Bava Metzia 209

תרי עיסקי וחד שטרא פסידא דלוה

If two '<i>iska</i>s were arranged but only one bond drawn up, it is to the debtor's disadvantage.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If two 'iskas were arranged on different dates, but recorded in one note, the result is the converse of the preceding, and hence to the trader's disadvantage. ');">¹</span>

ואמר רבא האי מאן דקביל עיסקא מן חבריה ופסיד טרח ומלייה ולא אודעיה לא מצי אמר ליה דרי מהיאך פסידא בהדאי משום דאמר ליה... להכי טרחת למליותיה כי היכי דלא ליקרו לך מפסיד עיסקי

Raba also said: If a man accepted an '<i>iska</i> from his fellow, and lost thereon; but then made it good by an effort, yet had not informed him [the investor of the loss], he cannot [then] say to him, 'Deduct the previous loss incurred;'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., bear half of that loss, whilst receiving only a third of the profits earned subsequently. ');">²</span>

ואמר רבא הני בי תרי דעבדי עיסקא בהדי הדדי ורווח וא"ל חד לחבריה תא ליפלוג אי א"ל אידך נרווח טפי דינא הוא דמעכב ואי א"ל הב לי פלגא דרווחא אמר ליה רווחא לקרנא משתעבד

because he can retort, 'You took the trouble of making it good to avoid the odium of inefficiency.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'Not to be called, one who causes losses in investments.' ');">³</span>

ואי א"ל הב לי פלג' רווחא ופלגא קרנא אמר ליה עיסקא להדדי משועבד ואי א"ל נפלוג רווחא ונפלוג קרנא ואי מטי לך פסידא דרינא בהדך א"ל לא מזלא דבי תרי עדיף:

Raba also said: If two men accept<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From an investor, a period being fixed for its winding up. ');">⁴</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> המקבל שדה מחבירו ולא רצה לנכש ואמר לו מה איכפת לך הואיל ואני נותן לך את חכירך אין שומעין לו מפני שיכול לומר לו למחר אתה יוצא ממנה ומעלת לפני עשבים:

an '<i>iska</i> and make a profit, and one says to the other, 'Come, let us divide now' [before the time for winding up]: then if the other objects [saying], 'Let us earn more profits,' he can legally restrain him [from closing the transaction]. [For] if he claims, 'Give me half the profits,' he can reply, 'The profit is mortgaged for the principal.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In case there are subsequent losses. ');">⁵</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> אי א"ל לבתר הכי כריבנא לה אמר ליה חטי מעלייתא בעינא ואי א"ל זביננא לך חטי משוקא א"ל חטי דארעאי בעינא ואי א"ל מנכישנא לך שיעור מנתיך א"ל קא מנסבת שם רע לארעאי

Whilst if he proposes, 'Give me half the profits and half of the principal,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the return of which the trader is personally responsible to the investor. ');">⁶</span>

והתנן מפני שמעלת לפני עשבים אלא משום דא"ל בזרא דנפל נפל:

he can answer, '[The parts of the] '<i>iska</i> are interdependent.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'You might profit on your half, and I lose on mine; but both halves are security for each other.' ');">⁷</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> המקבל שדה מחבירו ולא עשתה אם יש בה כדי להעמיד כרי חייב לטפל בה א"ר יהודה מאי קצבה בכרי אלא אם יש בה כדי נפילה:

Whilst if he proposes, 'Let us divide the profit and the principal, and should you incur a loss I will bear it with you:' he can answer, 'No. The fortune of two is better than that of one.'

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> ת"ר המקבל שדה מחבירו ולא עשתה אם יש בה כדי להעמיד כרי חייב לטפל בה שכך כותב לו אנא אוקים ואניר ואזרע ואחצוד ואעמר ואדוש ואידרי ואוקים כריא קדמך ותיתי אנת ותיטול פלגא ואנא בעמלי ובנפקות ידי פלגא

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. IF A MAN LEASES A FIELD FROM HIS NEIGHBOUR AND REFUSES TO WEED IT, SAYING, WHAT DOES IT MATTER TO YOU, SEEING THAT I PAY YOU YOUR RENTAL?' HIS PLEA IS NOT HEEDED, BECAUSE HE [THE LESSOR] CAN REPLY, 'TOMORROW YOU MAY LEASE IT, AND IT WILL BE OVERGROWN WITH WEEDS.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This can apply only to a fixed rental lease, for in the case of a percentage lease the tenant obviously cannot argue thus. ');">⁸</span>

וכמה כדי להעמיד בה כרי א"ר יוסי בר' חנינא כדי שתעמוד בו הרחת איבעיא להו רחת היוצא מהאי גיסא להאי גיסא מאי

<b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. And should he [the tenant] say, 'I will plough it afterwards,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Gemara continues the argument of the Mishnah. should the tenant say, 'I will plough the field after the harvest.' (V. supra). ');">⁹</span>

ת"ש א"ר אבהו לדידי מפרשא לי מיניה דר' יוסי בר' חנינא כל שאין כונס שלו רואה פני החמה איתמר לוי אמר שלש סאין דבי רבי ינאי אמרי סאתים אמר ר"ל סאתים שאמרו חוץ מן ההוצאה

he can reply, 'I want good wheat.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The rental being a fixed measure of the wheat grown by the tenant. But if the field is not weeded, the crop is of poor quality. ');">¹⁰</span>

