Bava Metzia 98a

בבא מציעא צ״ח ע״א

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Topic

Reading the משנה of the borrowed-and-rented cow as a partial admission, so רבא's rule מתוך שאינו יכול לישבע משלם applies, both in the plain reading and by רמי בר חמא

Overview

The גמרא explains why our משנה makes the borrower pay when he says 'I don't know.' It reads the משנה as a case where the borrower admits part of the claim (מודה במקצת). That admission means he owes an oath, but he cannot swear about something he doesn't know. So by רבא's rule, מתוך שאינו יכול לישבע משלם, he must pay. The גמרא sets up the cases with more cows: two cows for the רישא and three for the סיפא. In each case the borrower admits one cow and is unsure about another. Then the גמרא reads the משנה again by רמי בר חמא, who holds that a שומר swears only if he both denies part and admits part. That needs one more cow to deny, so the רישא becomes three cows and the סיפא four. The four-cow case begins here, and the borrower's answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (10)

1. Statementרבא's rule: if he cannot swear, he pays
2. ResolutionFinding partial admission in the משנה: two cows and three cows
3. ResolutionThe owner's claim in the two-cow case
4. ConclusionThe borrower admits one cow and is unsure about the other, so he pays
5. ResolutionThe last clause: the owner claims three cows, two of them borrowed
6. ConclusionThe borrower admits one borrowed cow died but does not know about the other
7. ResolutionReading the משנה by רמי בר חמא's view
8. ResolutionThe first clause by רמי בר חמא: the owner claims three cows died during the loan time
9. ConclusionThe borrower denies one cow, admits one, and does not know about the third
10. ResolutionThe latter case involves four cows: the owner's claim