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Bava Metzia 55a

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Bava Metzia 55a

Bava Metzia 55a. The full printed text of this folio side — 19 numbered segments, about 408 words — with the classic commentaries printed on the page.

Original text

Segment 1

בְּאֶמְצַע הֶקְדֵּשׁ, לֵיתַהּ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לְפִי שֶׁאֵינָהּ בְּסוֹף הֶקְדֵּשׁ.

but it is not subject to an intermediate stage of consecration resulting from redemption? Ravina said to him: It is due to the fact that it is not subject to ultimate consecration. A non-kosher animal does not ultimately remain consecrated, as it is used neither as an offering nor in the upkeep of the Temple. Instead, it is redeemed and its value is consecrated.

Segment 2

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב אַחָא: מִדִּיפְתִּי לְרָבִינָא, בְּאֶמְצַע הֶקְדֵּשׁ מִיהָא אִיתַהּ, וְלוֹסֵיף נָמֵי חוֹמֶשׁ! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הֲרֵי הוּא כְּסוֹף הֶקְדֵּשׁ, מָה סוֹף הֶקְדֵּשׁ אֵינוֹ מוֹסִיף חוֹמֶשׁ – אַף אֶמְצַע הֶקְדֵּשׁ אֵינוֹ מוֹסִיף חוֹמֶשׁ.

Rav Aḥa of Difti said to Ravina: It is subject, at least, to an intermediate stage of consecration; and in that case, let one add one-fifth as well. Ravina said to him: Its legal status is like that of ultimate consecration: Just as one does not add one-fifth with regard to a non-kosher animal in ultimate consecration, as that category does not exist in a non-kosher animal, so too, one does not add one-fifth in a case of intermediate consecration.

Segment 3

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב זוּטְרָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב מָרִי לְרָבִינָא: מַאי חָזֵית דִּמְדַמֵּית לֵיהּ לְסוֹף הֶקְדֵּשׁ? נְדַמְּיֵיהּ לִתְחִילַּת הֶקְדֵּשׁ! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מִסְתַּבְּרָא לְסוֹף הֶקְדֵּשׁ הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְדַמּוֹיֵי, שֶׁכֵּן נִתְפָּס מִנִּתְפָּס. אַדְּרַבָּה: לִתְחִילַּת הֶקְדֵּשׁ הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְדַמּוֹיֵי, שֶׁכֵּן דָּבָר שֶׁיֵּשׁ אַחֲרָיו קְדוּשָּׁה מִדָּבָר שֶׁיֵּשׁ אַחֲרָיו קְדוּשָּׁה!

Rav Zutra, son of Rav Mari, said to Ravina: What did you see that led you to liken the intermediate stage of consecration to ultimate consecration? Let us liken it to initial consecration. Ravina said to him: It stands to reason that he should liken it to ultimate consecration, as he thereby derives the halakha of an item consecrated by association with the sanctity of an item consecrated by association. The Gemara asks: On the contrary, he should have likened it to initial consecration, as he thereby derives the halakha of an item after which there is another stage of sanctity, the intermediate stage of consecration, from an item after which there is another stage of sanctity.

Segment 4

כִּדְאָמַר רָבָא ״הָעֹלָה״ – עוֹלָה רִאשׁוֹנָה. הָכִי נָמֵי ״הַטְּמֵאָה״ – טְמֵאָה רִאשׁוֹנָה.

The Gemara answers: It is as Rava says: “The burnt-offering” (Leviticus 6:2), employing the definite article, indicates that the reference is to the first burnt-offering. So too, when it is written: The non-kosher animal, the reference is to the initial consecration of the non-kosher animal, not the intermediate stage of consecration.

Segment 5

תַּנְיָא כְּווֹתֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: ״פָּרָה זוֹ תַּחַת פָּרָה שֶׁל הֶקְדֵּשׁ״, ״טַלִּית זוֹ תַּחַת טַלִּית שֶׁל הֶקְדֵּשׁ״ – הֶקְדֵּשׁוֹ פָּדוּי, וְיַד הֶקְדֵּשׁ עַל הָעֶלְיוֹנָה.

