Bava Metzia 53a

בבא מציעא נ״ג ע״א

Learn Bava Metzia 53a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Whether מעשר שני is a דבר שיש לו מתירין under חזקיה, tested against a ברייתא that says it is cancelled in a majority

Overview

The גמרא finishes quoting a משנה from ביכורים that lists rules for תרומה and ביכורים that do not apply to מעשר. It reads 'not so with מעשר' to mean that מעשר שני is cancelled in a simple majority. That creates a problem for חזקיה: if even tiny amounts of מעשר שני can always be redeemed, it is a דבר שיש לו מתירין and should never be cancelled. After some back-and-forth over how to read the משנה, a ברייתא says outright that מעשר שני is cancelled in a majority in two cases. The first case is מעשר worth less than a פרוטה, and the second is מעשר that entered ירושלים and left. For the first case, the גמרא explains that the owner has no first coins. It then rejects every other way to redeem the half-פרוטה: joining it with other מעשר, using דמאי, using two פרוטות, or using an איסר. For the second case, the גמרא asks why he can't just bring it back, and answers that it became טמא. It then asks why he can't redeem it, citing רבי אלעזר, and that quote continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (21)

1. StatementEnd of the משנה: rules for תרומה and ביכורים that do not apply to מעשר
2. ProofReading the משנה: מעשר is cancelled in a simple majority
3. ChallengeChallenge to חזקיה: a דבר שיש לו מתירין is never cancelled
4. RejectionMaybe מעשר is never cancelled at all
5. ResolutionThe משנה lists only stringencies of תרומה
6. ChallengeBut the משנה lists a leniency: they are the כהן's property
7. ProofA ברייתא says plainly: מעשר שני is cancelled in a majority
8. ChallengeRenewed challenge: why not redeem it on the first coins like חזקיה?
9. ResolutionThe case is where he never redeemed before
10. ChallengeWhy not join it with other מעשר he owns?
11. ResolutionTorah-level and rabbinic-level מעשר do not join
12. ChallengeWhy not join it with מעשר from דמאי?
13. ResolutionHe might end up using definite untithed produce
14. ChallengeWhy not redeem a פרוטה and a half on two פרוטות?
15. RejectionThe extra half-פרוטה never takes hold on the coins
16. ChallengeWhy not redeem on an איסר?
17. ResolutionHe might end up using פרוטות
18. StatementAnother case in the ברייתא: produce that entered ירושלים and left
19. ChallengeWhy not just bring it back into ירושלים?
20. ResolutionThe produce became טמא
21. ChallengeThen why not redeem it, as רבי אלעזר teaches?