סימן א"ר אבא משום יאוש בעלים נגעו בה דחזא דקדחי ביה חלפי:

— R. Zebid answered: Here we deal with [barrels found] on the river-bank.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The quay where barrels are unloaded from the boats. Such a place cannot be regarded as an identification mark, and the indication of the place would not entitle one to reclaim the lost barrel. ');">²³</span> R. Mari said: For what reason did the Rabbis maintain that the river-bank does not constitute an identification mark? Because we say to him:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To the loser. ');">²⁴</span> As it happened to you, so it may have happened to your neighbour.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Other people may have left barrels of wine there by mistake. ');">²⁵</span>

ר"ש בן אלעזר אומר וכו': מאי אנפוריא א"ר יהודה אמר שמואל כלים חדשים שלא שבעתן העין היכי דמי אי אית בהו סימן כי לא שבעתן העין מאי הוי אי דלית בהו סימן כי שבעתן העין מאי הוי

Some have another version: R. Mari said: For what reason did the Rabbis maintain<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Read preferably with some texts, 'What is the reason of the one who maintains, etc.?'] ');">²⁶</span> that the place constitutes no identification mark? Because we say to him: As it happened to you in this place, so it may have happened to your neighbour in this [same] place. Once a man found some pitch in a winepress. So he appeared before Rab, and the latter said to him: Go and take if for yourself. When [Rab] saw that he hesitated [to do so] he said to him: Go and share it with my son Hiyya. Shall we then say that Rab is of the opinion that the place [where an article is found] does not constitute an identification mark? — R. Abba answered: It was appropriated because it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'they considered the fact that it, etc.' ');">²⁷</span>

לעולם דלית בהו סימן נפקא מינה לאהדורי לצורבא מרבנן בטביעות עינא שבעתן העין קים ליה בגוייהו ומהדרינן ליה כי לא שבעתן העין לא קים ליה בגוייהו ולא מהדרינן ליה דאמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל בהני תלת מילי עבידי רבנן דמשנו במלייהו במסכת ובפוריא

was deemed to have been abandoned by the owners, as it was seen that weeds had grown upon it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which showed that the pitch had been there for a long time and had been given up by the owner. ');">²⁸</span> R. SIMEON B. ELEAZAR SAYS, etc. What is meant by 'anfuria'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] merchandise. [It is connected in dictionaries with the [G]] ');">²⁹</span> Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel: New vessels which one's eye has not yet sufficiently noted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As they have not been sufficiently long in use, and they cannot be properly recognised when seen again. ');">³⁰</span> — In what circumstances? If there is on them an identification mark — what does it matter if the eye has not yet sufficiently noted them? If there is no identification mark on them-what does it matter if the eye has sufficiently noted them?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If there is nothing particular about them to distinguish them from other vessels the fact that they have been long in use, and that their shape etc. has been fully noted, should make no difference. ');">³¹</span> — Admittedly there is no identification mark on them. But the point [as explained by Rab Judah] is important in regard to the question whether the [lost vessels] should be returned to [a claimant who is] a learned man<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who is not likely to claim goods to which he is not entitled. ');">³²</span> [and who recognises the vessels] by sight:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra 19a. ');">³³</span> If [it is a case where] the eye has sufficiently noted [the lost vessels] he is sure to know them, and we give them back to him. But [in a case] where the eye has not sufficiently noted them he cannot be sure to know them, and we do not give them back to him. For Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel: In the following three matters learned men do conceal the truth: In matters of a tractate,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If he asked whether he is familiar with a certain tractate of the Talmud he will modestly say 'no' — even though in fact he is familiar with it. ');">³⁴</span> bed,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is explained in various ways. According to Rashi it refers to a question which may be put to a scholar regarding the performance of his conjugal duties, and to which he may decline to give a correct answer because of a sense of delicacy. ');">³⁵</span>