Gemara Clarity

Bava Metzia 99a

בבא מציעא צ״ט ע״א

Learn Bava Metzia 99a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Bava Metzia 99a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

When a borrower becomes responsible for a borrowed item: a cow sent with the lender's slave, and when a borrowed ax is locked in

Overview

The משנה ruled that if the borrower agreed to have the cow sent with the lender's slave and it died on the way, the borrower is liable. The גמרא asks: isn't a slave's hand like his master's hand? שמואל answers that the משנה means an עבד עברי. רב says that even an עבד כנעני fits, because it is like telling the lender 'hit it with a stick and it will come.' A ברייתא rules that sending the cow with a slave leaves the borrower exempt, which challenges רב. רב answers that the משנה is a case where the borrower actually said those words, and the גמרא quotes רב's ruling on that case. A ברייתא that seems to support רב is pushed aside by רב אשי as a special case of courtyards. The גמרא then turns to רב הונא, who says a borrowed ax is locked in only once the borrower chops with it. It shows that רבי אמי and רבי אלעזר, together with a ברייתא, disagree with him, and that ברייתא continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

גְּמָ׳ בְּיַד עַבְדּוֹ – חַיָּיב,

Gemara: 'By the hand of his slave, he is liable,'

יַד עֶבֶד כְּיַד רַבּוֹ!

But the hand of a slave is like the hand of his master!

אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: בְּעֶבֶד עִבְרִי,

Shmuel said: It is speaking of a Hebrew slave,

דְּלָא קְנֵי לֵיהּ גּוּפֵיהּ.

whose body the master does not acquire.

The steps (18)

  1. ChallengeWhy is the borrower liable if the slave's hand is like the master's?
  2. Resolutionשמואל: the משנה means a Hebrew slave
  3. Resolutionרב: even a Canaanite slave, like 'hit it with a stick'
  4. ChallengeA ברייתא says the borrower is exempt with the slave
  5. Challengeשמואל can explain it, but רב is left with a difficulty
  6. Resolutionרב's revised answer: the borrower really said 'hit it with a stick'
  7. Statementרב's ruling on the 'hit it with a stick' case
  8. ProofA ברייתא seems to support רב
  9. Rejectionרב אשי: the ברייתא is a special case
  10. ChallengeIf the cow will surely come, why teach it?
  11. ResolutionA path with corners where the cow might stop
  12. StatementA borrowed ax is acquired once it is used
  13. QuestionAcquired for what? Not for accidents
  14. ResponseIt means the lender can no longer back out
  15. Statementרב הונא disagrees with רבי אמי about a הקדש ax
  16. ProofWhy רבי אמי must hold that the borrower acquires right away
  17. Statementרבי אלעזר: a שומר's role also starts with pulling
  18. ProofA ברייתא teaches רבי אלעזר's idea