## Bava Metzia Daf 97a

###### Bava Metzia 97a:1
[Bava Metzia 97a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/97a:1)

דִּינָא הָכִי וּשְׁתֵיק רַב.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Is this the *halakha*?** Is it not sufficient to pay him the difference between the broken ax’s previous and current value? **And Rav was silent;** he did not answer.


###### Bava Metzia 97a:2
[Bava Metzia 97a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/97a:2)

וְהִלְכְתָא כְּרַב כָּהֲנָא וְרַב אַסִּי, דְּמַהְדַּר לֵיהּ תַּבְרֵיהּ וּמְמַלֵּי לֵיהּ דְּמֵי מָנָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara concludes: **And the *halakha*** is **in accordance with** the opinion of **Rav Kahana and Rav Asi, that he returns to him the broken** tool **and makes up** the remainder of **the tool’s** previous **value** with a monetary payment.


###### Bava Metzia 97a:3
[Bava Metzia 97a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/97a:3)

הָהוּא גַּבְרָא דִּשְׁאֵיל דַּוְולָא מֵחַבְרֵיהּ, אִיתְּבַר. אֲתָא לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּרַב פָּפָּא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אַיְיתִי סָהֲדִי דְּלָא שַׁנֵּית בֵּיהּ, וְאִיפְּטַר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara relates: **A certain man borrowed a pail from another** and **it broke. He came before Rav Pappa** for judgment. Rav Pappa **said to him: Bring witnesses that you did not deviate** from **its** regular use, **and** you **will be exempt** from liability, as this is comparable to a case of a borrowed animal that died due to ordinary labor.


###### Bava Metzia 97a:4
[Bava Metzia 97a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/97a:4)

הָהוּא גַּבְרָא דִּשְׁאֵיל שׁוּנָרָא מֵחַבְרֵיהּ, חֲבוּר עֲלֵיהּ עַכְבְּרֵי וְקַטְלוּהּ. יָתֵיב רַב אָשֵׁי וְקָמִיבַּעְיָא לֵיהּ: כִּי הַאי גַוְונָא מַאי? כִּי מֵתָה מֵחֲמַת מְלָאכָה דָּמֵי, אוֹ לָא? אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב מָרְדֳּכַי לְרַב אָשֵׁי הָכִי אָמַר אֲבִימִי מֵהַגְרוֹנְיָא מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרָבָא: גַּבְרָא דִּנְשֵׁי קַטְלוּהּ – לָא דִּינָא וְלָא דַּיָּינָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara relates: **A certain man borrowed a cat from another** to hunt and kill mice for him. **The mice banded together against it and killed it. Rav Ashi sat and raised a dilemma:** In **a case like this, what** is the *halakha*? Is this case **comparable to** a case where a borrowed animal **died due to** ordinary **labor, or not? Rav Mordekhai said to Rav Ashi: Avimi of Hagronya said this in the name of Rava:** With regard to **a man who women killed, there is** a need for **neither judgment nor a judge,** i.e., it is obvious that they are liable. In this case as well, it is obvious that the borrower may bring the cat to hunt mice, and he is therefore exempt from liability.


###### Bava Metzia 97a:5
[Bava Metzia 97a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/97a:5)

אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי: אֲכַל עַכְבְּרֵי טוּבָא וַחֲבִיל וּמִית. יָתֵיב רַב אָשֵׁי וְקָא מְעַיֵּין בַּהּ: כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא מַאי? אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב מָרְדֳּכַי לְרַב אָשֵׁי: הָכִי אָמַר אֲבִימִי מֵהַגְרוֹנְיָא: גַּבְרָא דִּנְשֵׁי קַטְלוּהּ – לָא דִּינָא וְלָא דַּיָּינָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**There are** those **who say** that the incident actually occurred as follows: The cat **ate many mice, and was harmed** by doing so **and died. Rav Ashi sat and deliberated:** In **a case like this, what** is the *halakha*? **Rav Mordekhai said to Rav Ashi: Avimi of Hagronya said this:** With regard to **a man** who overindulged in sexual intercourse to the extent **that women killed him** by exhausting him, **there is neither judgment nor judge,** i.e., there is no redress since it is his own fault.


