Bava Metzia 43b

בבא מציעא מ״ג ע״ב

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Topic

The dispute over how a שומר who misuses a deposit pays, the הלכה about רבי עקיבא, and a new משנה on planning to misuse a deposit and on tilting versus lifting a barrel

Overview

The גמרא first decides that בית הלל's 'כשעת הוצאה' means the value at the moment the שומר took the deposit for himself. That seems to put רבה on the side of בית שמאי. To avoid this, the גמרא tries three explanations of the dispute. The first is whether שליחות יד needs actual loss. The second is whether a שואל שלא מדעת counts as a thief. Each of these would make רבא follow בית שמאי, so the גמרא settles on a third: the schools argue about שבח גזילה, such as wool and newborn young, the same argument as רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה. The wording of the משנה supports this. Next the גמרא turns to רבי עקיבא, who sets the value at the time of the claim. שמואל rules like him, and there is a debate over whether witnesses change his rule. רבי יוחנן says the הלכה is 'always' like רבי עקיבא, and רב אשי explains what 'always' adds, while רבא rules like בית הלל. A new משנה then asks whether merely planning to misuse a deposit creates liability. It also contrasts tilting a barrel with lifting it.

Opening lines

The steps (26)

1. ConclusionRemoval means taking it out of the owner's house
2. ChallengeDoes רבה side with בית שמאי?
3. ResolutionEveryone agrees about an increase in value
4. ResolutionDoes misusing an item require actual loss?
5. ChallengeThen רבא would side with בית שמאי
6. ResolutionA new setting: borrowing the barrel to reach birds
7. ResolutionIs an unauthorized borrower a thief or a borrower?
8. ChallengeWould רבא Be Following בית שמאי?
9. ResolutionThe Argument Is About Improvement of Stolen Property
10. StatementThe Same Dispute Between רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה
11. ProofThe Wording of the משנה Supports This
12. Statementרבי עקיבא: Value at the Time of the Claim
13. Statementרבי עקיבא Agrees When There Are Witnesses
14. QuestionWhat Is the Reason?
15. ResponsePaying From the Day He Became Guilty
16. Challengeרב אושעיא challenges: רבי עקיבא disagrees even with witnesses
17. QuestionWhy do witnesses not help?
18. ResponseOnly the court makes him guilty
19. Questionרבי זירא sends a student to ask about the הלכה
20. Responseרבי יוחנן: the הלכה is always like רבי עקיבא
21. QuestionWhat does 'always' add?
22. ResponseAlways means: even when there are witnesses
23. ResponseAnother meaning: the owner must know the item was returned
24. Statementרבא: the הלכה follows בית הלל
25. StatementIs planning to misuse a deposit enough to make him liable?
26. StatementTilting the barrel versus lifting it