Bava Metzia 48b

בבא מציעא מ״ח ע״ב

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Topic

מי שפרע: informing or cursing, and how much a down payment (ערבון) acquires

Overview

This amud opens by answering a difficulty against ריש לקיש: the ברייתא follows רבי שמעון. Then the גמרא turns to the משנה's warning of מי שפרע, said to someone who backs out of a deal after the money was paid. אביי says we only inform him of the punishment, and רבא says we actually curse him, and each brings a פסוק. רבא tries to prove his view from a story where רבי יוחנן told רבי חייא בר יוסף to deliver salt or accept מי שפרע. The גמרא rejects the proof and retells the story as a question about a down payment (ערבון). That leads to a disagreement: רב says a down payment acquires only its own value, while רבי יוחנן says it acquires the whole deal. A ברייתא seems to challenge רב, but the גמרא answers that land, which money truly acquires, is different from movable items. Finally, the גמרא suggests that the dispute matches a תנאים argument about collateral and שמיטה, and it begins testing what רבן שמעון בן גמליאל meant. That discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (18)

1. ChallengeThe ברייתא seems to contradict ריש לקיש
2. Resolutionריש לקיש says the ברייתא follows רבי שמעון
3. Statementאביי and רבא disagree about מי שפרע
4. StatementThe פסוקים behind each view
5. Proofרבא's proof from רבי חייא בר יוסף and the salt
6. RejectionThe story does not prove a curse either
7. ResolutionThe story was really about a down payment
8. Statementרב and רבי יוחנן disagree about down payments
9. ChallengeA ברייתא about penalty conditions on a down payment
10. Statementרבי יוסי follows his usual view on אסמכתא
11. Statementרבי יהודה and רבן שמעון בן גמליאל on how much is acquired
12. ChallengeDoes the same apply to movable items, against רב?
13. ResolutionMovable items are different: an unspecified down payment does not acquire everything
14. ResolutionWhy land and movable items are different
15. StatementSuggesting a parallel in a תנאים dispute: collateral and שמיטה
16. Statementרבי יהודה הנשיא: protection only when the collateral matches the loan
17. QuestionWhat does רבן שמעון בן גמליאל mean by 'does not cancel'?
18. ChallengeTesting the first reading: only the matching half is protected