Bava Batra 89

מוהיה אם שמוע תשמע ועד לעבדם וקללן בעשרים ושתים מוהיה אם לא תשמע עד ואין קנה

from the letter vav that begins the verse: “And it shall come to pass [vehaya], if you shall hearken diligently” (Deuteronomy 28:1), until: “To serve them [le’ovdam]” (Deuteronomy 28:14), which ends with the letter mem. And he cursed them with twenty-two letters, from the letter vav that begins the verse: “But it shall come to pass [vehaya], if you will not hearken to the voice of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 28:15), until: “And no man shall buy [koneh]” (Deuteronomy 28:68). This verse ends with a letter heh, which comes just before vav in the alphabet. Starting with a vav and ending with a heh encompasses the twenty-two letters of the alphabet.

מקום שנהגו למוד בגסה כו׳ (סימן אין מעיינין ואין גודשין באגרדמין ובליטרא שלשה ועשר נפש משקלות ממחק עבה לא תעשו לא יעשה)

§ The mishna teaches that in a place where they were accustomed to measure with one large measuring vessel, one may not measure with several small measuring vessels. In a place where the custom is to level the top of the measuring vessel to remove substances heaped above its edges, one may not heap it; and where they are accustomed to heap it, one may not level it. The Gemara provides a mnemonic for the ensuing halakhot: One may not balance with precision; and one may not heap it; with market inspectors [ba’agardamin]; and with a litra; three; and ten; fulcrum; weights; a thick leveler; you may not do; one may not do.

תנו רבנן מנין שאין מוחקין במקום שגודשין ואין גודשין במקום שמוחקין תלמוד לומר איפה שלמה

The Sages taught: From where is it derived that one may not level a measuring vessel in a place where they are accustomed to heap it and that one may not heap it in a place where they are accustomed to level it? The verse states: “A perfect weight” (Deuteronomy 25:15), which indicates that one must use whatever is considered a perfect measuring vessel in that locale, as this ensures that there is no deception or trickery.

ומנין שאם אמר הריני מוחק במקום שגודשין ולפחות לו מן הדמים והריני גודש במקום שמוחקין ולהוסיף לו על הדמים שאין שומעין לו תלמוד לומר איפה שלמה וצדק יהיה לך

And from where is it derived that if the seller said in a place where they heap: I am hereby leveling and am willing in exchange to reduce the price for you, or said, in a place where they level: I am hereby heaping and am willing to increase the price for you, that the court does not listen to him? The verse states: “A perfect and just weight you shall have” (Deuteronomy 25:15). The addition of the term “just,” beyond the requirement that the weight be “perfect,” teaches that one must keep his weights in a just manner, i.e., that employed by the people of that locale.

תנו רבנן מנין שאין מעיינין במקום שמכריעין ואין מכריעין במקום שמעיינין תלמוד לומר אבן שלמה

The Sages taught: From where is it derived that one may not balance a scale so that it will balance with precision [me’ayyenin] in a place where they are accustomed to let the scales tilt a handbreadth for the benefit of the buyer, and that one may not let the scales tilt a handbreadth in a place where they are accustomed to balance with precision? The verse states: “A perfect weight” (Deuteronomy 25:15), which teaches that the weight must be considered perfect in that locale.

ומנין שאם אמר הריני מעיין במקום שמכריעין ולפחות לו מן הדמים והריני מכריע במקום שמעיינין ולהוסיף לו על הדמים שאין שומעין לו תלמוד לומר אבן שלמה וצדק

And from where is it derived that if a seller said, in a place where it is the custom to let the scales tilt a handbreadth: I am hereby balancing with precision and am willing to reduce the price for the buyer; or, in a place where it is the custom to balance with precision: I am hereby letting the scales tilt a handbreadth and am willing to increase the price for the buyer, that the court does not listen to him? The verse states: “A perfect and just weight” (Deuteronomy 25:15), which teaches that the just way of acting is to weigh in accordance with the practice in that locale.

אמר רב יהודה מסורא לא יהיה לך בביתך מה טעם משום איפה ואיפה

Rav Yehuda of Sura says a homiletic interpretation of the phrase: “You shall not have in your house diverse measures” (Deuteronomy 25:14): “You shall not have in your house” means that you will become a pauper, who has nothing in his house. What is the reason for this? It is due to the fact that you used diverse measures, buying with a large vessel and selling with a small one.

