Bava Metzia 67

הוה יתיבנא קמיה דרב נחמן ובעי לאותביה אונאה ואודיק חזיתן איילונית והרי אונאה דמחילה בטעות היא ולא הויא מחילה ואודיק חזיתן איילונית הרי איילונית דמחילה בטעות היא והויא מחילה

I was sitting before Rav Naḥman when he said that mistaken forgiveness is valid, and I wanted to raise an objection to him from the halakha of exploitation, and he observed me, anticipated my objection, and showed me that he was correct based on the halakha of a sexually underdeveloped woman who is incapable of bearing children [ailonit]. The Gemara explains: Rava wanted to ask: But there is the case of exploitation, where the price paid in a sale was in excess of the market value (see 50b), which is a case of mistaken forgiveness at the time of the sale, and yet it is not considered forgiveness. The seller must return the excess money paid. And he observed me and showed me the halakha of an ailonit. Doesn’t the case of an ailonit involve mistaken forgiveness, and yet it is valid forgiveness?

דתנן הממאנת והשנייה והאיילונית אין להן לא כתובה ולא פירות ולא מזונות ולא בלאות

Rava explains: As we learned in a mishna (Ketubot 100b): In the case of a minor girl married off by her mother or brother who refuses to continue living with her husband, and in the case of a woman who is a secondary forbidden relative, and in the case of an ailonit, each of these women is not entitled to payment of a marriage contract, and they are not entitled to remuneration for the produce that the husband consumed from her property while they were together, and they are not entitled to sustenance, and they are not entitled to their worn clothes that were brought into the marriage as part of their dowry and became worn out during the marriage. The ailonit granted the rights to the profits the husband earned from her property while under the mistaken premise that she was married. Yet after the marriage was determined to have been contracted in error, the husband does not have to return these profits.

ולא היא לא אונאה הויא תיובתיה ולא איילונית מסייע ליה

The Gemara comments: But that is not so; the halakha of exploitation is not a refutation of Rav Naḥman’s opinion, nor does the case of a sexually underdeveloped woman support his opinion, as there are differences between the cases.

לא אונאה תיובתיה דלא ידע דאיתיה אונאה דמחיל גביה ולא איילונית מסייע ליה דניחא לה דתיפוק עלה שמא דאישות

The Gemara clarifies: Exploitation is not a refutation of his opinion, as the buyer does not know that there is exploitation at the time of the sale that would enable him to forgive him the amount he was overcharged, and therefore there is no forgiveness in this case at all. Nor does the case of a sexually underdeveloped woman support his opinion, as it is amenable to her for her husband to receive the profits in order that she receive the name of a married woman. She wants to be known as a woman who was once married, and therefore she willingly relinquishes her rights to the profits from her property during her marriage even if it will be found to have been contracted in error. There is no mistaken forgiveness in that case.

ההיא איתתא דאמרה ליה לההוא גברא זיל זבין לי ארעא מקריביי אזל זבן לה אמר ליה אי הוו לי זוזי מהדרת לה ניהלי אמר ליה את ונוולא אחי

§ The Gemara relates: There was a certain woman who said to a certain man: Go purchase land for me from my relatives. He went and purchased land for her. The relative who sold her the property said to the man acting as her agent: If I will have money in the future, will you give the field back to me? The agent said to him: You and she [venavla] are relatives, and I assume that you will be able to come to an arrangement between the two of you.

אמר רבה בר רב הונא כל את ונוולא אחי אמר סמכא דעתיה ולא גמר ומקני

The Gemara discusses the halakhic significance of this response. Rabba bar Rav Huna said: In the case of any expression such as: You and she are relatives, that the agent says, the seller relies on the assumption that he will be able to come to an agreement with his relative, and therefore he does not conclusively resolve to enable the other to acquire the field.

ארעא הדרה פירי מאי רבית קצוצה הוו ויוצאין בדיינין או דילמא כי אבק רבית הוו ואין יוצאין

The Gemara comments: In that case, the land itself must be returned to its owner, but what is the halakha with regard to the produce consumed by the buyer in the interim? Is it deemed fixed interest, prohibited by Torah law, and can it be removed from the buyer by means of legal proceedings adjudicated by judges? Or perhaps it is considered like a hint of interest, prohibited by rabbinic law, and therefore it cannot be removed from the buyer by means of legal proceedings adjudicated by judges?

