ANSWERS TO REVIEW QUESTIONS
prepared by Rabbi Eliezer Chrysler
Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Jerusalem
Previous daf
Bava Metzia 78
BAVA METZIA 76-79 - Ari Kornfeld has generously sponsored the
Dafyomi publications for these Dafim for the benefit of Klal
Yisrael.
|
Questions
1)
(a) If someone sells a big field because he cannot find purchasers for the
small field that he was trying to sell, if he subsequently pesters the
purchaser for the money - we take it for granted that he wants the money in
order to buy a small field in place of the half that he was forced to sell
against his will. Consequently, the sale is not valid until the purchaser
has paid the last penny.
(b) The Safek we have in a similar case, but where we assess that he could
have sold the small field had he exerted himself is - does the fact that he
did not bother to exert himself to save the big field mean that he does not
really care for it, and maybe the sale is valid (like someone who a field
that is in bad shape) or not.
(c) The outcome of the She'eilah is 'Teiku' ('Tishbi Yetaretz Kushyos
ve'Iba'ayos').
2)
(a) We learned in our Mishnah that, in a case of Davar ha'Avud, if the
workers retracted, 'Socher Aleihen ... '. Rav Nachman permits the employer
to hire new workers on their account - up to however much they were already
owed when they retracted (which he may now add on to however much the
remaining work would have cost him).
(b) When Rava queried Rav Nachman from the Beraisa that we cited above,
which permits him to pay as much as forty or fifty Zuz, he reconciled his
statement with the Beraisa - by establishing that Beraisa when the workers
had left goods to that value with him for safekeeping (as was customary in
those days). These he may now retain to pay towards the hire of fresh
workers.
3)
(a) Our Mishnah rules that someone who hires a donkey to take to the
mountains, and in violation of the agreement, he takes it to the valley, or
vice-versa, and it dies - is liable to pay, even if both distances are ten
Mil.
(b) The Tana then seems to repeat the same cases, making a distinction
between whether the donkey died from overheating or because it slipped. If
he changed and took it ...
1. ... to the mountains - then, if it died from overheating, he is Patur
(because it would certainly have overheated had he taken it to the valley,
which is hot because it is surrounded by mountains); whereas if it slipped,
fell and died, he is liable, because that would not have happened in the
valley.
2. ... to the valley - then the opposite is true, and he will be liable if
the animal died from overheating, but Patur if it slipped, fell and died.
(c) He will be Chayav for taking the animal into the mountains however, even
if it died because of the heat - if the heat was the result of the climb.
(d) The Tana states that if someone hires a donkey and ...
1. ... 'Hivrikah (which will be explained later) O Na'asis Angaryah' (which
mean that it was taken by the king's men to do work for the king - the owner
can say 'Harei she'Lecha Lefanecha'.
2. ... and it dies - he is obligated to sell the carcass and use the
proceeds to hire a new animal for the hirer, and even to add money from his
own pocket if necessary (see Rashash). Failing that, he must return his
money.
4)
(a) In view of the Seifa of our Mishnah, which distinguishes between whether
the donkey died from overheating or from slipping, de'Bei Rebbi Yanai
explains the Reisha of our Mishnah, which obligates the hirer who violated
his agreement and took the donkey into the mountains or into the valley
S'tam, when the animal died because of the air of either place, to which it
was not accustomed. Rebbi Yossi b'Rebbi Chanina attributes it to 'Uvtzena' -
which means fatigue (i.e. in the mountains, the climb caused it to
subsequently become fatigued, and in the valley, it was the lack of the
fresh mountain air to which it was used, that caused it).
(b) According to Rebbi Yochanan, the Reisha and the Seifa constitute a
Machlokes Tana'im. The author of the Reisha, which does not differentiate
between overheating and slipping, is Rebbi Meir, who holds - that whoever
deviates from the instructions of the owner, is called a Gazlan (and is
therefore liable, even for Onsin).
(c) Rabah gives a fourth answer to the Kashya, establishing both the Reisha
and the Seifa - when the donkey died from a snakebite.
78b---------------------------------------78b
Questions
5)
We just cited Rebbi Yochanan, who establishes the author of the Reisha of
the Beraisa as Rebbi Meir, who holds that someone who deviates from the
instructions of the owner, is called a Gazlan (and is therefore liable, even
for Onsin). This might not refer to the Mishnah in Bava Kama, where Rebbi
Meir says that if a dyer dyes red the wool that he was given to dye black or
vice-versa, he must pay for the wool - because perhaps the reason there is
(not because he is considered a Gazlan, but) because the dyer acquired the
wool with Shinuy Ma'aseh, a reason that is not applicable in our Mishnah.
6)
(a) "When the Tana of the Beraisa says ...
1. ... 'Mageves Purim le'Purim', he means - that money that is collected
specifically for the Se'udas Purim for poor people, may only be used for
that purpose.
2. ... 've'Ein Medakdekin be'Davar' - that we do not limit their meals to
what they regularly eat, but buy calves in abundance and serve it to them.
(b) And he says - the same about money that is collected for the poor of a
specific town.
(c) Any excess Purim money or food that is left, he adds - goes to Tzedakah.