לא יהיה לך בכיסך מה טעם משום אבן ואבן אבל אבן שלמה וצדק יהיה לך איפה שלמה וצדק יהיה לך

The phrase: “You shall not have in your purse diverse weights” (Deuteronomy 25:13), is interpreted in a similar fashion: “You shall not have in your purse,” i.e., you will become a pauper, who has nothing in his purse. What is the reason for this? It is due to the fact that you used diverse weights. But if you possess only “a perfect and just weight,” then “you shall have” wealth. Likewise, if you possess only “a perfect and just measure,” then “you shall have” wealth.

תנו רבנן (לא) יהיה לך מלמד שמעמידין אגרדמין למדות ואין מעמידין אגרדמין לשערים דבי נשיאה אוקימו אגרדמין בין למדות בין לשערים אמר ליה שמואל לקרנא פוק תני להו מעמידין אגרדמין למדות ואין מעמידין אגרדמין לשערים

§ The Sages taught that the phrase: “You shall not have,” teaches that the court appoints market inspectors to supervise the accuracy of measures. The Gemara infers: But the court does not appoint market inspectors for supervising market prices. The Gemara relates: The house of the Nasi appointed market inspectors for supervising both measures and prices. Shmuel said to his student, the Sage Karna: Go out and teach them that one appoints market inspectors for supervising measures but one does not appoint market inspectors for prices.

נפק דרש להו מעמידין אגרדמין בין למדות בין לשערים אמר ליה מה שמך קרנא תיפוק ליה קרנא בעיניה נפקא ליה קרנא בעיניה ואיהו כמאן סבר כי הא דאמר רמי בר חמא אמר רבי יצחק מעמידין אגרדמין בין למדות בין לשערים מפני הרמאין

Karna went out and taught them that one appoints market inspectors for supervising both measures and prices. Shmuel, hearing what he had done, said to him: What is your name? He replied: Karna. Shmuel said: Let a horn [karna] emerge in his eye. A horn, i.e., a growth of flesh, emerged in his eye. The Gemara asks: And Karna, in accordance with whose opinion did he hold, which led him to disregard his teacher’s statement? He held in accordance with that which Rami bar Ḥama says that Rabbi Yitzḥak says: One appoints market inspectors for supervising both measures and prices, due to swindlers, to prevent people from using smaller measures or from selling at a steep price while falsely claiming that they are selling superior-quality merchandise.

תנו רבנן היה מבקש ממנו ליטרא שוקל לו ליטרא חצי ליטרא שוקל לו חצי ליטרא רביע ליטרא שוקל לו רביע ליטרא מאי קא משמע לן דמתקנינן מתקלי עד הכי

The Gemara discusses several halakhot related to the cases of the mishna. The Sages taught: If the buyer requested from the seller a litra of a specific item, he weighs for him using a litra weight. If he asks for half a litra, he weighs for him using a half-litra weight. If he wants one-quarter of a litra, he weighs for him using a quarter–litra weight. The Gemara asks: Isn’t this obvious? What is this baraita teaching us? The Gemara explains: It teaches that one sets weights until this amount, one-quarter of a litra, but not less. If a buyer asks the seller to weigh a smaller amount for him, his request is not granted.

תנו רבנן היה מבקש ממנו שלשה רבעי ליטרא לא יאמר לו שקול לי שלשה רבעי ליטרא אחת אחת אלא שוקל ליטרא ומניח רביע ליטרא עם הבשר

Furthermore, the Sages taught: If the buyer requested from him three-quarters of a litra, and there is no weight equal to this amount, the buyer may not say to him: Weigh for me three units using a quarter-litra weight, one by one, so that the seller lets the scales tilt by a handbreadth as he measures each quarter-litra weight. Rather, he weighs the merchandise all at once, as he places a litra weight on one pan of the scale, and places on the other pan of the scale a quarter-litra weight together with the meat that is being sold.

תנו רבנן היה מבקש ממנו עשר ליטרין לא יאמר לו שקול לי אחת אחת והכריע אלא שוקל לו כולן בבת אחת ונותן הכרע אחד לכולן

The Sages likewise taught: In a case where the buyer requested from the seller ten litra of merchandise, the buyer may not say to him: Weigh for me each litra one by one, and let the scales tilt each time, as on every occasion that the seller does this the buyer receives more than that for which he paid. Rather, he weighs all the merchandise at the same time and lets the scales tilt once for all the merchandise.

תנו רבנן נפש מאזנים תלויה באויר שלשה טפחים וגבוהה מן הארץ שלשה טפחים וקנה ומתנא שלה שנים עשר טפחים ושל צמרים ושל זגגין תלויה באויר שני טפחים וגבוהה מן הארץ שני טפחים וקנה ומתנא שלה תשעה טפחים

§ The Sages taught: The fulcrum of a scale must be suspen-ded in the air so that the point the lever goes through it is at a distance of three handbreadths from the ceiling, and the pans of the scale must be three handbreadths above the ground. And the scale’s lever and cord, from which each pan is suspended, must be twelve handbreadths long. And the fulcrum of a scale of wool-weavers and glassmakers must be suspended in the air at a distance of two handbreadths from the ceiling, and the pans of the scale must be two handbreadths above the ground. And its lever and cord must be nine handbreadths long.

