## Bava Metzia Daf 90b

###### Bava Metzia 90b:1
[Bava Metzia 90b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/90b:1)

דְּגָנְבִין אַרְמָאֵי וּמְגַנְּחִין יָתְהוֹן, מַהוּ? שְׁלַח לְהוּ: הַעֲרָמָה אִתְעֲבִיד בְּהוּ, אַעֲרִימוּ עֲלַיְיהוּ וְיִזְדַּבְּנוּן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**which gentiles steal and castrate.** Since it is prohibited for Jews to castrate animals, they would sometimes arrange for a gentile to pretend to steal the animal and subsequently return it after castrating it, as it is easier to handle a castrated animal. **What is** the *halakha* with regard to a case of this kind? Shmuel’s father **sent to him: They used artifice;** therefore, you should use **artifice with them and make them sell it** as a punishment. This shows that it is prohibited to instruct a gentile to perform a prohibition on one’s behalf.


###### Bava Metzia 90b:2
[Bava Metzia 90b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/90b:2)

אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: בְּנֵי מַעְרְבָא סָבְרִי לַהּ כְּרַבִּי חִידְקָא, דְּאָמַר: בְּנֵי נֹחַ מְצֻוִּוין עַל הַסֵּירוּס, וְקָא עָבְרִי מִשּׁוּם ״וְלִפְנֵי עִוֵּר לֹא תִתֵּן מִכְשֹׁל״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Pappa said:** This provides no conclusive proof, as **the inhabitants of the West,** i.e., Eretz Yisrael, who are the ones who raised this question, **hold in accordance with** the opinion of **Rabbi Ḥideka, who says: The descendants of Noah are commanded with regard to castration.** They too are prohibited from performing this practice. **And** consequently, those Jews who cause them to do it **transgress** the prohibition **of: “Nor put a stumbling block before the blind”** (Leviticus 19:14).


###### Bava Metzia 90b:3
[Bava Metzia 90b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/90b:3)

סְבַר רָבָא לְמֵימַר יִמָּכְרוּ לִשְׁחִיטָה. אָמַר לוֹ אַבָּיֵי דַּיָּין שֶׁקָּנַסְתָּ עֲלֵיהֶם מְכִירָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rava thought to say** that it is not enough that the owners may not use these animals castrated for them by gentiles, but **they** must even **sell** the animals **for slaughter,** but not for plowing, so that they would derive no benefit at all from the increase in the value of their property that resulted from a transgression. A castrated animal is worth more if it is sold for plowing, but not if it is sold for slaughter. **Abaye said to him:** It is **enough for them that you penalized them** by requiring them to **sell** the animals.


###### Bava Metzia 90b:4
[Bava Metzia 90b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/90b:4)

פְּשִׁיטָא: בְּנוֹ גָּדוֹל – כִּי אַחֵר דָּמֵי. בְּנוֹ קָטָן מַאי? רַב אַחַי אָסַר, וְרַב אָשֵׁי שָׁרֵי. מָרִימָר וּמָר זוּטְרָא, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ הָנְהוּ תְּרֵי חֲסִידֵי, מְחַלְּפִי אַהֲדָדֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
With regard to the same issue, the Gemara comments: It is **obvious** that if one sold the castrated animal **to his adult son,** the son **is considered like another** person, i.e., there is no need to sell to a complete stranger. If the buyer was **his minor son, what** is the *halakha*? **Rav Aḥai prohibited** this, **and Rav Ashi permitted** it. **Mareimar and Mar Zutra, and some say** it was **a certain pair of** unknown **pious men, would exchange** such oxen **with each other.**


###### Bava Metzia 90b:5
[Bava Metzia 90b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/90b:5)

בָּעֵי רָמֵי בַּר חָמָא: הוֹשִׁיב לָהּ קוֹץ בְּפִיהָ, מַהוּ? הוֹשִׁיב לָהּ?! חֲסִימָה מְעַלַּיְיתָא הִיא! אֶלָּא יָשַׁב לָהּ קוֹץ בְּפִיהָ, מַהוּ?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **Rami bar Ḥama raises a dilemma:** If one **placed a thorn in the mouth** of a threshing animal, **what is** the *halakha*? The Gemara is puzzled by this question: If **he placed** the thorn **in its** mouth, this **is** certainly considered **proper muzzling. Rather,** the dilemma should be formulated as follows: If **a thorn settled in its mouth** and one did not remove it, **what is** the *halakha*?


###### Bava Metzia 90b:6
[Bava Metzia 90b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/90b:6)

הִרְבִּיץ לָהּ אֲרִי מִבַּחוּץ, מַהוּ? הִרְבִּיץ לָהּ?! חֲסִימָה מְעַלַּיְיתָא הִיא! אֶלָּא רָבַץ לָהּ אֲרִי מִבַּחוּץ, מַהוּ? הֶעֱמִיד בְּנָהּ מִבַּחוּץ, מַהוּ? הָיְתָה צְמֵאָה לְמַיִם, מַהוּ? פָּרַס לָהּ קַטְבֻלְיָא עַל גַּבֵּי דִּישָׁה, מַהוּ?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara poses a similar question: If **one made a lion crouch over it from outside,** to frighten the animal and stop it from eating, **what is** the *halakha*? The Gemara responds as it did before: If **he made** the lion **crouch over it,** this **is** considered **proper muzzling. Rather,** if **a lion was crouching over it** and he did not get rid of it, **what is** the *halakha*? Similarly, **if he placed its young on the outside,** so that the animal looks toward its young and does not eat, **what is** the *halakha*? Or, if it **was thirsty for water, what is** the *halakha*? If **he spread a leather blanket [*katavliya*] for it over** the produce it was **threshing,** so that the animal cannot see the food, **what is** the *halakha*?


###### Bava Metzia 90b:7
[Bava Metzia 90b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/90b:7)

פְּשׁוֹט מִיהָא חֲדָא, דְּתַנְיָא: רַשַּׁאי בַּעַל פָּרָה לְהַרְעִיב פָּרָתוֹ כְּדֵי שֶׁתֹּאכַל מִן הַדִּישָׁה הַרְבֵּה, וְרַשַּׁאי בַּעַל הַבַּיִת לְהַתִּיר פְּקִיעַ עָמִיר לִפְנֵי הַבְּהֵמָה כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תֹּאכַל מִן הַדִּישָׁה הַרְבֵּה!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara comments: **Resolve at least one** of the abovementioned dilemmas, **as it is taught** in a *baraita*: **The owner of a cow** who lent his animal to thresh the field of another **is permitted to starve his cow so that it will eat plenty of the** crop it is **threshing, and a homeowner is permitted to untie a bundle of straw before an animal so that it will not eat plenty of the** produce it is **threshing.** This is similar to spreading a blanket over the produce.


###### Bava Metzia 90b:8
[Bava Metzia 90b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/90b:8)

שָׁאנֵי הָתָם דְּקָא אָכְלָה. אִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא: רַשַּׁאי בַּעַל הַבַּיִת לְהַתִּיר פְּקִיעַ עָמִיר לִפְנֵי בְּהֵמָה מֵעִיקָּרָא כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תֹּאכַל הַרְבֵּה מִן הַדִּישָׁה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara refutes this comparison: No proof can be brought from here, because **there it is different, as it** at least gets to **eat** the produce. **If you wish, say** instead that the *baraita* should be explained as follows: **A homeowner is permitted to untie a bundle of straw before an animal at the outset,** before the threshing begins, **so that it will** fill itself with straw beforehand and will **not eat plenty of the** crop it is **threshing.**


###### Bava Metzia 90b:9
[Bava Metzia 90b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/90b:9)

בְּעָא מִינֵּיהּ רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן מֵרַבִּי סִימַאי: חֲסָמָהּ מִבַּחוּץ, מַהוּ? ״שׁוֹר בְּדִישׁוֹ״ אָמַר רַחֲמָנָא, וְהָא לָאו בְּדִישׁוֹ הוּא, אוֹ דִלְמָא לֹא תָּדוּשׁ בַּחֲסִימָה אָמַר רַחֲמָנָא?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **Rabbi Yonatan raised a dilemma before Rabbi Simai:** If **one muzzled** the animal **from the outside,** i.e., before it began to thresh, **what is** the *halakha*? The Gemara clarifies the sides of the dilemma: One can argue that **the Merciful One states: “An ox in its threshing”** (Deuteronomy 25:4), **and this** animal **is not in its threshing,** as it was muzzled before it was taken to thresh. **Or perhaps the Merciful One states** that one **may not** have the animal **thresh while** it is **muzzled.**


###### Bava Metzia 90b:10
[Bava Metzia 90b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/90b:10)

אָמַר לוֹ: מִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אַתָּה לָמֵד: ״יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר אַל תֵּשְׁתְּ אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ בְּבֹאֲכֶם״. בְּבוֹאֲכֶם הוּא דְּאָסוּר, הָא מִישְׁתָּא וּמֵיעַל שְׁרֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rabbi Simai **said to him: You** can **learn from your father’s house,** i.e., you can derive this *halakha* from the case of priests, being a priest yourself. As the Torah states: **“Drink no wine nor strong drink, you nor your sons with you, when you come into** the Tent of Meeting” (Leviticus 10:9). Doesn’t a straightforward reading of this verse lead to the conclusion that **it is** only **when you come into** the Sanctuary **that it is prohibited,** whereas **to drink** wine **and** then **enter is permitted?**


###### Bava Metzia 90b:11
[Bava Metzia 90b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/90b:11)

״וּלְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הַקֹּדֶשׁ וּבֵין הַחֹל״ אָמַר רַחֲמָנָא. אֶלָּא, מָה הָתָם: בִּשְׁעַת בִּיאָה לֹא תְּהֵא שִׁכְרוּת, הָכָא נָמֵי: בִּשְׁעַת דִּישָׁה לֹא תְּהֵא חֲסִימָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
This interpretation is not tenable, as with regard to the same matter **the Merciful One states: “That you may make a difference between the sacred and the non-sacred”** (Leviticus 10:10), which indicates that the priest must be capable of making these distinctions when he enters the Temple. **Rather, just as there,** with regard to the prohibition against drinking wine in the Sanctuary, the Torah means that **at the time of entry there must be no drunkenness,** whether the wine was drunk inside or outside the Sanctuary, **here too** it means that **at the time of threshing there must be no muzzling.**


###### Bava Metzia 90b:12
[Bava Metzia 90b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/90b:12)

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: הַחוֹסֵם אֶת הַפָּרָה וְהַמְזַוֵּוג בְּכִלְאַיִם – פָּטוּר, וְאֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה אֶלָּא דָּשׁ וּמַנְהִיג בִּלְבָד.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **The Sages taught:** With regard to **one who muzzles a cow** that someone else is using for threshing, **and** similarly, **one who plows with** animals of **diverse kinds together,** e.g., with an ox and a donkey on the same plow, he is **exempt, as only** one who **threshes** a muzzled animal **and** one **who leads** diverse kinds of animals together **are flogged.**


###### Bava Metzia 90b:13
[Bava Metzia 90b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/90b:13)

אִיתְּמַר: חֲסָמָהּ בְּקוֹל וְהִנְהִיגָהּ בְּקוֹל? רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר: חַיָּיב, רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ אָמַר: פָּטוּר. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר: חַיָּיב, עֲקִימַת פִּיו הָוְיָא מַעֲשֶׂה. רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ אָמַר: פָּטוּר, קָלָא לָא הָוֵי מַעֲשֶׂה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **It was stated** that the *amora’im* disagreed about the following case: If **one muzzled** an animal **with** his **voice,** by berating it whenever it tried to eat, **and** similarly, if **he led** diverse kinds of animals together **by** means of his **voice,** without performing any action, what is the *halakha*? **Rabbi Yoḥanan says** he is **liable; Reish Lakish says** he is **exempt.** The Gemara explains the reasoning behind their opinions: **Rabbi Yoḥanan says** he is **liable,** as he maintains that **the twisting of one’s mouth** to speak **is** considered **an action,** albeit a slight one, whereas **Reish Lakish says** he is **exempt,** because a mere **voice is not** considered **an action.**


###### Bava Metzia 90b:14
[Bava Metzia 90b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/90b:14)

אֵיתִיבֵיהּ רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן לְרֵישׁ לָקִישׁ:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Yoḥanan raised an objection to** the opinion of **Reish Lakish:**