Bava Metzia 87b

בבא מציעא פ״ז ע״ב

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Topic

The source and the detailed rules of a פועל's right to eat from the produce he works with

Overview

The amud opens with the last words of the משנה, which lists the cases where a פועל (hired worker) may not eat from the produce he works with. The גמרא then asks where the worker's right to eat comes from. It tries to learn all crops from the פסוק about a כרם, and then from the פסוק about קמה. Each one turns out to have something special: עוללות for the vineyard and חלה for grain. A הצד השוה of the two is then attacked, because both are used on the מזבח. So שמואל learns the rule from the word חרמש, and רבי יצחק adds the word קמה to include all standing produce. The גמרא then asks why the כרם פסוק is needed at all. רבא answers that it teaches its own details, and a ברייתא lists them: it speaks of a worker, a Jew's vineyard (or, for one view, not הקדש), real eating of grapes alone, an exemption from מעשר like the owner, eating until full but not too much, and eating only while filling the owner's vessels. The amud ends as רבי ינאי begins a teaching about when טבל becomes obligated in מעשר, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (39)

1. StatementEnd of the משנה: Cases Where a Worker May Not Eat
2. QuestionWhere Does the Worker's Right to Eat Come From?
3. ResponseThe Source: The Verse About a Vineyard
4. QuestionThe Verse Only Mentions a Vineyard. What About Other Crops?
5. ResponseLearning All Crops From the Vineyard
6. ChallengeA Vineyard Is Different Because of עוללות
7. ResolutionLearn Instead From Standing Grain
8. QuestionWhere Do We Learn Standing Grain Itself?
9. ResponseThe Verse About Standing Grain
10. ChallengeGrain is special because of חלה
11. QuestionDoes the פסוק really mean grain that needs חלה
12. ResponseA גזירה שוה from the word קמה
13. ChallengeBack to the challenge: grain has חלה
14. ResolutionThe vineyard proves חלה is not the reason
15. ChallengeThe vineyard is special because of עוללות
16. ResolutionGrain proves עוללות is not the reason
17. ConclusionThe shared feature of vineyard and grain applies to all produce
18. ChallengeVineyard and grain share a link to the altar
19. StatementThen olives should be included too
20. ChallengeWhy do olives need the common feature at all?
21. ResolutionAn olive grove is not a plain vineyard
22. ChallengeThe main difficulty still stands
23. Resolutionשמואל learns it from the word 'sickle'
24. ChallengeThe word 'sickle' is needed for timing
25. ResolutionThe timing rule comes from a different פסוק
26. ChallengeWhat about produce not cut with a sickle?
27. Resolutionרבי יצחק: the word קמה includes all standing produce
28. ChallengeBut קמה was limited to produce obligated in חלה
29. ResolutionOnce חרמש teaches, קמה is freed for a broad reading
30. ChallengeThen why do we need the פסוק of the neighbor's vineyard?
31. Resolutionרבא: The verse is needed for its own special rules
32. StatementYour neighbor's vineyard, not a non-Jew's vineyard
33. ChallengeWhy is a verse needed if stealing from a non-Jew is permitted?
34. ResolutionThat view reads it as excluding הקדש
35. StatementEat the grapes properly: no sucking, nothing added
36. StatementThe worker is exempt from מעשר just like the owner
37. StatementEat until full, but not excessive eating
38. StatementHe eats only while filling the owner's baskets
39. Statementרבי ינאי begins: when טבל becomes obligated in מעשר