ושל חנווני ושל בעל הבית תלויה באויר טפח וגבוהה מן הארץ טפח וקנה ומתנא שלה ששה טפחים ושל טורטני תלויה באויר שלש אצבעות וגבוהה מן הארץ שלש אצבעות וקנה ומתנא שלה איני יודע

And the fulcrum of a scale of a storekeeper and of a homeowner must be suspended in the air at a distance of one handbreadth from the ceiling, and the pans of the scale must be one handbreadth above the ground. And its lever and cord must be six handbreadths long. And the fulcrums of small scales [turtanei] used for weighing gold and silver must be suspended in the air at a distance of three fingerbreadths from the ceiling, and the pans of the scales must be three fingerbreadths above the ground. The tanna continues: But with regard to its lever and cord, I do not know their required length.

ואלא הך קמייתא דמאי

Since the function of each type of balance scale is mentioned with the exception of the first type, the Gemara asks: And that large balance scale, which is mentioned first, for what is it used?

אמר רב פפא דיגרומי

Rav Pappa says: It is a balance scale for blacksmiths, who weigh heavy pieces of metal.

אמר רבי מני בר פטיש כדרך שאמרו לענין איסורן כך אמרו לענין טומאתן

Rabbi Mani Bar Pattish says: Just as the Sages said with regard to the prohibition of the scales that one may not use a scale that does not meet the criteria listed in the baraita, so too they said that this applies with regard to their ritual impurity. In other words, if the cords and pole are not attached in the proper manner, they are not susceptible to ritual impurity as part of the scale.

מאי קא משמע לן תנינא חוט מאזנים של חנוני ושל בעלי בתים טפח קנה ומתנא שלה איצטריכא ליה דלא תנן

The Gemara asks: What is this statement teaching us? We learned in a mishna (Kelim 29:5): With regard to the rope from which the scales are suspended, if the balance scale belongs to a storekeeper or to homeowners it must be one handbreadth in length for it to be susceptible to ritual impurity. Why, then, is the statement of Rabbi Mani Bar Pattish necessary? The Gemara answers: Although the mishna in tractate Kelim discusses the rope from which the scales are suspended, it was still necessary for Rabbi Mani Bar Pattish to mention the halakha with regard to the scale’s lever and cord, which we did not learn about in that mishna.

תנו רבנן אין עושין משקלות לא של בעץ ולא של אבר ולא של גיסטרון ולא של שאר מיני מתכות אבל עושה הוא של צונמא ושל זכוכית

§ The Sages taught: One may not prepare weights of tin [ba’atz], nor of lead, nor of a metal alloy [gisteron], nor of any other types of metal, because all of these deteriorate over time and the buyer will ultimately pay for more merchandise than he receives. But one may prepare weights of hard rock and of glass.

תנו רבנן אין עושין המחק של דלעת מפני שהוא קל ולא של מתכת מפני שהוא מכביד אבל עושהו של זית ושל אגוז של שקמה ושל אשברוע

The Sages further taught: One may not prepare the leveler, used to remove the excess from the mouth of a vessel, from a gourd, because it is a light material and does not level effectively, thereby causing a loss for the seller. And it may not be made of metal, because it weighs down and removes too much of the merchandise, leading to a loss for the buyer. But one may prepare it from the wood of an olive tree, or of a nut tree, or of a sycamore tree, or of a boxwood tree,which are of medium weight.

תנו רבנן אין עושין את המחק צדו אחד עב וצדו אחד קצר לא ימחוק בבת אחת שהמוחק בבת אחת רע למוכר ויפה ללוקח ולא ימחוק מעט מעט שרע ללוקח ויפה למוכר

The Sages taught: One may not prepare the leveler in such a manner that one of its sides is thick and one other side is thin, because in such a case the two sides will not level equally. Furthermore, one may not level all at once, by a single quick movement, as one who levels all at once acts in a manner that is bad for the seller and good for the buyer, because he removes less of the excess than one who levels in the regular fashion. And conversely one may not level little by little, i.e., with several slow movements, as this is bad for the buyer and good for the seller.