The Gemara comments: It is taught in a baraita in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: If one said that this cow is in place of that cow, which belongs to the Temple treasury, or this garment is in place of that garment, which belongs to the Temple treasury, his consecrated property is redeemed, and the treasurer of consecrated property is at an advantage. If the replacement item is equal to or more valuable than the original item, it belongs to the treasurer, and if it is less valuable, the one who consecrated it must pay the difference.

Segment 6

״פָּרָה זוֹ בְּחָמֵשׁ סְלָעִים תַּחַת פָּרָה שֶׁל הֶקְדֵּשׁ״, ״טַלִּית זוֹ בְּחָמֵשׁ סְלָעִים תַּחַת טַלִּית שֶׁל הֶקְדֵּשׁ״ – הֶקְדֵּשׁוֹ פָּדוּי. עַל הֶקְדֵּשׁ רִאשׁוֹן מוֹסִיף חוֹמֶשׁ, עַל הֶקְדֵּשׁ שֵׁנִי אֵין מוֹסִיף חוֹמֶשׁ.

If he said: This cow valued at five sela is in place of this cow, which belongs to the Temple treasury, or: This garment valued at five sela is instead of this garment, which belongs to the Temple treasury, his consecrated property is redeemed. Even if the second consecrated item is more valuable, it is not considered a consecration done in error. He will have to pay the difference. He adds one-fifth when redeeming the item that was the initial consecration, but when redeeming the item for which the initial consecration was redeemed, the second consecration, he does not add one-fifth.

Segment 7

מַתְנִי׳ הָאוֹנָאָה – אַרְבָּעָה כֶּסֶף, וְהַטַּעֲנָה – שְׁתֵּי כֶּסֶף, וְהַהוֹדָאָה – שָׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה.

MISHNA: The measure of exploitation is four silver ma’a from the twenty-four silver ma’a of a sela . And the smallest monetary claim in court for which a plaintiff can obligate a respondent to take an oath is two silver ma’a . And the smallest monetary admission for which that respondent takes the oath is an admission that one owes at least the value of one peruta .

Segment 8

חָמֵשׁ פְּרוּטוֹת הֵן: הַהוֹדָאָה שָׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה, וְהָאִשָּׁה מִתְקַדֶּשֶׁת בְּשָׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה, וְהַנֶּהֱנֶה בְּשָׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה מִן הַהֶקְדֵּשׁ מָעַל, וְהַמּוֹצֵא שָׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה חַיָּיב לְהַכְרִיז, וְהַגּוֹזֵל אֶת חֲבֵירוֹ שָׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה וְנִשְׁבַּע לוֹ, יוֹלִיכֶנּוּ אַחֲרָיו אֲפִילּוּ לְמָדַי.

On a related note, the tanna adds that there are five halakhic situations involving perutot : The admission to part of a claim must be that one owes at least the value of one peruta , and a woman is betrothed with the value of one peruta . And one who derives benefit of the value of one peruta from consecrated property has misused consecrated property and is liable to bring an offering, and one who finds an item that has the value of one peruta is obligated to proclaim that he found it. And with regard to one who robs from another an item that has the value of one peruta and took an oath to him that he robbed nothing, when he repents and seeks to return the stolen item he must take it and follow its owner even to Media. In that case, he may not return the item by means of a messenger; he must give it directly to its owner.

Segment 9

גְּמָ׳ תְּנֵינָא חֲדָא זִימְנָא: הָאוֹנָאָה אַרְבָּעָה כֶּסֶף מֵעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה כֶּסֶף לַסֶּלַע, שְׁתוּת לְמִקָּח! הַטַּעֲנָה שְׁתֵּי כֶּסֶף וְהַהוֹדָאָה שָׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה אִצְטְרִיכָא לֵיהּ.

GEMARA: The Gemara asks: We already learned this on another occasion in an earlier mishna (49b): The measure of exploitation for which one can claim that he was exploited is four silver ma’a from the twenty-four silver ma’a in a sela , which is one-sixth of the transaction. The Gemara answers: It was necessary for the tanna to mention two halakhot : The smallest monetary claim in court for which a plaintiff can obligate a respondent to take an oath is two silver ma’a , and the smallest monetary admission for which that respondent takes the oath is an admission that one owes at least the value of one peruta . Therefore, the tanna cited the halakha of exploitation as well.

