Bava Basra 94a

בבא בתרא צ״ד ע״א

Bava Batra 94a

Learn Bava Basra 94a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

How much dirt a buyer of produce must accept, and רב הונא's rule that a buyer who finds too much may sift out all of it

Overview

The עמוד opens at the end of a challenge from the previous עמוד. Someone who removes a pebble from another person's grain must pay the price of wheat for it, which shows that buyers accept some dirt in their produce. The גמרא answers that a buyer accepts a רובע of קטנית per סאה but less than a רובע of עפרורית. A ברייתא allows a full רובע of dirt in עדשים, and the גמרא explains that lentils are different because they are pulled up from the ground. An attempt to prove from this that wheat and barley never get a רובע of dirt is pushed away. Then רב הונא rules that if the buyer sifts out too much waste, he may sift out all of it. Some explain this as the plain law, since the buyer paid for clean produce. Others explain it as a קנס on a seller who must have mixed in the extra. The גמרא challenges רב הונא from a משנה in כלאים that only requires reducing the other seeds, and answers that this is an extra strictness for כלאים. A new challenge to that answer begins at the end of the עמוד and continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (15)

1. ChallengeEnd of the pebble challenge: he pays the value of wheat
2. ResolutionLegumes up to a quarter, dirt less than a quarter
3. ChallengeA ברייתא says a full quarter of dirt is accepted
4. ResolutionLentils are different because they are pulled from the ground
5. ProofTrying to prove that wheat and barley do not allow a quarter of dirt
6. RejectionRejecting the proof: lentils were mentioned to set a limit
7. Statementרב הונא: once the buyer sifts, he sifts out everything
8. StatementExplaining the view that it is the plain law
9. StatementThe penalty explanation: the seller mixed in the extra dirt
10. StatementA memory aid for the upcoming sources
11. ChallengeChallenge from כלאים: one only needs to reduce
12. ResolutionA quarter in כלאים matches a quarter here
13. ChallengeIf a quarter is normal, why reduce it?
14. ResolutionReducing is an extra strictness for כלאים
15. ChallengeOpening a new challenge to the strictness answer