###### Bava Metzia 97a:6
[Bava Metzia 97a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/97a:6)

אָמַר רָבָא: הַאי מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְמִישְׁאַל מִידֵּי מֵחַבְרֵיהּ וְלִיפְּטַר, נֵימָא לֵיהּ: אַשְׁקְיַין מַיָּא, דְּהָוֵי שְׁאֵילָה בִּבְעָלִים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rava says:** With regard to **one who wants to borrow something from another and be exempt** from liability, **let him say to** the lender at the time of borrowing: **Pour me water.** He will thereby be exempt, **as it is** then a case of **borrowing** an item and borrowing or hiring the services of its **owner** with it.


###### Bava Metzia 97a:7
[Bava Metzia 97a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/97a:7)

וְאִי פִּקֵּחַ הוּא, נֵימָא לֵיהּ: שְׁאֵיל בְּרֵישָׁא וַהֲדַר אַשְׁקְיָיךְ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And if** the lender **is perspicacious** and wishes to prevent the borrower from being exempt from liability, **let him say to him: Borrow** the item **first and then I will pour** the water **for you.** Since the owner will not yet be working for the borrower at the time of the borrowing, the exemption does not apply.


###### Bava Metzia 97a:8
[Bava Metzia 97a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/97a:8)

אָמַר רָבָא: מַקְרֵי דַרְדְּקֵי, שַׁתָּלָא, טַבָּחָא, וְאוּמָּנָא, סַפַּר מָתָא – כּוּלְּהוֹן בְּעִידָּן עֲבִידְתַּיְיהוּ כִּשְׁאֵילָה בִּבְעָלִים דָּמוּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rava says: A teacher of children, the** local **gardener, the** local **butcher, and the** local **bloodletter,** and **a scribe of the city,** with regard to **all of them,** if someone borrows an item from them **at** the **time of their work,** he is exempt from liability, as the case **is comparable to borrowing** an item and borrowing or hiring its **owner** with it. These people are always considered in the employ of the residents of the place where they work.


###### Bava Metzia 97a:9
[Bava Metzia 97a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/97a:9)

אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ רַבָּנַן לְרָבָא: שְׁאִיל לַן מָר. אִקְּפִיד. אֲמַר לְהוּ: לְאַפְקוֹעֵי מָמוֹנַאי קָא בָעֵיתוּ?! אַדְּרַבָּה, אַתּוּן שְׁאִילְתּוּן לִי. דְּאִילּוּ אֲנָא מָצֵי אִישְׁתְּמוֹטֵי לְכוּ מִמַּסֶּכְתָּא לְמַסֶּכְתָּא, אַתּוּן לָא מָצֵיתוּ לְאִישְׁתְּמוֹטֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara relates: **The Rabbis said to Rava: Master,** you **are lent to us** to teach us Torah, and so if we borrow an item from you, we should be exempt from liability. These Rabbis stated this based on Rava’s own ruling. Rava **was angered** by this and **said to them: Do you want to take my money away** from me? **On the contrary,** I am not lent to you; rather, **you are lent to me,** since you assist me in consolidating my Torah knowledge. And this is the proof **that** it is you who are assisting me: **Whereas I am able to deflect you from** one **tractate to** another **tractate** because I am not obligated to teach specifically that which you want to learn, **you are not able to deflect me** from what I wish to teach.


###### Bava Metzia 97a:10
[Bava Metzia 97a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/97a:10)

וְלָא הִיא, אִיהוּ שְׁאִיל לְהוּ בְּיוֹמָא דְכַלָּה. אִינְהוּ שְׁאִילוּ לֵיהּ בִּשְׁאָר יוֹמֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara comments: **But** it **is not so** that a teacher is never lent to his students. **During the days of the *kalla*,** the gatherings for Torah study during Elul and Adar, the teacher is required to teach a specific subject, and therefore **he is lent to them. During the rest of the days** of the year, **they are lent to him,** as he can teach whatever subject matter he wishes.


