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Bava Kamma
Daf 115aאֵין לוֹ אֶלָּא שְׂכָרוֹ. וְאִם אָמַר: ״אַצִּיל אֶת שֶׁלְּךָ וְאַתָּה נוֹתֵן לִי דְּמֵי שֶׁלִּי״ – חַיָּיב לִיתֵּן לוֹ.
the owner of the wine has the right to collect only his wage,
שָׁטַף נַחַל חֲמוֹרוֹ וַחֲמוֹר חֲבֵירוֹ, שֶׁלּוֹ יָפֶה מָנֶה וְשֶׁל חֲבֵירוֹ מָאתַיִם, וְהִנִּיחַ זֶה אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ וְהִצִּיל אֶת שֶׁל חֲבֵירוֹ – אֵין לוֹ אֶלָּא שְׂכָרוֹ. וְאִם אָמַר לוֹ: ״אֲנִי אַצִּיל אֶת שֶׁלְּךָ וְאַתָּה נוֹתֵן לִי אֶת שֶׁלִּי״ – חַיָּיב לִיתֵּן לוֹ.
Similarly, if a river washed away his donkey
גמ׳ וְאַמַּאי? לֵימָא לֵיהּ: מֵהֶפְקֵירָא קָא זָכֵינָא! מִי לָא תַּנְיָא: הֲרֵי שֶׁהָיָה טָעוּן כַּדֵּי יַיִן וְכַדֵּי שֶׁמֶן וְרָאָה שֶׁהֵן מִשְׁתַּבְּרוֹת, לֹא יֹאמַר ״הֲרֵי זֶה תְּרוּמָה וּמַעֲשֵׂר עַל פֵּירוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִי בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתִי״, וְאִם אָמַר – לֹא אָמַר כְּלוּם?
And why does one who pours out wine have the right to collect only this wage? Let him say to the owner of the honey: I have acquired your honey from ownerless property. Isn’t it taught in a baraita : One who was laden with jugs of wine and jugs of oil and saw that they were breaking and their contents were leaking out should not say: This is hereby separated as teruma
כִּדְאָמַר רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה: כְּשֶׁעֵקֶל בֵּית הַבַּד כָּרוּךְ עָלֶיהָ, הָכִי נַמִי כְּשֶׁעֵקֶל בֵּית הַבַּד כָּרוּךְ עָלֶיהָ.
The Gemara answers that it is as Rabbi Yirmeya says in a different context, that the ruling discussed there is referring to a case where the basket of the olive press
וְאִם אָמַר – לֹא אָמַר כְּלוּם? וְהָתַנְיָא: מִי שֶׁבָּא בַּדֶּרֶךְ וּמָעוֹת בְּיָדוֹ וְאַנָּס כְּנֶגְדּוֹ, לֹא יֹאמַר: ״הֲרֵי פֵּירוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִי בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתִי מְחוּלָּלִים עַל מָעוֹת הַלָּלוּ״, וְאִם אָמַר – דְּבָרָיו קַיָּימִין!
The Gemara challenges the baraita that stated: And even if he said that the wine or oil is separated as teruma or tithe, it is as though he did not say anything. But isn’t it taught in a different baraita : If one was traveling on the road and had money in his possession,
הָכָא בְּמַאי עָסְקִינַן – בְּשֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהַצִּיל. אִי בְּשֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהַצִּיל, לְכַתְּחִלָּה אַמַּאי לֹא יֹאמַר? בְּשֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהַצִּיל עַל יְדֵי הַדְּחָק.
The Gemara answers: Here we are dealing with a case where he is capable of saving his money from the ruffian and that is why he may transfer the sanctity of the second tithe to the coins. The Gemara asks: If it is a case where he is capable of saving the money, why should he not say that the produce should be desacralized ab initio ? The Gemara answers: It is a case where he is capable of saving the money only with difficulty. Consequently, he should not transfer the sanctity of the second tithe to the coins, as it may be lost; but if he does so, the transfer takes effect, as it is not certain that the money will be lost.
וְכָל הֵיכָא דְּאִיכָּא הֶפְסֵידָא, לְכַתְּחִלָּה לֹא יֹאמַר? וְהָתַנְיָא: הֲרֵי שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ עֶשֶׂר חָבִיּוֹת שֶׁל טֶבֶל טָמֵא, וְרָאָה אַחַת מֵהֶן שֶׁנִּשְׁבְּרָה אוֹ שֶׁנִּתְגַּלְּתָה, אוֹמֵר: ״הֲרֵי הִיא תְּרוּמַת מַעֲשֵׂר עַל תֵּשַׁע חַבְרוֹתֶיהָ״, וּבְשֶׁמֶן לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה כֵּן, מִפְּנֵי הֶפְסֵד כֹּהֵן!
