Bava Metzia 52a — the Talmud in English

And Rabbi Shimon says: eight pundeyonim to a sela,

two pundeyonim to a dinar .

That is, a sixth, like the measure of ona’a in a sale.

And in the Gemara it will be explained how the law of ona’a with coins differs from the law of ona’a in a sale.

Until when is it permitted to return

the ona’a with coins?

In the cities, for the time required to show it to a money-changer.

In the villages

where there is no money-changer—

until the eve of

Shabbat.

When he comes to spend it for the needs of Shabbat, he will know whether they will accept it from him or not.

And

if

the giver

recognizes

that it is the same sela that he gave him,

, even after twelve months from when he received it from him .

And in the Gemara it will be explained that he is not obligated to accept it according to the law; rather, it is a quality of piety.

And

if he does not wish to accept it from him—

he has nothing against him

except a grievance .

And he gives it for Second Tithe,

that is, it is permitted to redeem with that deficient sela, deficient by the measure of ona’a, produce of Second Tithe in the value of a complete sela.

And he is not concerned

that perhaps its law is like that of a coin whose form has been diminished. Since

one who

does not accept it at its value as currency

is only a bad-natured person.

[A miser and narrow-eyed person.]

Gemara:

In our Mishna we taught: “How much may the sela be deficient and there will not be ona’a in it?” It implies that the measures stated in the Mishna are not considered ona’a until he adds something to them.

And we raise a contradiction,

[the Gemara raised an objection from the beraita]—

“How much may the sela be deficient, and there will be ona’a in it?”

It implies the opposite: that if it became deficient by the measure mentioned in the Mishna, the law of ona’a applies to it?

Rav Pappa said: It is not difficult.

Indeed, it may be said that if it became deficient by the measure mentioned in the Mishna, it is ona’a.

And

our tanna counts from below upward.

There is no ona’a up to the measure, but not including the measure itself.

And

the outside tanna

[the external tanna, who taught the beraita]—

counts from above downward.

It is ona’a up to the stated measure, including the measure itself.

Now, regarding the law of ona’a stated concerning a sale, we find no dispute, and according to everyone its measure is a sixth. But concerning the law of ona’a stated concerning a coin, they dispute at what point it is ona’a.

And we ask:

What is different with regard to the

law of ona’a of a

sela, that they dispute

at what point it is ona’a,

and what is different with regard to a garment

[the law of ona’a stated concerning sale and purchase]

that they do not dispute?

Rava said:

Indeed, they also dispute concerning a garment. But

the one who

taught

concerning

a garment,

that the measure of ona’a is a sixth,

it is Rabbi Shimon.

The one mentioned in our Mishna, that the measure of ona’a with a coin is also a sixth.

Indeed, the tannaim who dispute with him in the Mishna concerning a coin also disputed with him concerning a garment.

But

Abaye said:

Concerning

a garment

according to everyone the measure of ona’a is a sixth. Since

until a sixth, a person waives it.

As people say: “Wear

for your body.”

[Buy clothing for your body even at a high price]

“And value”

“for your belly,”

[food for eating—buy it at its value ] .

Therefore, he does not object if he bought it at a high price, up to a sixth.

But

a sela

[if he suffered ona’a with a coin] objects even at less than a sixth.

Since it is not sufficient for him

[since he cannot use this defective coin]

he does not waive.

The Gemara discusses the substance of the laws taught in our Mishna:

The substance [of the matter].

We taught in the Tosefta concerning this matter:

How much may the sela be deficient and there be ona’a in it?

Rabbi Meir says: four issarin

per sela,

an issar per dinar.

Rabbi Judah says: four pundeyonim

per sela,

a pundeyon per dinar.

Rabbi Shimon says: eight pundeyonim

per sela,

two pundeyonim per dinar.

Furthermore,

[as will be explained below]

he may sell it at its value .

How much may it diminish and he be permitted to retain it,

and we will not be concerned lest they use this sela in order to deceive with it?

With a sela

that is diminishing and continuing, it is permitted to retain it

until

it reaches the measure of

a shekel

[half a sela]. There is no concern lest they deceive with it, since the deficiency is noticeable in it.

