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Bava Metzia 75b

בבא מציעא ע״ה ע״ב

Learn Bava Metzia 75b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

End of איזהו נשך: the scope of רבית, who violates it, and proper conduct in lending. Then the opening משנה of השוכר את האומנין on workers who back out.

Overview

This amud finishes the chapter איזהו נשך and begins a new chapter. The משנה teaches that neighbors who swap plowing days must keep the swap within one season. רבן גמליאל adds that a gift given before a loan or after it is repaid is still רבית, and רבי שמעון says that even helpful words can be רבית. The משנה then lists everyone in a רבית loan who breaks a לא תעשה, and אביי explains which of the five לאוים each person breaks. The גמרא adds that even a greeting can be רבית, that lenders of רבית lose more than they gain, and that a lender may not pressure a borrower who cannot pay. רב and ריש לקיש warn against lending without witnesses, and the story of רבינא and רב אשי shows this rule kept even with a great scholar. After the הדרן, the new chapter השוכר את האומנין opens with rules about workers and employers who mislead each other or back out of a job.

Opening lines

כׇּל יְמֵי גְּרִיד – אֶחָד.

All the dry days count as one.

כׇּל יְמֵי רְבִיעָה – אַחַת.

All the rainy days count as one.

לֹא יֹאמַר לוֹ:

But he may not say to him:

חֲרוֹשׁ עִמִּי בִּגְרִיד

Plow with me in the dry season

The steps (23)

  1. StatementSwapping plowing days must stay within one season
  2. Statementרבן גמליאל: interest given before the loan or after it
  3. Statementרבי שמעון: interest paid with words
  4. StatementWho breaks the איסור in a רבית loan
  5. StatementThe five פסוקים that are broken
  6. StatementEven a greeting can be interest
  7. StatementWho breaks which prohibition
  8. StatementInterest lenders lose more than they gain
  9. StatementDon't walk in front of a borrower who can't pay
  10. StatementPressuring a poor borrower is like a double punishment
  11. StatementLending without witnesses puts a stumbling block before the borrower
  12. Statementריש לקיש: the lender brings a curse on himself
  13. Statementרב אשי tests רבינא with a Friday loan request
  14. Statementרבינא asks for witnesses and a document
  15. Challengeרב אשי asks: even for me?
  16. ResolutionAll the more so for a busy scholar who may forget
  17. StatementThree who cry out and are not answered
  18. QuestionWhat does 'acquiring a master for himself' mean?
  19. ResponseThree explanations of acquiring a master
  20. ConclusionHadran — Closing איזהו נשך
  21. StatementWorkers who deceive each other only have a complaint
  22. StatementWhen backing out causes a loss, the employer may act
  23. StatementWorkers who quit midway are at a disadvantage