Bava Kamma 194

נותן לו מטבע היוצא באותה שעה ושמואל אמר יכול לומר לו לך הוציאו במישן אמר רב נחמן מסתברא מילתיה דשמואל דאית ליה אורחא למיזל למישן אבל לית ליה אורחא לא

that the debtor would have to pay the creditor with the coin that had currency at that time,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., at the time of the payment. ');">¹</span> whereas Samuel said that the debtor could say to the creditor, 'Go forth and spend it in Meshan.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Mesene, a district S.E. of Babylon. It lay on the path of the trade route to the Persian Gulf. V. Obermeyer. op. cit., 89 ff.] ');">²</span>

איתיביה רבא לרב נחמן אין מחללין על המעות שאינם יוצאות כיצד היו לו מעות כוזביות ירושלמיות או של מלכים הראשונים אין מחללין הא של אחרונים דומיא דראשונים מחללין

R. Nahman said that the ruling of Samuel might reasonably be applied where the creditor had occasion to go to Meshan, but if he had no occasion [to go there] it would surely not be so. But Raba raised an objection to this view of R. Nahman [from the following]: 'Redemption [of the second tithe] cannot be made by means of money which has no currency, as for instance if one possessed koziba-coins,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Coins struck by Bar Cochba, the leader of the uprising in Eretz Yisrael against Hadrian. [The name Koziba has been explained either as derivation from the city Kozeba, his home, or as 'Son of Lies', a contumelious designation when his failure belied all the hopes reposed in him, v. Graetz, Geschichte, p. 136.] ');">³</span> of Jerusalem,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Probably the old shekels. According to Rashi render: namely, Jerusalem coins.] ');">⁴</span>

א"ל הכא במאי עסקינן כשאין מלכיות מקפידות זו על זו

or of the earlier kings;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Either the Seleucidean Kings or former Roman Emperors.] ');">⁵</span> no redemption could be made [by these].'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosef. M. Sh. 1, 6. ');">⁶</span>

אלא כי אמר שמואל כשמלכיות מקפידות זו על זו היכי מצי ממטי להו דממטי לה ע"י הדחק דלא בחשי ואי משכחי קפדי

Now, does this not imply that if the coins were of the later kings, even though analogous [in one respect] to coins of the earlier kings,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Such as where they were declared obsolete in a particular province. ');">⁷</span> it would be possible to effect the redemption by means of them?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even where one had not occasion to go there, which refutes R. Nahman's view. ');">⁸</span>

ת"ש אין מחללין על מעות של כאן והן בבבל ושל בבל והן כאן של בבל והן בבבל מחללין קתני מיהת אין מחללין על מעות של כאן והן בבבל אע"ג דסופו למיסק להתם

— He, however, said to him that we were dealing here with a case where the Governments of the different provinces were not antagonistic to one another. But since this implies that the statement of Samuel [as explained by R. Nahman] referred to the case where the Governments of the different provinces were antagonistic to one another, how would it be possible to bring the coins [to the province where they still have currency]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even though one had occasion to go there. ');">⁹</span> — They could be brought there with some difficulty, as where no thorough search was made at the frontier though if the coins were to be discovered there would be trouble.

הכא במאי עסקינן כשמלכיות מקפידות זו על זו אי הכי של בבל והן בבבל למאי חזו חזו דזבין בהו בהמה ומסיק לירושלים

Come and hear: Redemption [of the second tithe] cannot be effected by means of coins which have currency here<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In Jerusalem. ');">¹⁰</span> but which are actually [with the owner] in Babylon;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where they have no currency. ');">¹¹</span>

והתניא התקינו שיהו המעות יוצאות בירושלים מפני כך א"ר זירא לא קשיא כאן בזמן שיד ישראל תקיפה על אומות העולם כאן בזמן שיד אומות העולם תקיפה על עצמן

so also if they have currency in Babylon but are kept here.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In Jerusalem. ');">¹⁰</span> [But] where the coins have their currency in Babylon and are in Babylon redemption can be effected by means of them. Now, it is at all events stated here [is it not] that no redemption could be effected by means of coins which though having currency here<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In Jerusalem. ');">¹⁰</span>

ת"ר איזהו מטבע של ירושלים דוד ושלמה מצד אחד וירושלים עיר הקודש מצד אחר ואיזהו מטבע של אברהם אבינו זקן וזקינה מצד אחד ובחור ובתולה מצד אחר

are actually [with the owner] in Babylon irrespective of the fact that the owner will have to go up here?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Lit. 'there'. The text does not read smoothly, and is suspect. MS.M. in fact omits 'Now&nbsp;… here.'] ');">¹²</span> — We are dealing here with a case where the Governments [of the respective countries] were antagonistic to each other.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To a greater degree, so that thorough searches are made and the transport of coins would constitute a real danger. ');">¹³</span>

בעא מיניה רבא מרב חסדא המלוה את חבירו על המטבע והוסיפו עליו מהו אמר לו נותן לו מטבע היוצא באותה שעה א"ל ואפילו כי נפיא א"ל אין א"ל אפי' כי תרטיא א"ל אין

But if so how would coins which have currency in Babylon and are kept in Babylon be utilised as redemption money?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which would have to be spent for certain commodities to be partaken of in Jerusalem. ');">¹⁴</span> — They may be utilised for the purchase of an animal [in Babylon]. which can then be brought up to Jerusalem. But was it not taught<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. I.M. Sh. I. 2. ');">¹⁵</span>

והא קא זיילין פירי אמר רב אשי חזינן אי מחמת טיבעא זיל מנכינן ליה

that there was an enactment that all kinds of money should be current in Jerusalem?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How then were Babylonian coins not current there? ');">¹⁶</span> — Said R. Zera: This is no difficulty, as the latter statement refers to the time when Israel had sway [in Eretz Yisrael] over the heathen whereas the former referred to a time when the heathen governed themselves.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A euphemism for Israel. ');">¹⁷</span> Our Rabbis taught: What was the coin of Jerusalem?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. p. 556. n. 7. ');">¹⁸</span> [The names] David and Solomon [were inscribed] on one side and [the name of] Jerusalem on the other. What was the coin of Abraham our Patriarch? — An old man and an old woman<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., Abraham and Sarah. ');">¹⁹</span> on the one side, and a young man and a young woman<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., Isaac and Rebeccah. ');">²⁰</span> on the other. Raba asked R. Hisda: What would be the law where a man lent his fellow something on [condition of being repaid with] a certain coin,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 566, n. 4. ');">²¹</span> and that coin meanwhile was made heavier?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [The question is according to the view of Rab, ibid., that payment has to be made with the coin that had currency at the time.] ');">²²</span> — He replied: The payment will have to be with the coins that have currency at that time. Said the other: Even if the new coin be of the size of a sieve? — He replied: Yes, Said the other: Even if it be of the size of a 'tirtia'!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A quoit of certain size. ');">²³</span> — He again replied. Yes. But in such circumstances would not the products have become cheaper?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A larger supply being obtained by the heavier coin, and the increase would appear as usury. ');">²⁴</span> — R. Ashi therefore said: We have to look into the matter. If it was through the [increased weight of the] coin that prices [of products] dropped we would have to deduct [from the payment accordingly],