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Bava Basra 98a

בבא בתרא צ״ח ע״א

Bava Batra 98a

Learn Bava Basra 98a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Who bears the loss when sold wine sours or loses value: רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא's jug rule, רב חייא בר יוסף's view of מזל, and רבא's practical cases

Overview

This amud opens with the end of the משנה, which explains what a seller owes when he promises 'spiced', 'old' or 'aged' wine. רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא says the משנה's rule (the seller is not responsible if wine sours) applies only when the wine was in the buyer's jugs. If the wine was still in the seller's jugs, the buyer can return it. The גמרא explains that this works when the buyer said he wanted the wine for cooking (מקפה). רבא shows that another line of the משנה forces this reading. רב חייא בר יוסף disagrees and holds that wine sours because of its owner's מזל. His פסוק about the haughty man leads to two lessons about arrogance. Next רבא gives practical rulings: a shopkeeper's barrel that sours partway through, with two limits, and wine sent to a port whose price drops on the way. The גמרא then asks what happens if that wine turns to vinegar, and gives two versions of the answer. Finally the גמרא quotes the משנה's line about 'old' wine to begin a new discussion.

Opening lines

מְבוּשָּׂם אֲנִי מוֹכֵר לָךְ״

"…spiced [wine] I am selling to you"

– חַיָּיב לְהַעֲמִיד לוֹ עַד הָעֲצֶרֶת.

he is obligated to keep it good for him until Atzeret.

וְ״יָשָׁן״ – מִשֶּׁל אֶשְׁתָּקַד,

And [if he said] "old", it must be from last year's [wine],

וּ״מְיוּשָּׁן״ – מִשֶּׁל שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים.

and [if he said] "aged", it must be from three years [back].

The steps (16)

  1. StatementEnd of the משנה: promises about spiced, old and aged wine
  2. Statementרבי יוסי ברבי חנינא limits the משנה to the buyer's jugs
  3. ChallengeChallenge: why should the seller's jugs make a difference?
  4. ResolutionAnswer: the buyer said he was buying it for cooking
  5. ChallengeWhy not read the משנה in a simpler way?
  6. Resolutionרבא shows the משנה itself forced the cooking reading
  7. Statementרב חייא בר יוסף says sour wine is the owner's bad luck
  8. StatementA haughty person is not accepted even at home
  9. StatementA pretend scholar is kept out of God's presence
  10. StatementWine given to a shopkeeper that sours partway through goes back to the seller
  11. StatementTwo limits on the shopkeeper ruling: the tap and market day
  12. StatementWine sent to be sold at a port that drops in price before arriving
  13. QuestionWhat if the wine turned to vinegar on the way?
  14. Responseרב כהנא: the owner does not take the loss for vinegar
  15. ResponseAnother version: the owner takes the loss even for vinegar
  16. StatementQuoting the משנה about 'old' wine