Segment 10

הָא נָמֵי תְּנֵינָא: שְׁבוּעַת הַדַּיָּינִין, הַטַּעֲנָה שְׁתֵּי כֶּסֶף וְהַהוֹדָאָה שָׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה! סֵיפָא אִצְטְרִיכָא לֵיהּ, דְּקָתָנֵי: חָמֵשׁ פְּרוּטוֹת הֵן.

The Gemara asks: That too we already learned in a mishna ( Shevuot 38b): The oath for admission to part of a claim imposed by the judges is in a case where the claim is two silver ma’a , and the admission is the value of one peruta . The Gemara answers: It was necessary for the tanna to teach the latter clause of the mishna, as it teaches: There are five halakhic situations involving perutot , which is not taught elsewhere.

Segment 11

חָמֵשׁ פְּרוּטוֹת הֵן כּוּ׳. וְלִיתְנֵי נָמֵי הָאוֹנָאָה פְּרוּטָה? אָמַר רַב כָּהֲנָא: זֹאת אוֹמֶרֶת, אֵין אוֹנָאָה לִפְרוּטוֹת.

§ The mishna teaches: There are five halakhic situations involving perutot . The Gemara asks: And let the tanna also teach that the measure of exploitation is one peruta . Rav Kahana said: That is to say that there is no exploitation concerning perutot . Any disparity between value and price that is less than the value of the smallest silver coin, an issar , which is worth eight perutot , is not considered exploitation.

Segment 12

וְלֵוִי אָמַר: יֵשׁ אוֹנָאָה לִפְרוּטוֹת. וְכֵן תָּנֵי לֵוִי בְּמַתְנִיתֵיהּ: חָמֵשׁ פְּרוּטוֹת הֵן: הָאוֹנָאָה פְּרוּטָה, וְהַהוֹדָאָה פְּרוּטָה, וְקִדּוּשֵׁי אִשָּׁה בִּפְרוּטָה, וְגָזֵל בִּפְרוּטָה, וִישִׁיבַת הַדַּיָּינִין בִּפְרוּטָה.

And Levi says: There is exploitation even for perutot . And likewise, Levi taught in his version of the Mishna, which parallels the Mishna redacted by Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, that there are five halakhic situations involving perutot : The measure of exploitation is one peruta , the admission is the value of one peruta , and the betrothal of a woman is with one peruta , and the halakha of one who takes an oath denying a robbery applies in the case where he denies having robbed another of at least one peruta , and the convening of judges to adjudicate a case of monetary law is in the case where the claim is at least one peruta .

Segment 13

וְתַנָּא דִּידַן, מַאי טַעְמָא לָא קָתָנֵי יְשִׁיבַת הַדַּיָּינִין? תְּנָא לֵיהּ גָּזֵל.

The Gemara asks: And with regard to the tanna of our mishna, what is the reason he does not teach the case of the convening of judges in his list of cases involving perutot ? The Gemara answers: He taught the case of robbery, which includes all monetary claims one has against another.

Segment 14

וּמִי לָא תָּנֵי גָּזֵל וְקָתָנֵי אֲבֵידָה? הָנָךְ אִצְטְרִיכָא לֵיהּ: גָּזֵל – הַגּוֹזֵל מֵחֲבֵירוֹ שָׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה וְנִשְׁבָּע לוֹ, יוֹלִיכֶנּוּ אַחֲרָיו וַאֲפִילּוּ לִמְדִי. אֲבֵידָה – הַמּוֹצֵא אֲבֵידָה שָׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה חַיָּיב לְהַכְרִיז, וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּזַל.

The Gemara asks: But doesn’t the tanna teach the case of robbery and teach the case of lost property? Apparently, he lists monetary cases that are included under the rubric of robbery. The Gemara answers: With regard to these two cases, it was necessary for the tanna to teach them separately, as there is a novel element in each. The novel element in the case of robbery is not only that a robbery of one peruta is considered robbery, but also in the case of one who robs an item from another worth at least one peruta and then took an oath to him that he robbed nothing, he must carry the stolen item and follow its owner even to Media. The novel element in the case of lost property is that one who finds lost property the value of at least one peruta is obligated to proclaim that he found it, even though the lost article depreciated and is no longer worth one peruta .