But if it diminished by more than a shekel, it is forbidden to retain it. Since its deficiency is not noticeable in relation to a shekel [for it is as broad as a sela, and appears to the eye as though it weighs at least as much as a shekel], they will come to trade with it as a shekel.

And

with a dinar

that is diminishing and continuing, it is permitted to retain it

until a quarter.

[The precise measure will be explained below.]

Less than this, an issar, is forbidden.

[This will be explained below.]

And with these coins that they forbade retaining,

he may not sell it, neither to a merchant, nor to a robber

[a robber]

, nor to a murderer,

[a murderer]

, because they deceive others with it.

And they force them to accept it as a superior coin.

Rather, he should bore it and hang it

as an amulet

around the neck of his son or around the neck of his daughter.

These are the words of the Tosefta.

And the Gemara returns to explain the words of the Tosefta, section by section:

The Master said: “With a sela, until a shekel

, with a dinar, until a quarter.”

The Gemara explains:

What is different with a sela

whose deficiency is permitted only

until a shekel

[that is, half its value],

and what is different with a dinar

whose deficiency is permitted

until a quarter

of its value?

Abaye said: What is the meaning of “a quarter,” which it taught

with regard to a dinar—

also a quarter of a shekel.

That is, half the dinar.

Rava said: It is also precise

according to Abaye’s words, that the intention is not a quarter of a dinar, but a quarter of a shekel—

for it teaches “a quarter,” and it does not teach “a fourth.” Infer from it.

And we ask:

Why does it need to attach the

measure of the deficiency

of a dinar to

a quarter of a

shekel?

We should have said simply: with a dinar, until half of it?

And we answer:

It teaches us something incidentally: that there is a dinar that comes from a shekel.

That is, there is a dinar formed from a coin of a shekel that became deficient to the extent of a dinar. And it is permitted to retain this dinar.

And

it supports the

words of

Rabbi Ami, for Rabbi Ami said: A dinar that comes from a shekel is permitted to retain,

and to use it as a dinar.

But

a dinar that comes from a sela

that became deficient to the extent of a dinar,

it is forbidden to retain.

Since the sela is a thick coin, they will come to err regarding this dinar and use it as a shekel.

We also taught in a beraita:

“Less than this, an issar, is forbidden”:

the Gemara explains:

What is it saying ?

Abaye said: This is what it is saying:

If

the

sela

diminished by more than the measure of ona’a

by

an issar, it is forbidden

to use it as a complete sela.

Rava said to him: If so,

[that it diminished by more than the measure of ona’a], why does it need to diminish by an issar?

Even

if it diminished by

something as well,

it is forbidden to use it as a complete sela ?

Rather, Rava said:

The intention of the beraita is to say: If

the

sela

diminished by an issar per dinar,

[1:24, according to Rabbi Meir],

it is forbidden

to spend it, for it is ona’a.

And the anonymous statement

of the beraita

is according to Rabbi Meir.

We learned there

in tractate Kelim:

A sela that was disqualified, and he prepared it

so that he could weigh weights with it

, is impure.

That is, it contracts impurity like a vessel, for he made it into a vessel.

How much may it diminish and he be permitted to retain it?

For a sela, two dinars.

[That is, a shekel, as above.]

And if it diminished

less than this, he should cut it.

[He should cut the coin in two, so that they will not come to use it as a shekel.]

And the matter is doubtful to us:

What about more than this?

That is, if it diminished from a sela by more than the measure of ona’a, but more than a shekel remained in it, is it permitted to retain it, and need we not be concerned lest they come to spend it as a complete sela?

Rav Huna said:

Whether

less than this remained in it—

he should cut it,

[lest they come to spend it as a shekel], or

more than this remained, he should cut away the excess

and make it stand at a shekel. [Lest they come to spend it as a sela.]

Only when exactly a shekel remained in it is it permitted to retain it as it is and use it as a shekel.

But

Rabbi Ami said: Less than this, he should cut it.

But

more than this—

he may retain it.

And we are not concerned lest they come to spend it as a sela. Since the sela is a large coin, it is noticeable in it that it has diminished in weight.