על כולן אמר רבן יוחנן בן זכאי אוי לי אם אומר אוי לי אם לא אומר אם אומר שמא ילמדו הרמאין ואם לא אומר שמא יאמרו הרמאין אין תלמידי חכמים בקיאין במעשה ידינו איבעיא להו אמרה או לא אמרה אמר רב שמואל בר רב יצחק אמרה ומהאי קרא אמרה כי ישרים דרכי ה׳ וצדקים ילכו בם ופשעים יכשלו בם

Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai said with regard to all these halakhot: Woe to me if I say them, and woe unto me if I do not say them. If I say them, perhaps swindlers will learn new methods of cheating of which they were previously unaware. And if I do not say them, perhaps swindlers will say: Torah scholars are not well versed in our handiwork. A dilemma was raised before the Sages: Did Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai decide to say these halakhot in public or did he not say them? Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak says: He said them, and he said them on the basis of this verse: “For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just walk in them; but transgressors stumble over them” (Hosea 14:10).

תנו רבנן לא תעשו עול במשפט במדה במשקל ובמשורה במדה זו מדידת קרקע שלא ימדוד לאחד בימות החמה ולאחד בימות הגשמים במשקל שלא יטמין משקלותיו במלח במשורה שלא ירתיח

§ The Gemara further discusses weights and measures. The Sages taught: “You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measure [bammidda], in weight, or in measure [uvamesura]” (Leviticus 19:35). The baraita defines these terms: “In measure [bammidda],” this is referring to measuring land, teaching that in order to measure land in a just manner one may not measure for one person in the summer when the measuring rope has become dry and short, and for one other individual in the rainy season, when the measuring rope is wet and limp, and therefore stretches more. “In weight” means that one may not cover his weights in salt, as salt erodes the weights, causing a loss for the buyer. “Or in measure [bamesura]” means that one may not cause liquid he is measuring to foam by pouring it speedily, as this results in a loss for the buyer, who receives less of the liquid than the amount for which he paid.

וקל וחומר ומה משורה שהיא אחד משלשים וששה בלוג הקפידה עליו תורה קל וחומר להין וחצי הין ושלישית ההין ורביעית ההין ולוג וחצי לוג ורביעית וחצי תומן ועוכלא

The Gemara notes: And it can be inferred by means of an a fortiori inference that if in the case of a mesura, which is a measure equivalent to merely one thirty-sixth of a log, the Torah was particular that one must measure honestly, so too, a fortiori, one must be careful in the case of one hin, and a half-hin, and a third-hin, and a quarter-hin, which is twelve log, and one log, and a half-log, and a quarter-log, and a half-tomen, i.e., one-sixteenth of a kav, and even an ukla, a smaller unit, as defined below.

אמר רב יהודה אמר רב אסור לאדם שישהה מדה חסרה או יתרה בתוך ביתו ואפילו היא עביט של מימי רגלים אמר רב פפא לא אמרן אלא באתרא דלא חתימי אבל באתרא דחתימי אי לא חזי חתימה לא שקיל ובאתרא דלא חתימי נמי לא אמרן אלא דלא מהנדסי אבל מהנדסי לית לן בה

Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: It is prohibited for a person to keep in his house a measure that is too small or too large than its supposed volume or weight, and this is the case even if he does not measure with it but simply uses it as a chamber pot for urine. Rav Pappa said: We said this prohibition only with regard to a place where measures are not stamped with the government’s seal, which confirms that the measure is accurate. But in a place where the measures are stamped, if the buyer does not see the seal he would not take the merchandise. Since they could not be used dishonestly, one is permitted to utilize these measures for other purposes. And in a place where measures are not stamped as well, we said that it is prohibited to keep these measures in one’s house only in a place where they do not inspect measures to see if they are fit for use. But if they do inspect measures, we have no problem with it.

ולא היא זימנין דמיקרי בין השמשות ומיקרי ושקיל תניא נמי הכי לא ישהה אדם מדה חסרה או יתרה בתוך ביתו ואפילו היא עביט של מימי רגלים אבל עושה הוא סאה תרקב וחצי תרקב וקב וחצי קב ורובע ותומן וחצי תומן

The Gemara comments: And that is not so; one is never permitted to keep incorrect measures in his house, as sometimes it happens that one measures at twilight, when people are hurried, and consequently it happens that the buyer takes the merchandise despite the fact that it was measured with an incorrect measure. This is also taught in a baraita: A person may not keep in his house a measure that is too small or too large, even if it is used as a chamber pot for urine. But he may prepare measures in accordance with the established format: Measurements of a se’a; a tarkav, which is three kav or one-half of a se’a; and a half-tarkav, which is one and one-half kav; and a kav; and a half-kav; and a quarter-kav; and a tomen, which is one-eighth of a kav; and a half-tomen;