Segment 15

וְלֵוִי, מַאי טַעְמָא לָא תָּנֵי אֲבֵידָה בִּפְרוּטָה? תְּנָא לֵיהּ גָּזֵל.

The Gemara asks: And as for Levi, what is the reason he does not teach that one is obligated to proclaim that he found lost property only if it is worth at least one peruta ? The Gemara answers: He taught the case of robbery, which includes all monetary claims one has against another.

Segment 16

וּמִי לָא קָתָנֵי גָּזֵל וְקָתָנֵי יְשִׁיבַת הַדַּיָּינִין? יְשִׁיבַת הַדַּיָּינִין אִצְטְרִיכָא לֵיהּ, לְאַפּוֹקֵי מִדְּרַב קַטִּינָא, דְּאָמַר רַב קַטִּינָא: בֵּית דִּין נִזְקָקִין אֲפִילּוּ לְפָחוֹת מִשָּׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה.

The Gemara asks: But doesn’t he teach robbery and also teach the convening of judges? Apparently, he lists monetary cases that are included under the rubric of robbery. The Gemara explains: With regard to the convening of judges it was necessary for the tanna to specify the halakha to exclude the opinion of Rav Ketina, as Rav Ketina says: The court attends to monetary claims of even less than the value of one peruta . Anyone wronged by another is entitled to have his case adjudicated in court.

Segment 17

וְלֵוִי, מַאי טַעְמָא לָא קָתָנֵי הֶקְדֵּשׁ? בְּחוּלִּין קָמַיְירֵי, בְּקָדָשִׁים לָא קָמַיְירֵי.

The Gemara asks: And as for Levi, what is the reason he does not teach the peruta of misuse of consecrated property? The Gemara answers: He is speaking with regard to non-sacred property; he is not speaking with regard to consecrated property.

Segment 18

אֶלָּא תַּנָּא דִּידַן דְּקָא מַיְירֵי בְּקָדָשִׁים, נִתְנֵי מַעֲשֵׂר בִּפְרוּטָה? כְּמַאן דְּאָמַר אֵין בְּחוּמְשׁוֹ פְּרוּטָה. וְלִיתְנֵי חוֹמֶשׁ מַעֲשֵׂר בִּפְרוּטָה? בְּקַרְנָא קָא מַיְירֵי, בְּחוֹמֶשׁ לָא קָא מַיְירֵי.

The Gemara asks: But in the case of the tanna of our mishna, who is speaking with regard to consecrated property, let him teach the halakha that second tithe may be redeemed only if the produce is worth at least one peruta . The Gemara answers: This tanna holds in accordance with the one who says: Second tithe is redeemed only if its one-fifth, which one adds when redeeming his own produce, is worth at least one peruta . In other words, second tithe is redeemed only if it is worth at least four perutot . The Gemara asks: And let him teach that second tithe is redeemed only if its one-fifth, which one adds when redeeming his own produce, is worth at least one peruta . The Gemara responds: The tanna is speaking with regard to the principal; the tanna is not speaking with regard to the one-fifth.

Segment 19

גּוּפָא, אָמַר רַב קַטִּינָא: בֵּית דִּין נִזְקָקִין אֲפִילּוּ לְפָחוֹת מִשָּׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה. מֵתִיב רָבָא: ״וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר חָטָא מִן הַקֹּדֶשׁ יְשַׁלֵּם״,

§ With regard to the matter itself raised in the previous discussion, the Gemara elaborates. Rav Ketina says: The court attends to monetary claims of even less than the value of one peruta . Rava raises an objection from a baraita . It is written: “And he shall make restitution for that which he has done amiss in the sacred matter” (Leviticus 5:16).

Bava Metzia 55a

Bava Metzia 55a

Rashi

Tosafot

Meiri

Maharsha (Chidushei Halachot)

Maharam

Shita Mekubetzet

Penei Yehoshua

Gilyon HaShas

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