אמר רבה בר רב הונא מסתברא כי אבק רבית הוו ואין יוצאין בדיינין וכן אמר רבא כי אבק רבית הוו ואין יוצאין בדיינין

Rabba bar Rav Huna said: It stands to reason that it is like a hint of interest, and it cannot be removed from the buyer by means of legal proceedings adjudicated by judges. And Rava similarly said: It is like a hint of interest, and it cannot be removed from the buyer by means of legal proceedings adjudicated by judges.

אמר ליה אביי לרבה משכנתא מאי התם טעמא מאי משום דלא קץ ליה הכא נמי לא קץ ליה או דילמא התם זביני הכא הלואה

Abaye said to Rava: With regard to a mortgage, if the borrower pledged a field to the lender, who worked the field and consumed its produce during the term of the loan without any agreement allowing him to do so, what is the halakha? There, in the previous case, what is the reason it is merely a hint of interest? Is it because the seller did not fix a particular sum for the buyer as interest? Here too, the lender did not fix a particular sum for the borrower, and accordingly, this would also be merely a hint of interest. Or perhaps the key issue is that there, it is a sale, whereas here, it is a loan, with regard to which there is a greater concern about interest.

אמר ליה התם טעמא מאי משום דלא קץ ליה הכא נמי לא קץ ליה

Rava said to him: There, what is the reason it is merely a hint of interest? It is considered a hint of interest because the seller did not fix a particular sum for the buyer as interest. Here too, the lender did not fix a particular sum for the borrower, and therefore this is not fixed interest.

אמר רב פפי עבד רבינא עובדא וחשיב ואפיק פירי דלא כרבה בר רב הונא

Rav Pappi said: Ravina performed an action with regard to a case like this, and he calculated and removed from the lender the value of the produce he had consumed in the interim. This decision was not in accordance with the opinion of Rabba bar Rav Huna.

אמר מר בריה דרב יוסף משמיה דרבא הא משכנתא באתרא דמסלקי אכל שיעור זוזי מסלקינן ליה

Mar, son of Rav Yosef, said in the name of Rava: With regard to this following type of mortgage, in which the lender holds part of the borrower’s land and may consume its produce, the halakha depends on the local custom. In a place where the custom is that the borrower can repay the loan at any time and the court removes the lender from the land once the loan is repaid, then once the lender consumed a measure of produce equivalent to the amount of money that he lent, we remove him from the land at that point, as the produce consumed is considered repayment of the loan.

אכל טפי לא מפקינן מיניה ולא מחשבינן משטרא לשטרא

If the lender consumed a measure of produce worth more than the value of the loan, we do not remove the value of the excess produce from him, as that which he consumed is already gone. And similarly, we do not calculate any extra produce as payment from one document to another. If the same borrower owed the lender an additional sum from another debt recorded in a different document, we do not consider the additional produce he consumed as part of the payment for the second document; rather, each loan is treated on its own terms.

ובדיתמי אכל שיעור זוזי מסלקינן ליה אכל טפי מפקינן מיניה ומחשבינן משטרא לשטרא

And if the field belonged to orphans, once the lender consumed a measure of produce equivalent to the amount of money he was owed, we remove him from the field. And if he consumed a measure of produce worth more than the value of the loan, we take the additional amount from him; and we do calculate extra produce as payment from one document to another. The reason is that the owner of the field generally forgives payment for the extra produce the lender consumed, but minor orphans are too young to forgive a debt, and the case is therefore judged according to the letter of the law.

אמר רב אשי השתא דאמרת אכל טפי לא מפקינן מיניה אכל שיעור זוזי נמי לא מסלקינן ליה בלא זוזי מאי טעמא סלוקי בלא זוזי אפוקי מיניה הוא הוי אבק רבית ואבק רבית אינה יוצאה בדיינין

Rav Ashi said: Now that you have said that if he consumed more than the value of the loan we do not take it from him, as it is considered merely a hint of interest, it follows that if he consumed a measure of produce equivalent to the amount of the money owed him, we also do not remove him from the land without the borrower’s paying him money. What is the reason for this? To remove him from the land without the borrower’s paying him money is like taking money from him, and this consumption of the produce is only a hint of interest, and the halakha is that a hint of interest cannot be removed by legal proceedings adjudicated by judges.

