Gemara Clarity

Bava Metzia 61b

בבא מציעא ס״א ע״ב

Learn Bava Metzia 61b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Bava Metzia 61b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Why the תורה gives separate לאוין for unfair taking, why יציאת מצרים is mentioned with certain מצוות, and the two levels of רבית and whether בית דין can force it to be returned.

Overview

This amud finishes the גמרא's question of why the תורה lists so many separate לאוין against taking money unfairly. The לאו of לא תגנבו forbids stealing even as a prank or with a plan to pay double. The לאו of weights makes a person guilty as soon as he hides his weights in salt, before he cheats anyone. A ברייתא explains each word of the פסוק about honest measures: מדה, משקל, and משורה. רבא then explains why the תורה mentions יציאת מצרים with רבית, ציצית and weights: the God who knew who was a בכור also sees hidden cheating. רבינא and רב חנינא apply the same idea to שרצים and discuss why that פסוק says 'המעלה'. The גמרא then returns to the משנה and splits its cases into רבית קצוצה, which is forbidden by the תורה, and אבק רבית, which is forbidden by the רבנן. רבי אלעזר and רבי יוחנן argue about whether בית דין can force a lender to return רבית קצוצה. The גמרא brings three sources for רבי יוחנן, and the source for רבי אלעזר begins at the end of the amud and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וּבְעִנְיָינָא דְּשָׂכִיר כְּתִיב.

And it is written in the section about a hired worker.

״לֹא תִּגְנֹבוּ״ דִּכְתַב רַחֲמָנָא לְמָה לִי?

"You shall not steal" that the Merciful One wrote, why do I need it?

לְכִדְתַנְיָא: לֹא תִּגְנֹב – עַל מְנָת לְמֵיקַט,

For that which was taught: Do not steal, even in order to annoy him,

לֹא תִּגְנֹב – עַל מְנָת לְשַׁלֵּם תַּשְׁלוּמֵי כֶפֶל.

do not steal, even in order to pay the double payment.

The steps (30)

  1. ProofThe robbery prohibition sits right next to the worker's wages
  2. QuestionWhy does the תורה need the לאו of לא תגנבו?
  3. ResponseStealing is forbidden even to annoy or to pay double
  4. Questionרב יימר asks why the לאו about weights is needed
  5. ResponseIt is about hiding weights in salt
  6. ChallengeBut that is just plain robbery
  7. ResolutionHe is guilty from the moment he hides them
  8. StatementThe ברייתא on the פסוק: measuring land fairly
  9. StatementWeights in salt and frothing liquids
  10. StatementA small measure teaches about all larger measures
  11. QuestionWhy does the תורה mention יציאת מצרים by these three מצוות?
  12. ResponseGod, who saw who was a firstborn, also sees hidden cheating
  13. QuestionWhy is יציאת מצרים mentioned with שרצים?
  14. ResponseGod sees one who sneaks non-kosher fish innards into kosher ones
  15. Questionרב חנינא sharpens his question to the word 'המעלה'
  16. Responseרבינא explains 'who brings up' with a teaching from the school of רבי ישמעאל
  17. ChallengeIs avoiding שרצים worth more than רבית, ציצית and weights?
  18. ResolutionNot a bigger reward, but שרצים are especially disgusting
  19. ChallengeQuoting the משנה's definition of תרבית: were the earlier cases not רבית?
  20. ResolutionThe earlier cases are Torah-level, the later ones are rabbinic
  21. StatementApplying the פסוק about the wicked and the righteous
  22. ChallengeDoes the פסוק really stop at the Torah-level cases?
  23. ResolutionEven the Torah-level cases fit the פסוק
  24. StatementNames for the two levels of interest
  25. Statementרבי אלעזר: judges take back only fixed interest
  26. Statementרבי יוחנן: judges do not take back even fixed interest
  27. Proofרבי יצחק's source for רבי יוחנן: given over to death, not to repayment
  28. Proofרב אדא בר אהבה's source: given over to fear of Heaven, not to repayment
  29. Proofרבא: the פסוק itself compares lenders with interest to murderers
  30. Proofרב נחמן בר יצחק begins the source for רבי אלעזר