Bava Batra 90b (צ:) — the Talmud in English

And this is how Shmuel interpreted the verse: Is it possible to say that the

“maneh,”

of consecrated property is sixty sela, which are

two hundred and forty

dinars,

is that so!?

But a maneh contains only one hundred dinars, which are merely twenty-five sela!

Rather,

Shmuel proves,

we learn from this

verse

three

novel legal rulings:

a.

We learn that a maneh of consecrated property

was doubled.

That is, originally it contained fifty sela, twice the twenty-five of non-consecrated property.

Afterward, five sela were added to the maneh of non-consecrated property, an addition of one-sixth, making it thirty sela. Therefore, the maneh of consecrated property, which is doubled, is sixty sela, which are two hundred and forty dinars.

b.

And we learn that measures may be increased,

and likewise coins may be increased. Therefore, they were able to enlarge the maneh of non-consecrated property to thirty sela, and the maneh of consecrated property to sixty sela. There is no concern that the merchant might incur a loss, since it is unlikely that the merchant will not hear about the increase in the measures or coins; and with regard to something unlikely, there is no concern about preventing profit.

But they may not increase

the measures and coins

by more than one-sixth.

These are Shmuel’s words in themselves; they are not derived from this verse, but are an addition stated by Shmuel. For they were concerned only that a merchant might lose his profit if he had not heard about the increase, since that is unlikely; but regarding a loss of the principal of more than one-sixth, there is cause for concern.

c.

And we learn that the calculation of one-sixth,

for this purpose, is made according to a calculation

from the outside

—milbar. That is, the measure of the addition is determined according to the ratio between the addition and the total sum of the principal together with the addition; one does not measure the one-sixth from the principal itself.

For example, here the calculation of one-sixth milbar, “from the outside,” is one-sixth of the combined sum of the additional ten sela and the fifty sela, which together total sixty. The ten sela are one-sixth of the whole, the principal together with the addition.

But if the addition were calculated milgav, “from within,” the addition would be one-sixth of fifty, which is eight sela and one dinar and one-third. When this sum is added to the fifty sela, the total would be fifty-eight sela, one dinar, and one-third. Yet the verse says that the maneh of consecrated property contains sixty sela.

Rav Pappa bar Shmuel established a measure of three

kapizi,

a new measure containing nine log.

A kav contains four log.

A tarkav contains three kav, which are twelve log.

A half-tarkav contains one and a half kav, which are six log. “

A kapiza is a measure of three-quarters of a kav, that is, three log.”

Since the new measure established by Rav Pappa bar Shmuel contained three kapizi, it contained nine log.

It follows that the new measure, containing nine log, is an addition of one-third to the measure of a half-tarkav, which contains six log, and is a reduction of one-quarter from the measure of a tarkav, which contains twelve log.

They said to him: But Shmuel said: One may not increase measures by more than one-sixth!?

Yet you added one-third to the measure of a half-tarkav, and reduced one-quarter from the measure of a tarkav!

He said to them: I,

did not add anything to the measure of a half-tarkav, nor did I reduce anything from the measure of a tarkav. Rather,

I established an entirely new measure!

I established for them a completely new measure of nine log, and they will not mistakenly think that it is a half-tarkav.

He sent it,

Rav Pappa bar Shmuel sent this measure

to Pumbedita, but they did not accept it.

They did not agree to use it.

He sent it to Paphunya, and they accepted it, and they called

this measure

“Rav Pappa’s rose”

Mnemonic

for several baraitot cited below:

Those who hoard produce; one may not hoard; one may not export; one may not profit twice from eggs; they sound an alarm, but do not export.

The Sages taught: Those who hoard produce,

who purchase large quantities of produce in the market, thereby causing a shortage of produce and leading to a rise in prices, and then sell it at a high price, thereby causing the poor to suffer a loss;

and those who lend at interest, and those who give short measure,

who deceive with their weights and measures;

and those who drive up prices,

who sell at a price higher than the market rate—

concerning them

the verse

in the Book of Amos [chapter 8]

says: “

Hear this, you who long to swallow up the needy and to eliminate the poor of the land,

saying,

When will the month be over [

this is what those who drive up prices say: At the time of the threshing floor, when grain is available to everyone cheaply, they cannot drive up the price, and therefore they wait for the month following the time of the threshing floor to pass],

so that we may sell grain at a high price,” [

then they will already be able to earn an excessive profit by driving up the price of grain].