The Gemara asks: And is it so that wherever there is a potential loss one should not say that the sanctity is transferred to the money ab initio ? But isn’t it taught otherwise in the following baraita : If one had ten barrels of ritually impure, untithed wine, i.e., first-tithe wine from which the teruma of the tithe had not yet been separated, and he saw that one of them had broken and that its contents were leaking out, or that it had been exposed
אֲמַר רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה: כְּשֶׁעֵקֶל בֵּית הַבָּד כָּרוּךְ עָלֶיהָ. בִּשְׁלָמָא שֶׁנִּשְׁבְּרָה חַזְיָא, אֶלָּא נִתְגַּלְּתָה לְמַאי חַזְיָא?
The Gemara answers that Rabbi Yirmeya said: The baraita issued its ruling only when the basket of the olive press was wrapped around the barrel so that some of its contents would remain inside. The Gemara asks: Granted, this rationale applies to a barrel that was broken, as the remaining contents are still fit for use, but with regard to a barrel that was exposed, for what use is it fit?
וְכִי תֵּימָא חַזְיָא לְזִילּוּף, וְהָתַנְיָא: מַיִם שֶׁנִּתְגַּלּוּ – הֲרֵי זֶה לֹא יִשְׁפְּכֵם בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים, וְלֹא יְגַבֵּל בָּהֶן אֶת הַטִּיט, וְלֹא יְרַבֵּץ בָּהֶן אֶת הַבַּיִת, וְלֹא יַשְׁקֶה מֵהֶם אֶת בְּהֶמְתּוֹ וְלֹא בֶּהֱמַת חֲבֵירוֹ!
And if you would say that the exposed wine is fit for sprinkling, in order to spread its pleasant aroma, isn’t it taught otherwise in the following baraita ? With regard to water that was exposed,
דְּעָבַר לָהּ בִּמְסַנֶּנֶת, כְּרַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה. דְּתַנְיָא: מְסַנֶּנֶת יֵשׁ בָּהּ מִשּׁוּם גִּילּוּי. אָמַר רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה: אֵימָתַי? בִּזְמַן שֶׁהַתַּחְתּוֹנָה מְגוּלָּה, אֲבָל בִּזְמַן שֶׁהַתַּחְתּוֹנָה מְכוּסָּה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָעֶלְיוֹנָה מְגוּלָּה – אֵין בָּהּ מִשּׁוּם גִּילּוּי, לְפִי שֶׁאֶרֶס שֶׁל נָחָשׁ דּוֹמֶה לִסְפוֹג, וְצָף וְעוֹמֵד בִּמְקוֹמוֹ.
The Gemara answers: The wine is fit for use because he passed it through a strainer, and it is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Neḥemya, as it is taught in a baraita : A vessel covered with a strainer is subject to the halakha of exposure if the vessel is left unsupervised. Rabbi Neḥemya said: When is this so? It is so when the lower vessel, in which the liquid collects after passing through the strainer, is exposed. But when the lower vessel is covered, even if the upper vessel is exposed, it is not subject to the halakha of exposure, because the venom of a snake is like a sponge in that it floats and stays in place.
לָאו אִיתְּמַר עֲלָהּ, אָמַר רַבִּי סִימוֹן אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא טְרָקוֹ, אֲבָל טְרָקוֹ – אָסוּר?
The Gemara questions this explanation: Wasn’t it stated with regard to Rabbi Neḥemya’s ruling that Rabbi Simon says that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: They taught Rabbi Neḥemya’s ruling only where one did not mix it, but if one mixed the wine,
הָתָם נַמִי, אֶפְשָׁר דְּמַנַּח מִידֵי אַפּוּמָא דְּחָבִיתָא דְּשָׁפֵי לֵיהּ.
The Gemara answers: There, too, it is possible to prevent the venom from mixing with the wine by placing something upon the mouth of a barrel that will filter it slowly so that the venom will not penetrate the strainer, and the wine may therefore be used.
וְרַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה (מִטָּמֵא אַטָּמֵא) מִי תָּרְמִינַן?
It has now been established that the baraita , which states that if one’s barrel of untithed, impure wine is breaking, he may separate it as teruma of the tithe for other barrels of untithed, impure wine, may be explained in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Neḥemya. The Gemara asks: And according to Rabbi Neḥemya, may we separate teruma from impure produce for other impure produce?