(d) Rebbi Eliezer forbids the money for Purim to be used even to purchase a
shoelace for a poor man - unless one makes a condition to that effect in the
presence of the townspeople who donated it.
7)
(a) Raban Shimon ben Gamliel - is lenient (though it is not clear to what
extent).
(b) It is Rebbi Ya'akov in the name of Rebbi Meir who quoted Rebbi Eliezer.
We suggest - that this is where Rebbi Meir holds that whoever deviates from
the instructions of the owner, is called a Gazlan.
(c) But we refute this proof too - on the grounds that the reason there is
only because the people gave the money specifically for that purpose, a
S'vara that would also not apply to our Mishnah.
8)
(a) We finally cite Rebbi Meir in another Beraisa, whom Rebbi Shimon ben
Elazar quoted as saying - that someone who donates a Dinar to a poor man
stipulating that he buys himself a shirt may not use the money to buy a
cloak or vice-versa.
(b) Rebbi Meir's reason cannot be to avoid suspicion falling on the donor
that he promised but failed to keep his word - because the Tana should then
have said so (and not 'Mipnei she'Ma'avir al Da'as Ba'l ha'Bayis').
9)
(a) We learned in our Mishnah 'ha'Socher es ha'Chamor ve'Hivrikah, Omer Lo
Harei she'Lecha Lefanecha'. According to some, 've'Hivrikah' means that the
animal lost its sight. Rava translates it as - worms in the feet.
(b) They asked that man who claimed that he saw moths in the king's
wardrobe - whether he saw them among the 'silver' garments or the 'golden'
ones.
(c) Some quote him as having replied that he saw them in the silver
garments, and others, in the golden ones. 'Silver' and 'gold' in this
context means garments of linen and garments of wool dyed red, respectively.
(d) According to those who quote him as having said in the silver garments,
they put him to death - because he lied, since moths do not eat linen
garments.
10)
(a) Rav qualifies our Mishnah ''O she'Na'asis Angarya, Omer Lo Harei
she'Lecha Lefanecha', restricting it to an Angarya Chozeres, which means
that the donkey was only seized temporarily, and that it will be returned
shortly (see Tosfos DH 'be'Angarya').
(b) In the case of an Angarya she'Einah Chozeres (which is permanent) - the
owner is obligated to supply the hirer with a new donkey, because it is no
different than if the first donkey had died.
(c) Shmuel makes no distinction between 'Angarya Chozeres' and 'Angarya
she'Einah Chozeres' - but he does draw a distinction between 'be'Derech
Halichasah' (where the king's men are taking the same route as the hirer),
and 'La'av be'Derech Halichasah' (where they are not).
(d) By the former, where the king's men tend to constantly switch animals,
taking someone else's and returning the previous one to its owner, the owner
can say to the hirer that seeing as his (the hirer's) Mazel caused the
animal to be taken no less than his own, he should hire a fresh animal and
continue along the way until the king's men find another animal and return
his (see Tosfos DH 'Im').
11)
(a) In a case of 'ha'Socher es ha'Chamor ...
1. ... ve'Hivrikah O she'Nishtatsah', the Tana rules - 'Omer Lo Harei
she'Lecha Lefanecha'.
2. ... Meisah O she'Na'asis Angarya' - 'Chayav Le'ha'amid Lo Chamor Acher'.
(b) This Beraisa presents a problem - on Shmuel, who does not differentiate
between an Angarya Chozeres and an Angarya she'Einah Chozeres'. How will he
then explain the discrepancy between this Beraisa and our Mishnah?
(c) We cannot simply establish the Beraisa when they took the donkey along
the same route that he was taking - because Rebbi Shimon ben Elazar in the
Seifa makes this distinction, indicating that the Tana Kama does not agree
with it.
(d) Initially, Shmuel reconciles his opinion with the Beraisa - by
establishing himself like Rebbi Shimon ben Elazar.
12)
(a) Alternatively, he establishes the entire Beraisa like Rebbi Shimon ben
Elazar (with whom nobody argues).
(b) The Beraisa 'Meisah O she'Na'asis Angarya Chayav Le'ha'amid Lo Chamor
Acher' continues - ba'Meh Devarim Amurim, she'Lo be'Derech Halichasah, Aval
be'Derech Halichasah Omer Lo Harei she'Lecha Lefanecha, Divrei Rebbi Shimon
ben Elazar, she'Hayah Rebbi Shimon ben Elazar Omer ... '.
13)
(a) The problem with establishing the Beraisa like Rebbi Shimon ben Elazar
is - that in another Beraisa, he says 'ha'Socher es ha'Chamor Li'rekov Alav,
ve'Hivrikah O she'Nishtatsah, Chayav Le'ha'amid Lo Acher', whilst the Reisha
of our Beraisa rules 'Omer Lo Harei she'Lecha Lefanecha'?
(b) Rabah bar Rav Huna resolves this problem - by confining the ruling of
the latter Beraisa to when the hirer hired the donkey specifically to ride
on (as indeed the Tana stipulates), which is not feasible on a blind or
crazy donkey, whereas the former Beraisa speaks a donkey that was hired for
transportation.
(c) Transporting glass vessels, says Rav Papa - has the same Din as riding
in this regard.
Next daf
|