Wenn man Handwerker anstellt [vertraglich —so viel Arbeit für so viel Geld], und sie haben sich zurückgezogen [nachdem sie einen Teil davon getan haben], sie haben die Unterhand. [Wenn der Arbeitspreis gestiegen ist und er niemanden finden kann, der die Arbeit zu dem abschließt, was ihm zuerst geschuldet wird, hält er sich von dem zurück, was ihm geschuldet wird, so viel, wie er benötigt, damit die Arbeit zu den festgelegten Kosten ausgeführt werden kann mit dem ersten. Und wenn der Preis für Arbeit gesunken ist und er jemanden finden kann, der die Arbeit für weniger erledigt (als das, was dem ersten für seine Fertigstellung geschuldet wird), schätzt er, was er getan hat, und bezahlt sie wie vereinbart. Wenn sie die Hälfte getan haben, gibt er ihnen die Hälfte des Gehalts; und sie können nicht sagen: "Sie haben andere Arbeiter, um den Job zu erledigen—Geben Sie uns unseren gesamten Lohn abzüglich dessen, was diese verlangen. "] Wenn der Arbeitgeber zurücktritt, hat er die Unterhand. [Er muss sie für das bezahlen, was sie getan haben; und wenn der Preis für Arbeit gesunken ist, muss er sie zwangsläufig bezahlen wie festgelegt (für den gesamten Job) abzüglich dessen, was er bezahlen muss, um ihn abzuschließen.] Wer Änderungen vornimmt, hat die Unterhand. [Als hätte man eine Färberwolle rot gefärbt und er schwarz gefärbt. Wenn die Verbesserung (in der Wolle) ist größer als die Kosten, er gibt ihm nicht seinen vollen Lohn, sondern nur das, was die Kosten für Wolle und Farbstoffe abdeckt. Und wenn die Kosten größer sind als die Verbesserung, gibt er ihm die (Höhe) der Verbesserung.] Und wer sich zurückzieht, hat die Unterhand. [Dies schließt einen ein, der sein Feld für tausend zuz an seinen Nachbarn verkauft und zweihundert im Voraus erhält. Wenn der Verkäufer zurücktritt, hat der Käufer die Oberhand. Wenn er möchte, er kann ihm sagen: "Gib mir mein Geld", und wenn er will, kann er ihm sagen: "Gib mir Land für mein Geld." Und wenn der Käufer zurücktritt, hat der Verkäufer th Die Oberhand. Wenn er es wünscht, kann er ihm sagen: "Hier ist dein Geld", und wenn er es wünscht, kann er ihm sagen: "Hier ist Land für dein Geld."]
Rambam on Mishnah Bava Metzia
If a person hires artisans to harvest his field - for example - for two denarii and he gives them one denarius, if they change their minds [about performing the task], if they wish they can return the denarius to him or they can say to him, we will do [the portion of the job] that you have already paid us for. But - if [the workers] have already harvested half the field and they want to change their minds - [the field's owner] can make an evaluation of the value of their labor and if it exceeds one denarius, he does not need to give them more than the denarius that he has already given to them. And he can say to them, finish the job of harvesting the field and I will pay you your wage. And this is the meaning of "if they change their minds - they are in the weaker position." And if the owner changes his mind, he is in the weaker position. And he must give to [the workers] the value of their labor, if they should be paid more than one denarius. And [the Mishnah] said "whoever alters the agreement is in the weaker position": This is as we explained it, if a person purchases land and makes partial payment, if the seller is the one who changed his mind, the purchaser has the choice. If he wishes, he can take the amount of land that corresponds to his payment from the best land in the field that he bought. And if the purchaser is the one who changed his mind about the purchase - the situation is reversed. So long as [the purchaser] said "my earnest money acquires [the field]," he acquires the amount that corresponds to the money. And if the seller demands what remains of the money [to be paid for the field] and [the purchaser] delays payment - the sale is not complete until [the purchaser] pays the [full amount].
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
השוכר את האומנין – work on a contract (as opposed to time work): such work for such-and-such money.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If one hired craftsmen and they retracted, they are at a disadvantage. If one hired craftsmen and they retracted in the middle of fulfilling their contract, for instance painting a house, they are at a disadvantage. In such a case the householder who wants to have the rest of his house painted will need to hire more workers. If the second set of workers are more expensive than the first set the householder is allowed to reduce the wages paid to the first set of workers in order to compensate for paying more to the second set. If the second set are cheaper the first set of workers cannot ask for more money for doing the first half of the work, even though in the end the householder will pay a smaller total amount for the work. In this way the first workers who reneged in the middle of a deal can lose money but not gain.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
וחזרו בהם – after they did part of the work.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If the householder (the retracted he is at a disadvantage. If, however, the employer changed his mind in the middle of the painting of the house, he is at a disadvantage. If the price of workers has gone up, he still must pay the first set of workers the full wage for the work they had done. If the price of workers has gone down he must pay the first workers the full total wage, minus what he has had to pay to the second workers. In such a way the employer will lose money, if the price of workers has gone up, but he will not gain, even if the price of workers has gone down.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ידם על התחתונה – if the price of workers increased and he does not find someone who will finish it at the salary that would come to those who would do so in the future, they withhold from their salary from what they did, all the while he needs to spend until his work is completed at the wages that he had stipulated with them. And if price of workers decreased, and he can find someone who will complete it (i.e., the work) for less, they should estimate for them what they did and give them what they stipulated; if they did half, he should give them half of their wages, and they cannot say to him: “Behold, other workers coming in place of us to complete your work and give us all of our salary except for what these [other workers] take.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Whosoever changes [the conditions of a contract] is at a disadvantage. If a person hires someone to do a certain piece of work in a certain way, for instance to color his wool red, and the employee did it in a different way, for instance he colored it green, the employee is at a disadvantage. If the cost of the dye was higher than the improvement in the price of the wool, from non-dyed wool to green wool, then the employer pays him the lower amount, that is the amount of improvement. If the amount that the wool was improved was higher than the cost of the dye than the employer only pays for the cost of the dye. (See Bava Kamma 9:4).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ואם בעה"ב חוזר בו ידו על התחתונה – he should give them according to what they did, and if the work performed was cheaper, he (i.e., the owner/boss), should by force give them as he stipulated, except for what he needs to expend in its completion.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
And anyone who retracts is at a disadvantage. This section summarizes what was in the first section of the mishnah.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
כל המשנה ידו על התחתונה – [See Mishnah Bava Kamma, Chapter 8, Mishnah 4 as the commentary below summarizes the contents of this Mishnah.] Such as the case where one gave wool to the dyer to be dyed read and he died it back, if the income from the improvement exceeds the outlay (see also Ketubot 80a), he does not give him his complete salary but only the cost of the outlay of wood and dyes, but if the [cost of the] outlay is greater than the improvements, then give him the value of the improvements.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Questions for Further Thought: • According to mishnah two does an employee have a right to stop working in the middle of a job? Compare this with contract law in modern times. How are they similar and how are they different?
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
וכל החוזר בו ידו על התחתונה – to include the person who sells a field to his fellow for one thousand zuz and he (i.e., the purchaser) gave him from them two hundred zuz – and the seller retracted. The hand of the purchaser is on top. If he (i.e., the purchaser) wanted, he could say to him (i.e., the seller), “give me my money;” if he wanted, he could say to him, “give me land corresponding to my money [which is currently in your hands].” If the purchaser retracts, the hand of the seller is on top. If he (i.e., the seller) wanted, he could say to him (i.e., the purchaser), “here is your money,” If he wanted, he could say to him, “here is land corresponding to your monies.”