וְהָתַנְיָא: תּוֹרְמִין מִן הַטָּמֵא עַל הַטָּמֵא וּמִן הַטָּהוֹר עַל הַטָּהוֹר וּמִן הַטָּהוֹר עַל הַטָּמֵא, אֲבָל לֹא מִן הַטָּמֵא עַל הַטָּהוֹר; רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹמֵר: אַף מִן הַטָּמֵא עַל הַטָּמֵא לֹא הִתִּירוּ לִתְרוֹם אֶלָּא בְּשֶׁל דְּמַאי! הָכָא נַמִי בְּשֶׁל דְּמַאי.
But isn’t it taught in another baraita : One may separate teruma from produce that is impure for other produce that is impure, and from produce that is pure for other produce that is pure, and from produce that is pure for produce that is impure, but not from produce that is impure for produce that is pure.
אָמַר מָר: וּבְשֶׁמֶן לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה כֵּן, מִפְּנֵי הֶפְסֵד כֹּהֵן. מַאי שְׁנָא שֶׁמֶן, דְּרָאוּי לְהַדְלִיק? יַיִן נַמִי רָאוּי לְזִילּוּף! וְכִי תֵּימָא, זִילּוּף לָאו מִילְּתָא הִיא, וְהָאָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי חִיָּיא: שׁוֹתִין מִלּוֹג בְּסֶלַע, וּמְזַלְּפִין מִלּוֹג בִּשְׁתַּיִם!
The Gemara discusses the continuation of the baraita cited previously: The Master said in the baraita : But with regard to oil, he should not do so, due to the priest’s loss. The Gemara asks: What is different about a leaking barrel of impure oil, which one may not separate as teruma , because if he does so the priest will suffer a loss? That case is different because the impure teruma oil is fit to be used to kindle a fire, and the priest will now not receive that oil. The Gemara challenges: But wine is also fit to be used, as the priest is able to sprinkle it in order to impart a pleasant aroma. Why is there is no concern that the priest will suffer a loss? And if you would say that sprinkling is nothing, i.e., it is insignificant, doesn’t Shmuel say in the name of Rabbi Ḥiyya: One drinks from a log of wine worth one sela , and one sprinkles from a log of wine worth two sela , which indicates that there is greater benefit in sprinkling wine than in drinking it?
הָכָא בְּמַאי עָסְקִינַן – בְּחָדָשׁ. וְהָא רָאוּי לְיַשְּׁנוֹ! אָתֵי בֵּיהּ לִידֵי תַּקָּלָה.
The Gemara answers: Here we are dealing with new wine that has not yet developed an aroma and is therefore not fit for sprinkling. The Gemara counters: But isn’t it fit to allow it to age so that it will become fit for sprinkling? The Gemara responds: If one waits for it to age, he might come to experience a mishap with it, as he will forget that it is impure teruma , which is forbidden for consumption.
שֶׁמֶן נַמִי אָתֵי בֵּיהּ לִידֵי תַּקָּלָה! דְּמַנַּח בִּכְלִי מָאוּס. יַיִן נַמִי מַנַּח לֵיהּ בִּכְלִי מָאוּס! הָשְׁתָּא לְזִילּוּף קָא בָּעֵי לֵיהּ, בִּכְלִי מָאוּס קָא מַנַּח לֵיהּ?!
The Gemara asks: Oil should also be subject to the concern that one might come to experience a mishap with it, as he might forget that it is forbidden and mistakenly drink it. The Gemara explains: The halakha is that the priest must place the oil in a foul vessel, and there is no concern that he will consume it, as such oil is used only for kindling. The Gemara asks: Let the wine also be placed in a foul vessel, in which case there would be no concern that he would drink it. The Gemara responds: Now that he desires to use it for sprinkling, would he place it in a foul vessel? This would ruin its aroma. Consequently, the wine may not be kept due to concern over a possible mishap, while the oil may be kept.
וְתַקָּלָה עַצְמָהּ תַּנָּאֵי הִיא; דְּתַנְיָא: חָבִית שֶׁל יַיִן שֶׁל תְּרוּמָה שֶׁנִּטְמֵאת – בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים:
The Gemara notes: And the concern with regard to a mishap itself is a dispute between tanna’im . As it is taught in a baraita : With regard to a barrel of teruma wine that became impure and is therefore forbidden for consumption, Beit Shammai say: