Bava Metzia 41a

בבא מציעא מ״א ע״א

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Topic

The barrel משנה: whether a returned item needs דעת בעלים, whether the משנה follows one תנא, and whether שליחות יד requires a loss (חסרון).

Overview

The משנה (end of 40b) speaks about a שומר who moved a barrel he was guarding, after which it broke. The גמרא shows that the רישא fits רבי ישמעאל, who holds that putting an item back frees the taker even without the owner knowing. The סיפא fits רבי עקיבא, who requires דעת בעלים. Using a 'לא מיבעיא' style, the גמרא explains the details of each half. It then accepts that the משנה is split, quoting רבי יוחנן's famous offer to carry the clothes of anyone who could explain the barrel משנה by one תנא. רבי יעקב בר אבא and רבי נתן בר אבא each try to do this. Their two readings turn on whether שליחות יד requires חסרון. רב ששת rejects both from the word 'טלטלה' and offers his own one-תנא reading, and the גמרא explains why רבי יוחנן did not accept it. Finally, a ברייתא about a shepherd shows that רב holds שליחות יד requires a loss, so לוי holds it does not. The גמרא begins to give לוי's source from the two mentions of שליחות יד in the Torah, and this continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (28)

1. StatementEnd of רבי עקיבא's view: the owner must know
2. ChallengeWhy does the first clause say 'did not designate'?
3. ResolutionThe משנה teaches the bigger חידוש
4. ChallengeThe second clause seems to follow רבי עקיבא
5. ChallengeWhy does the סיפא mention a designated place?
6. ResolutionThe סיפא is teaching 'not only this, but even that'
7. ChallengeSo the two halves follow different תנאים?
8. ResolutionYes, as רבי יוחנן admitted, this משנה is split
9. Resolutionרבי יעקב בר אבא's one-תנא explanation: he took it to steal it
10. Resolutionרבי נתן בר אבא: he took it intending to misuse it
11. QuestionWhat are the two explanations arguing about?
12. ResponseDoes שליחות יד require an actual loss?
13. Challengeרב ששת: the משנה says 'moved', not 'took'
14. Resolutionרב ששת: he moved it to stand on it and reach young birds
15. ResolutionWhy רבי יוחנן did not explain it this way
16. Statementרב and לוי disagree whether misuse needs a loss
17. ProofTrying to prove רב's view from the shepherd case
18. ChallengeBut he already took the staff and bag off
19. Resolutionרב: the things were still on the animal
20. ChallengeBut he never pulled the animal
21. Resolutionרב: he hit it so it ran ahead of him
22. ConclusionNo loss happened, so does רב hold misuse needs no loss?
23. RejectionMaybe the staff weakened the animal
24. ProofThe exact wording supports the 'weakened' reading
25. ConclusionConclusion: רב requires a loss
26. StatementSo לוי holds no loss is needed
27. QuestionWhat is לוי's reason?
28. ResponseTwo different mentions of misuse in the Torah