And

they likewise await the arrival of

the Sabbatical year,

the year of shemitta,

and

then

we will open the grain,

the stores of grain that we have hoarded, and sell it at a high price. These are the ones who hoard produce.

To make the eifa smaller,

as they are “those who give short measure.”

And to make the shekel larger,

that is, those who lend at interest.

And to falsify dishonest scales.”

And it is written

concerning their punishment, later in that passage:

“The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.”

And the Gemara explains:

Those who hoard produce—for example, who!?—

Rabbi Yohanan said: For example,

a man named

Shabbetai, who hoarded produce.

He hoarded produce intentionally in order to raise the price of the produce, so that afterward he would be able to sell it to the poor at a high price, thereby causing the poor to suffer a loss.

But if he hoarded the produce when it was cheap, so that he would have produce in his possession to sell to the poor cheaply when prices rose, then even though his purchase causes the price to rise somewhat, there is no prohibition, because his intention is to benefit the poor.

Shmuel’s father

was concerned for the welfare of the poor, so that they would have inexpensive grain throughout the year. Therefore, he

sold his produce to them at the “early market rate,”

selling all his produce at the early rate of the threshing-floor season, which was a low rate, and he did not hoard it. He did this

because it was early,

so that everyone else would also sell their grain at the time of the threshing floor and would not hoard it, thereby keeping the price of grain low throughout the year.

But

his son Shmuel would hold back the produce,

hoarding the grain,

and sell it to them

throughout the year

at the late market rate,

when the market rate was high,

as the early market rate,

at the low rate; thereby he lowered the market rate after it had risen. He did this even though, by initially hoarding his produce, he caused the price of produce in the market to rise slightly.

They sent word from there,

from Eretz Yisrael:

“The father’s is better,

what Shmuel’s father did,

than the son’s,”

what his son Shmuel did, although both acted as they did for the benefit of the poor.

And the Gemara explains:

What is the reason?

Why is the deed of Shmuel’s father preferable to that of Shmuel?

Because

“a rate that begins low remains low.”

It is preferable to establish the low rate from the outset, as Shmuel’s father did, because a low rate established initially continues that way throughout the year. By contrast, lowering the high rate, which Shmuel would do, is difficult once the high rate has already become established in the market.

Rav said: A person may make his measure of produce

a storehouse.

That is, a person is permitted to hoard a small, noncommercial quantity for the sustenance of his household from what grew in his field. Likewise, if nothing grew in his field, he may purchase and hoard produce for the sustenance of his household.

It was taught likewise: One may not hoard produce—items upon which human life depends—such as wine, oil, and flour.

But it is permitted to hoard

spices, cumin, and pepper.

In what case is this statement said

that it is forbidden for him to hoard?

When he purchases from the market

a large quantity for the purpose of hoarding it.

But when he brings in produce of his own,

for the sustenance of his household,

it is permitted.

And it is permitted for a person to hoard produce in Eretz Yisrael

during the sixth year, in a large quantity, even enough to sell to others during

the three years: the eve of the Sabbatical year, the Sabbatical year, and the year following the Sabbatical year,

because at that time produce will not be readily available for people to purchase.

But in years of famine, he may not hoard even a kav of carobs, because he brings a curse upon the prices,

causing the prices to rise substantially.

Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said

who lived in Eretz Yisrael

to Puga, his attendant,

his servant:

Go out,

go to the market, and

hoard produce for me

for

three years—the eve of the Sabbatical year, the Sabbatical year, and the year following the Sabbatical year.

The Sages taught: One may not export produce from Eretz Yisrael, items upon which human life depends, such as wine, oil, and flour.

Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira permits exporting

wine, because

the absence of wine

reduces frivolity.

It reduces foolishness, as the more wine enters, the more secrets depart ; therefore, it is preferable that there be less wine in Eretz Yisrael.

And just as one may not export produce from Eretz Yisrael to outside Eretz Yisrael, so too one may not export it from Eretz Yisrael to Syria,

since Syria does not possess the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael, despite the fact that King David conquered it, because the conquest of an individual is not a conquest that sanctifies the Land.