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Bava Metzia 70a

בבא מציעא ע׳ ע״א

Learn Bava Metzia 70a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Bava Metzia 70a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Rentals with payment for damage, and protecting and investing orphans' money without רבית

Overview

This amud opens by finishing a discussion about rentals where the renter pays rent and also pays for damage. The גמרא explains that this sailors' custom is valid because a ברייתא permits it. Next, רב ענן quotes שמואל as allowing orphans' money to be lent with רבית. רב נחמן strongly objects and asks for the real story. That story is שמואל renting out the kettle of מר עוקבא's orphans, and רב נחמן shows it was a rental allowed even for adults. A different ruling then allows orphans' money to be invested on terms close to profit and far from loss. A ברייתא adds that for ordinary people such a deal is wicked. Finally, רבה, רב יוסף and רב אשי debate how a בית דין should manage orphans' money. רב אשי's method is to give it, in front of a בית דין, to a trustworthy man with secure property who obeys the court.

Opening lines

וְנָהֲגוּ בְּנֵי כוּפְרָא

And the sailors are accustomed

אַגְרָא בִּשְׁעַת מְשִׁיכָה,

to pay rent at the time of pulling,

פַּגְרָא בִּשְׁעַת שְׁבִירָה.

and to pay for damage at the time of breakage.

אַטּוּ בְּמִנְהָגָא

Is that to say that on custom

The steps (18)

  1. StatementSailors pay rent and also pay for breakage
  2. ChallengeDoes the law depend on custom?
  3. ResolutionThe custom is valid because a ברייתא permits it
  4. Statementשמואל: orphans' money may be lent with interest
  5. Challengeרב נחמן objects strongly
  6. Questionרב נחמן asks what really happened
  7. ResponseThe story of the orphans' kettle
  8. Rejectionרב נחמן: this case is allowed even for adults
  9. StatementOrphans' money may be invested on profit-leaning terms
  10. StatementA ברייתא grades three kinds of investment deals
  11. Questionרבה asks how to manage orphans' money
  12. Responseרב יוסף: a בית דין holds it and gives it out bit by bit
  13. Challengeרבה objects: the money will run out
  14. Questionרב יוסף asks רבה for his own method
  15. Responseרבה: buy scrap gold and invest it back with the seller
  16. StatementNot a recognizable item, because it may belong to someone else
  17. ChallengeWhat if no one has scrap gold?
  18. Resolutionרב אשי's method: a trustworthy, law-abiding man with secure property