עבד רב אשי עובדא ביתומים קטנים

The Gemara relates: Rav Ashi performed an action in a case of this kind even involving minor orphans,

כגדולים

as though they were adults. Even if the lender consumed produce equivalent to the amount of the debt, Rav Ashi would not collect the value of the produce from him, as this is merely a hint of interest and therefore it cannot be claimed in court.

אמר רבא בריה דרב יוסף משמיה דרבא האי משכנתא באתרא דמסלקי לא ניכול אלא בנכייתא וצורבא מדרבנן אפילו בנכייתא לא ניכול אלא במאי ניכול בקיצותא

§ Rava, son of Rav Yosef, says in the name of Rava: With regard to this following type of mortgage, in which the lender holds part of the borrower’s land and may consume its produce, the halakha depends on the local custom. In a place where the custom is that the borrower can repay the loan at any time and the court removes the lender from the land, the lender may consume the produce of the land only with a deduction in the amount of the loan granted to the borrower, equivalent in value to that of the produce consumed by the lender. And a Torah scholar [tzurva miderabbanan], who must be especially careful with regard to his conduct, may not consume the produce even with a deduction in the amount of the loan. The Gemara poses a question: But if so, in what manner may he consume the produce? The Gemara answers: By a fixed payment, the details of which the Gemara will soon explain.

הניחא למאן דאמר קיצותא שריא אלא למאן דאמר קיצותא אסירא מאי איכא למימר דאתמר קיצותא פליגא בה רב אחא ורבינא חד אמר קיצותא שריא וחד אמר קיצותא אסירא היכי דמי קיצותא דאמר ליה עד חמש שנין אכילנא לה בלא נכייתא מכאן ואילך שיימנא לך כולהו פירי

The Gemara asks: This works out well according to the one who says that a fixed payment is permitted, but according to the one who says that a fixed payment is forbidden, what is there to say? As it was stated: With regard to a fixed payment, Rav Aḥa and Ravina disagreed: One said that a fixed payment is permitted, and one said a fixed payment is forbidden. The Gemara clarifies: What are the circumstances of this fixed payment? The Gemara explains: One case of a fixed payment is where the lender says to the borrower: For a period of up to five years, I will consume the produce of the field without a deduction in the amount of the loan; from that point forward I will appraise for you the value of all the produce I consume and subtract this sum from the debt.

איכא דאמרי כל בלא נכייתא אסור אבל היכי דמי קיצותא דאמר ליה עד חמש שנין אכילנא בנכייתא מכאן ואילך שיימנא לך כולהו פירי

There are those who say a different version of this discussion: Any consumption of produce by the lender without a deduction in the amount of the loan is prohibited as interest. And what are the circumstances of a permitted fixed payment? When the lender says to the borrower: For a period of up to five years I will consume the produce with a fixed deduction in the amount of the loan; from this point forward I will appraise for you the value of all the produce I consume and deduct the sum from the loan.

מאן דאסר בקמייתא שרי בבתרייתא מאן דאסר בבתרייתא היכי שרי למיכל שרי כי משכנתא דסורא דכתבי בה הכי במשלם שניא אילין תיפוק ארעא דא בלא כסף

The Gemara comments: The one who prohibits the practice according to the first version permits the practice described in the second. The Gemara asks: But according to the one who also prohibits the practice described in the second version, how is it permitted to consume the produce of a mortgaged field? The Gemara replies: It is permitted in a case like that of a mortgage according to the custom in Sura, a city in Babylonia, in which this is written in the loan document: Upon the completion of these years, during which the lender may consume the produce of the field, this land shall leave his possession without money and return to the owner, as the entire amount of the loan will have been repaid by means of the consumption of the produce.

רב פפא ורב הונא בריה דרב יהושע אמרי תרוייהו האי משכנתא באתרא דמסלקי אין בעל חוב גובה הימנה ואין הבכור נוטל בה פי שנים ושביעית משמטתה

Rav Pappa and Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, both say: With regard to this type of mortgage, the halakha depends on the local custom. In a place where the custom is that the borrower can repay the loan at any time and the court removes the lender from the land, the land is not considered his property at all, and therefore another creditor cannot collect a debt owed by the lender by repossessing it; and if the lender dies, his firstborn son does not receive a double portion of it as part of his inheritance, as it did not belong to his father; and the Sabbatical Year cancels a debt of this kind, because it is not viewed as having already been collected.

ובאתרא דלא מסלקי בעל חוב גובה הימנו ובכור נוטל בו פי שנים ואין שביעית משמטתה

But in a place where they do not remove him from the land before the appointed time even if the debt is paid, then the land has been temporarily transferred to him, and therefore a creditor can collect a debt owed by the lender by repossessing it, and his firstborn receives a double portion of it, and the Sabbatical Year does not cancel the debt.

ואמר מר זוטרא משמיה דרב פפא האי משכנתא באתרא דמסלקי מסלקי ליה ואפילו מתמרי דאבודיא ואי אגבהנהו בסיסני קננהו ולמאן דאמר כליו של לוקח ברשות מוכר קנה לוקח אפילו דלא אגבהנהו בסיסני קננהו

And Mar Zutra said in the name of Rav Pappa: With regard to this type of mortgage, the halakha depends on the local custom. In a place where the custom is that the borrower can repay the loan at any time and the court removes the lender from the land, they remove him even from dates he has already harvested and spread out on the mats. But if he has lifted them and placed them in the baskets [besisanei], he has thereby acquired them, and they are his. And according to the one who says that when an act of acquisition is performed by means of placing items in the buyer’s vessels that are located in the seller’s domain the buyer has acquired the items, even if he did not lift them while they were in the baskets, he acquired them when they were placed on the mats.

פשיטא באתרא דמסלקי ואמר לא מסתלקנא הא קאמר דלא מסתלקנא אלא באתרא דלא מסלקי ואמר מסתלקנא מאי צריך למיקנא מיניה או לא

§ The Gemara discusses other halakhot of mortgages. It is obvious that if the loan was given in a place where they generally remove the lender from the field upon the repayment of the debt, but upon lending the money, the lender said: I will not be removed, his stipulation is respected, as he said that he will not be removed, and he gave him the money only subject to this condition. But if the loan took place in a place where they generally do not remove him, and he said: I will be removed when the money is returned, what is the halakha? Is it necessary to perform a formal act of acquisition with him to formalize this commitment, or is it not necessary, as his statement alone is binding?

רב פפא אמר לא צריך למקנא מיניה רב ששת בריה דרב אידי אמר צריך למקנא מיניה והלכתא צריך למקנא מיניה

Rav Pappa said: It is not necessary to perform an act of acquisition with him. Rav Sheshet, son of Rav Idi, said: It is necessary to perform an act of acquisition with him. The Gemara concludes: And the halakha is that it is necessary to perform an act of acquisition with him.

אמר איזיל ואייתי זוזי לא אכיל איזיל ואטרח ואייתי זוזי רבינא אמר אכיל ומר זוטרא בריה דרב מרי אמר לא אכיל והלכתא לא אכיל

The Gemara addresses another case. If the borrower said to the lender: I will go to get the money to repay you, the lender may not consume any more of the produce, as this statement is sufficient to remove him from the property. But if he said: I am going to make an effort to get the money, amora’im engaged in a dispute concerning the halakha. Ravina said: The lender may continue to consume the produce until the borrower actually brings the payment, as he cannot be certain the borrower will manage to get the money. And Mar Zutra, son of Rav Mari, said: He may not consume the produce. The Gemara concludes: And the halakha is that he may not consume the produce.

רב כהנא ורב פפא ורב אשי לא אכלי בנכייתא רבינא אכיל בנכייתא

The Gemara relates: Rav Kahana, and Rav Pappa, and Rav Ashi would not consume the produce of mortgaged fields even with a deduction in the amount of the loan, as they were concerned about the possible violation of the prohibition of interest. Ravina would consume this produce with a deduction in the amount of the loan.

אמר מר זוטרא טעמא דמאן דאכיל בנכייתא מידי דהוה אשדה אחוזה שדה אחוזה לאו אף על גב דקא אכיל פירי טובא אמר רחמנא

Mar Zutra said: The explanation for the practice of the one who does consume the produce with a deduction in the amount of the loan is just as it is in the case of an ancestral field, i.e., a field that one inherits from his ancestors within his family holdings in Eretz Yisrael. The Torah states that one who consecrates his ancestral field can redeem it from the Temple treasury in return for one sela, which is four dinars, for each year remaining until the Jubilee (see Leviticus 27:16–19). The comparison is as follows: With regard to an ancestral field, is it not the case that even though he consumes abundant produce over the course of the years, nevertheless, the Merciful One states in the Torah