###### Bava Metzia 97a:11
[Bava Metzia 97a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/97a:11)

מָרִימָר בַּר חֲנִינָא אוֹגַר כּוּדַנְיָיתָא בֵּי חוֹזָאֵי, נְפַק לְדַלּוֹיֵי טְעוּנַהּ בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ, פְּשַׁעוּ בַּהּ וּמִית. אֲתוֹ לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּרָבָא, חַיְּיבִינְהוּ. אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ רַבָּנַן לְרָבָא: פְּשִׁיעָה בִּבְעָלִים הִיא! אִיכְּסִיף. לְסוֹף אִיגַּלַּאי מִילְּתָא דִּלְמֵיסַר טְעוּנַהּ הוּא דִּנְפַק.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara relates: **Mareimar bar Ḥanina rented out a mule** to the residents of **Bei Ḥozai. He went out to raise up a load** onto the mule **together with those** who rented it. Later **they were negligent with** the animal, **and it died. They came before Rava** for judgment, and **he deemed them liable** to pay. **The Sages said to Rava:** This **is** a case of a mishap that occurred due to a renter’s **negligence** in safeguarding a deposit that was rented together **with** its **owner,** and the *halakha* in such a case is that the renter is exempt. Rava **was embarrassed** that he had ruled incorrectly. **Ultimately it was revealed that** Mareimar bar Ḥanina **had gone out** only **to supervise the loading** but did not actually participate in loading the animal. Accordingly, Rava’s ruling that the renters were liable proved to be correct.


###### Bava Metzia 97a:12
[Bava Metzia 97a:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/97a:12)

הָנִיחָא לְמַאן דְּאָמַר פְּשִׁיעָה בִּבְעָלִים פָּטוּר, מִשּׁוּם הָכִי אִיכְּסִיף. אֶלָּא לְמַאן דְּאָמַר חַיָּיב, אַמַּאי אִיכְּסִיף?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara comments: **This works out well according to the one who says that** in a case of a mishap that occurred because of a borrower’s **negligence** in safeguarding a deposit that was borrowed together **with** its **owner,** the borrower is **exempt; for that** reason Rava **was embarrassed** for ruling incorrectly. **But according to the one who says** that in such a case the borrower is **liable, why was he embarrassed;** wouldn’t it appear that he ruled correctly?


###### Bava Metzia 97a:13
[Bava Metzia 97a:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/97a:13)

לָא מִיפְשָׁע פְּשַׁעוּ בָּהּ, אֶלָּא אִיגְּנוֹבֵי אִיגְּנוּב, וּמֵתָה כְּדַרְכָּהּ בֵּי גַנָּב הָוֵי. וַאֲתוֹ לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּרָבָא וְחַיְּיבִינְהוּ. אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ רַבָּנַן לְרָבָא: גְּנֵיבָה בִּבְעָלִים הִיא. אִכְּסִיף. לְסוֹף אִיגַּלַּאי מִילְּתָא דִּלְמֵיסַר טְעוּנַהּ הוּא דִּנְפַק.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara emends the details of the incident: Those that rented the mule **were not negligent with it. Rather, it was stolen** from them **and** then **it died naturally in the house of the thief. And** those who rented the mule **came before Rava** for judgment, **and he deemed them liable. The Sages said to Rava:** This is a case of **theft** of a deposit that was borrowed together **with** borrowing the services of **the owner,** and so the borrower should be exempt. Rava **was embarrassed** that he had ruled incorrectly. **Ultimately it was revealed that** Mareimar bar Ḥanina **had gone out** only **to supervise the loading** but did not actually participate in loading the animal. Accordingly, Rava’s ruling proved to be correct.


###### Bava Metzia 97a:14
[Bava Metzia 97a:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/97a:14)

**מַתְנִי׳** הַשּׁוֹאֵל אֶת הַפָּרָה, שְׁאָלָהּ חֲצִי יוֹם וּשְׂכָרָהּ חֲצִי יוֹם. שְׁאָלָהּ הַיּוֹם וּשְׂכָרָהּ לְמָחָר. שָׂכַר אַחַת וְשָׁאַל אַחַת, וּמֵתָה. הַמַּשְׁאִיל אוֹמֵר: שְׁאוּלָה מֵתָה, בְּיוֹם שֶׁהָיְתָה שְׁאוּלָה מֵתָה,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**MISHNA:** There is **one who borrowed a cow. He borrowed it** for **half** of the **day and rented it** for the other **half** of the **day;** or **he borrowed it** for **today and rented it** for **tomorrow;** or **he rented one** cow **and borrowed** another **one** from the same person. **And** in one of the first two cases, the cow **died** and it is not clear during which period the cow died. Or in the last case, one of the cows died and it is not clear whether it had been the borrowed cow or the rented cow. If **the lender** then **says:** The **borrowed** cow is the one that **died;** or: **It died on the day that it was** being **borrowed;**