תנן התם פריצי זיתים וענבים ב"ש מטמאין וב"ה מטהרין

And should he say, 'I will buy for you wheat from the market,' he can answer, 'I want wheat from my own soil.' Should he reply, 'Then I will weed for you the area necessary for your portion,' he can retort, 'You will bring my land unto disrepute.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If it is seen overgrown with weeds. ');">¹¹</span>

מאי פריצי זיתים אמר רב הונא רשעי זיתים אמר רב יוסף ומאי קראה (דניאל יא, יד) [ובני] פריצי עמך ינשאו להעמיד חזון ונכשלו ר"נ בר יצחק אמר מהכא (יחזקאל יח, י) והוליד בן פריץ שופך דם

But we learnt, because IT WILL BE OVERGROWN WITH WEEDS!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which shews that that is an all-sufficing reply. ');">¹²</span>

וכמה פריצי זיתים ר' אלעזר אמר ארבעת קבין לקורה דבי ר' ינאי אמרי סאתים לקורה

— But [he is not heeded] because he can answer him, 'Once a bung falls out, it is fallen.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the wine that gushes out cannot be replaced. So here too, even if the tenant offers to plough the field after the harvest, he can reply, 'Once weeds have taken root, they cannot be entirely eradicated.' ');">¹³</span>

ולא פליגי הא באתרא דמעיילי כורא באוללא הא באתרא דמעיילי תלתא כורין באוללא

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. IF A MAN LEASES A FIELD TO HIS NEIGHBOUR, AND IT DOES NOT YIELD [A SATISFACTORY CROP]: IF THERE IS ENOUGH TO MAKE A STACK, HE [THE TENANT] IS BOUND TO GO ON WORKING THEREIN.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though he wishes to cease work, the yield being in, sufficient reward for his labour. ');">¹⁴</span>

תנו רבנן

SAID R. JUDAH: WHAT STANDARD IS A STACK?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Surely the same limit cannot apply to all fields, irrespective of size! ');">¹⁵</span> BUT [THE STANDARD IS] IF THERE IS ENOUGH FOR RESOWING.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., if the yield is at least sufficient to resow the field the following year. ');">¹⁶</span> <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Our Rabbis taught: If a man leases a field from his neighbour, and it does not yield [a satisfactory crop], and there is enough to make a stack, he [the tenant] is bound to go on working therein, because he writes him thus:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the tenancy agreement. ');">¹⁷</span> 'I will stand, plough, sow, cut, bind, thresh, winnow, and set up a stack before you, and you will come and receive half; whilst I will receive half in return for my labour and expenses.' And how much is meant by, 'enough to make a stack'? — R. Jose son of R. Hanina said: Sufficient for the winnowing fan to stand therein.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If put into the pile, it will stand upright. ');">¹⁸</span> The scholars propounded: What if the winnowing fan protrudes from both sides?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whilst the stack is sufficient to maintain it upright, the whole breadth of the fan is not covered in, but protrudes from both sides of the pile. Does the law of the Mishnah and Baraitha apply in this case or not? ');">¹⁹</span> — Come and hear: R. Abbahu said: I received an explanation thereof from R. Jose son of R. Hanina: Providing that the receiver does not see the sun.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The receiver is the lower part of the shovel which receives the grain; this must be entirely covered in by the pile, i.e., 'not see the sun,' and the sides of the shovel are part of the receiver. ');">²⁰</span> It has been stated: Levi said: Three se'ahs; the School of R. Jannai said: Two; Resh Lakish said: The two se'ahs mentioned are exclusive of expenses.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This quantity must be left clear, in order for the tenant to be bound to go on cultivating the field. ');">²¹</span> We learnt elsewhere: Wild olives and grapes — Beth Shammai declare them unclean; Beth Hillel, Clean.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Beth Shammai regard them as fit to be eaten, hence they are subject to the uncleanness of food; Beth Hillel maintain that they are not fit, and therefore exempt from that law. ');">²²</span> What is meant by 'wild [perize] olives?' — Said R. Huna: Wicked olives [i.e., which yield very little oil]. R. Joseph said: And what verse [warrants this interpretation]? — <i>Also the robbers</i> [perize] <i>of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fail</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Dan. XI, 14. ');">²³</span> R. Nahman b. Isaac said: It is from this verse: <i>If he beget a son that is a robber</i> [pariz] <i>a shedder of blood</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XVIII, 10. ');">²⁴</span> And what is the standard of wild olives?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How little oil must they produce to be put in this category? ');">²⁵</span> — R. Eleazar said: Four <i>kabs</i> per loading.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], the beam of the olive press. If when that is fully laden with olives there is not more than four kabs yield, they are designated 'wild olives.' ');">²⁶</span> The School of R. Janna said: Two se'ahs. But there is no dispute: the former treats of a place when one <i>kor</i> is put into the press at a time; the latter, where three <i>kors</i> are put into the press.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The presses varied in size, which explains the varying definitions. One se'ah = 6 kabs, hence 2 se'ahs = 3 times 4 kabs. ');">²⁷</span> Our Rabbis taught: