Bava Metzia 158

נימא ליה הב לי ההוא חמרא ואנא מייתינא ספינתא

Let him [the shipowner] say, 'Bring me that wine, and I will provide a ship!' — Said R. Papa: It is possible only in the case of 'This ship' and 'This wine'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that neither can fulfil his contract; therefore the plaintiff is at a disadvantage. ');">¹</span>

אמר רב פפא לא משכחת לה אלא בספינה זו ויין זה אבל בספינה סתם ויין סתם חולקין

But in the case of an unspecified ship and unspecified wine, they must divide.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Only half the fee is payable, whether it has been delivered or not, since each is theoretically in a position to fulfil his part of the agreement. ');">²</span>

ת"ר השוכר את הספינה ופרקה לה בחצי הדרך נותן לו שכרו של חצי הדרך ואין לו עליו אלא תרעומת היכי דמי אילימא דקא משכח לאגורה אמאי אית ליה תרעומת ואי דלא קא משכח לאגורה כוליה אגרה בעי שלומי

Our Rabbis taught: If one hires a ship and unloads it in mid-route, he must pay him for half the journey, and he [the owner] has nothing but resentment against him. What are the circumstances? Shall we say, that he can find someone to whom to hire it? Why bear resentment?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since he loses nothing. ');">³</span>

לעולם דקא משכח לאגורה אלא אמאי אית ליה תרעומת משום רפסתא דספינתא אי הכי טענתא מעלייתא הוא וממונא אית ליה גביה

Whilst if he can find no one to whom to hire it, he must surely pay him the whole hiring-fee! — In truth, it means that he can find someone to whom to hire it; and the reason that he has cause for resentment is because of the trampling of the ship.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the damage done by trampling upon it in loading and unloading. ');">⁴</span>

אלא מאי פרקה דפרקה לטועניה בגויה אלא מאי תרעומת משום שינוי דעתא אי נמי לאשלא יתירא

If so, it is a just complaint, and he is entitled to financial compensation! — But what is meant by 'he unloaded it' is that he unloaded [more of] his cargo within it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi: he loaded it with a great cargo, i.e., though he is bound to pay the shipowner extra, the agreement being based on the freightage, yet the latter has cause for resentment, in that the journey occupies a longer time than he expected. Tosaf. rejects the interpretation and substitutes: he unloaded it from himself, and reloaded it (upon another) within the ship. i.e., in the middle of the journey he sold the cargo to another; the shipowner has cause for complaint, because he may find the second awkward to deal with. This interpretation is accepted by Asheri a.l. and in H.M. CCCXI, 6. ');">⁵</span>

תנו רבנן השוכר את החמור לרכוב עליה שוכר מניח עליה כסותו ולגנותו ומזונות של אותה הדרך מכאן ואילך חמר מעכב עליו חמר מניח עליו שעורים ותבן ומזונותיו של אותו היום מכאן ואילך שוכר מעכב עליו

Then what ground has he for complaint? — Because his intentions were thwarted;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. preceding note. Either his intentions to return quickly (Rashi). or to have this man particularly as the hirer. ');">⁶</span>

היכי דמי אי דשכיח למזבן חמר נמי ליעכב ואי דלא שכיח למזבן שוכר נמי לא ליעכב

or on account of the additional cordage necessary.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the extra load (which the second may wish to add, according to Tosaf., or quite simply, on Rashi's interpretation). The shipowner having failed to provide himself with additional cordage, may have to pay a higher price for the cordage on his voyage than in the ship's home port, and therefore he has cause for resentment. ');">⁷</span>

אמר רב פפא לא צריכא דשכיח למטרח ולמזבן מאוונא לאוונא חמר דרכיה למטרח ולמזבן שוכר לאו דרכיה למטרח ולמזבן

Our Rabbis taught: If one hires an ass for riding, the hirer may put upon it his clothing,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Var. lec.: his pillow for sleeping. ');">⁸</span>

ת"ר השוכר את החמור לרכוב עליה איש לא תרכב עליה אשה אשה רוכב עליה איש ואשה בין גדולה ובין קטנה אפילו מעוברת ואפילו מניקה

water bottle, and provisions for that journey; beyond that, the ass-driver<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The owner. ');">⁹</span>

השתא מניקה אמרת מעוברת מיבעיא אמר רב פפא מעוברת והיא מניקה קאמר

can prevent him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He can object to a greater burden being placed upon the ass, seeing that it was hired only for riding, but these being neccesities are included therein. ');">¹⁰</span>

אמר אביי שמע מינה ביניתא אכרסה תקלה למאי נפקא מינה למקח וממכר

The ass-owner can place upon it the fodder, straw and provisions for one day; but beyond that, the hirer can prevent him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It appears that the ass-driver had to provide the ass's food for the journey. The ass-driver can therefore place upon it the food for one day only. But the latter cannot insist on loading it at the outset with all the necessary provisions, for such a heavy load might retard the rate of progress. ');">¹¹</span> How is it meant? If [food] can be purchased, let the ass-driver too prevent him;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the hirer, from loading it with the whole of the provisions required for the journey. ');">¹²</span> whilst [if provisions] are not obtainable [on the road], the hirer too should not be able to prevent him! — R. Papa answered: This arises when it is indeed possible to procure it, after some trouble, from stage to stage. Now, for the ass-driver it is a normal matter to take trouble and purchase [his stores at various places],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That being part of his work. ');">¹³</span> but not for the hirer. Our Rabbis taught: If one hires an ass for a man to ride upon it, It may not be ridden by a woman; if for a woman, it may be ridden by a man; and a woman [includes] both large and small, and even if pregnant or one giving suck.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., if an ass is hired for a woman, any woman may ride upon it. ');">¹⁴</span> Seeing that you permit a woman giving suck,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which means with the child she is feeding (Rashi). ');">¹⁵</span> is it necessary to state a pregnant woman? — R. Papa said: It means, even a pregnant woman who is at the same time feeding [another infant]. Abaye said: This proves that the weight of a fish depends on the size of its belly.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since it is mentioned that a pregnant woman is heavier than another. ');">¹⁶</span> What does this matter? — In respect of buying and selling.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If one buys a fish by weight, he should first have the belly removed. ');">¹⁷</span>