Bava Metzia 65b

בבא מציעא ס״ה ע״ב

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Topic

Sales and pledges of land that may hide a loan with interest, including uncertain רבית and רבי יהודה's view

Overview

The גמרא first gives the final הלכה on three earlier opinions: רב חמא, רבי אלעזר and רבי ינאי. A new משנה follows with two cases. In the first, a field is sold for part of the price, with the rest to be paid whenever the buyer wants, and this is forbidden. In the second, a loan is given against a field with a three-year deadline, and this works. The גמרא asks who eats the field's produce before full payment. רב הונא and רב ענן turn out not to argue, because each is talking about a different wording of the sale. רבא then explains רב ספרא's ברייתא of four outcomes by tying each one to a specific wording. Next come several rulings that forbid deals that only might turn into רבית: a fixed-price promise on a pledged field, and a buy-back condition set by the seller. Each time, רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע says these rulings are not like רבי יהודה, who permits uncertain רבית. The amud ends with a story about a seller who promised to repay a worried buyer, and אמימר's ruling on that promise continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. ConclusionThe final rulings on three earlier opinions
2. StatementSelling a field for partial payment with an open-ended deal
3. StatementA loan against a field with a three-year deadline
4. QuestionWho eats the produce in the meantime?
5. Responseרב הונא and רב ענן give two answers
6. ResolutionThey do not really argue: two different deals
7. Statementרב ספרא's four possible outcomes
8. Resolutionרבא explains the four cases of the ברייתא
9. QuestionWhich תנא holds that both are forbidden?
10. ResponseNot רבי יהודה, who permits uncertain רבית
11. StatementMaking the borrower promise to sell the pledged property to the lender
12. QuestionWho taught that 'at this price' is forbidden?
13. ResponseNot like רבי יהודה, who permits uncertain interest
14. StatementSelling a field with a promise to sell it back
15. ResponseSame question and same answer: not like רבי יהודה
16. QuestionWhy does the first case differ from the second?
17. Resolutionרבא: it depends on whose free choice it is
18. StatementThe seller who comforted the worried buyer
19. Statementאמימר begins his ruling on the seller's promise