Un comerciante no está configurado (en una transacción) para obtener la mitad de las ganancias, y uno no puede darle (a él) dinero para comprar productos a mitad de las ganancias a menos que le dé a él (el comerciante) su salario como trabajador. [Uno no puede decirle a un comerciante: "Este producto se vende en el mercado cuatro sa'ah por sela, y lo vende al por menor en su tienda y obtiene un sa'ah. Tome este producto y siéntelo y véndalo en su tienda , y compartiremos las ganancias ". La razón: dictaminamos que dicha transacción es la mitad del depósito del préstamo. Quien acepta mercancías por la mitad de las ganancias presumiblemente acepta la responsabilidad por accidente y depreciación de la mitad del capital. Por lo tanto, esa mitad, dado que es responsable de un accidente, es un préstamo para él, que se le evalúa al precio de mercado y le da la mitad de las ganancias. Se descubre, entonces, que el comerciante cuida la mitad del otro, que se deposita con él en pago por una concesión de tiempo para devolver el préstamo, por lo que está prohibido— a menos que le pague al tendero por cuidar de esa mitad como trabajador inactivo de su trabajo habitual, es decir, si fuera carpintero o herrero —cuánto tardaría en liberarse de este trabajo pesado para realizar trabajos livianos.] Las gallinas no tienen la mitad (ganancias) [es decir, uno no puede evaluar el valor de los huevos y dárselos al dueño de una gallina para que establezca les incumbe eclosionar a los pollitos por la mitad de la ganancia (la diferencia de costo de los pollitos a los huevos). Dado que el propietario de la gallina acepta la responsabilidad de la mitad del valor de los huevos si se estropean o si ellos (los polluelos) mueren, la mitad de la transacción es un préstamo, por lo que se descubre que el propietario de la gallina se ocupa de la otra mitad pago por una subvención de tiempo (al devolver el préstamo)]. Y los terneros y los potros no se evalúan a la mitad [es decir, "Ahora, valen esto y esto— Tómese la responsabilidad de criarlos durante dos años a mitad de ganancias y a mitad de responsabilidad si mueren "], a menos que él le pague por su trabajo y por su gasto en alimentos [(en el primer caso,) lo que paga alimentar a los polluelos]. Pero los pequeños terneros y potros pueden ser aceptados con fines de lucro [sin evaluación, (con el entendimiento) de que si mueren, él no paga nada, y si viven, se dividen.], y se crían hasta que estén a un tercio [de su altura (anticipada), en cuyo punto se dividen.] Y un asno, hasta que pueda soportar una carga. [Esta era su práctica en criarlos antes de dividirlos].
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
אין מושיבין חנוני למחצית שכר – the owner shall not say to the storekeeper: “Behold produce is sold in the market at four Seah for a Sela, and you sell them for pennies in the store and profit a Sela . Here is produce; return and sell them in the store and the we will [equally] divide the profits.” And the reason for the matter is that we have established this business that half of it is a loan and half of it is a deposit. A regular person who receives goods for half of the earnings, takes upon himself the responsibility for half of the principal and for accidents and the risk of reduction of prices (see Bava Metzia 64b). Therefore, that one-half since he has taken liability for accidents, it is considered a loan with him, for it is an estimation with the monies according to the market rate and the decision is tha the make take half of the profit. It is found that when he is engaged with the half [of the investment] belonging to the owner which is a deposit with him with the reward of waiting of the monies of the loan, and therefore is prohibited, unless he (i.e., the owner) gives him the salary for his labors that he is engaged in with that half [of the monies – which is a loan] like an idle worker for that labor that he is [currently] idle from, if he is a carpenter or a blacksmith – how much he wants to take to be idle from heaven labor like this and to do easier work.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Introduction
Mishnah four deals with business partnerships that are forbidden because one partner is in essence lending with interest to the other partner.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
אין מושיבין תרנגולים למחצה – to estimate the monetary value of the eggs for the owner of the chickens to have them is upon them to grow the chicks for one-half of the reward, when the chicks are worth more than the value of the eggs, for this person accepts the responsibility for half of the cost of the eggs, if they are ruined or if the chickens die. He has received half of monies as a loan, and he is therefore raising the second half as a salary in waiting for the monies.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
One may not set up a shopkeeper on the condition of receiving half the profit, or give him the money to buy produce on the condition of receiving half the profit, unless he pays him his wage as a laborer. In the case in our mishnah Reuven gives either produce or money with which to buy produce to Shimon in order for Shimon to sell the produce and share the profits. After having sold all of the produce Shimon will owe Reuven both the value of the produce originally given or the money given to buy the produce, plus half of the profits from the sales. In other words this is a typical investment loan made by the one who has the capital, Reuven, to the entrepreneur who is willing to turn the capital into a profit. The problem is that this is a form of lending with interest. In return for letting Shimon use his money or goods Reuven will receive half of the profits. Therefore, the mishnah states that this type of deal is forbidden unless Reuven pays Shimon as a laborer. If he does so then the share of the profits that Shimon will keep is actually wages which is of course permissible.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
מזונו – the food that is produced with the chicks.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
One may not set out his hens [for another to raise them and hatch their eggs] in order to share the profits, nor evaluate calves or foals [and give them to his fellow to raise] in order to share the profit, unless he pays him a wage for his labor and cost of the food. This section is similar to the scenario in section one. Reuven gives Shimon either hens and eggs to raise and hatch, or young animals to raise until they mature. When the eggs hatch or the young animals mature Shimon will pay back the value of the original investment and share in the profit. Since Shimon has worked in raising these animals, unless he is paid for his wages he will in essence be giving Reuven interest on his loan. If he is paid for his work then he is acting as a wage earner which is entirely permissible.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ואין שמין עגלים וסייחין למחצה – now they are worth such and such, and he accepted for you to raise them for two years for half of the profits, and for half of the loss if they die.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
But one may receive the care of calves and foals in return for half the profits, and rear them until they reach a third of their growth, and donkeys until they can carry a burden. The difference in this scenario that makes it permissible is that Shimon, who receives the animals to raise from Reuven, does not take responsibility over the animals should they die. In other words, if the animals live Shimon will return them to Reuven and split the profit (their gain in value as they mature). However, if they die Shimon will not be responsible to return the value of the animals, as he was in the scenarios in sections one and two. Since this is so, it is as if the risk involved in raising the animals is the wage that Shimon receives and when he returns a profit it is not considered interest. There is another interpretation of this clause. According to this interpretation, in the scenario in this clause Shimon is only responsible for returning half the value of the original animal plus half of the profit. In other words if Reuven gives him an animal worth 200 zuz and when it is raised it is worth 500 zuz. Shimon pays back half the value of the original animal, 100, and receives half of the profit, 150. Although Reuven in essence gave an animal worth 200 and receives back a total of 250 (500 zuz for the animal minus 250 which was paid to Shimon) this is not considered interest. In this case Shimon and Reuven are true partners who are allowed to split profits. In the previous cases mentioned in the mishnah Reuven was an investor, in which case taking interest in order to make a profit is forbidden.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
אבל מקבלים עגלים וסייחם – small [calves and foals] without estimation, for if they should die, he would not have to pay anything , and if they live, they would divide [the profits] between them.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ושיהיו משולשים – which means that they have reached one-third of their growth, they are then divided up.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ובחמור עד שתהא טוענת – a burden. This was the custom to raise them prior to division.
