Les évaluations sont faites de la vache et de l'âne [(grands qui sont aptes au travail, tout le travail va au receveur)], et de tout ce qu'ils font et mangent, pour la moitié des profits [pour diviser leur appréciation en valeur et en progéniture.] Là où la coutume est de diviser la progéniture immédiatement [quand le moment arrive; pour une petite bête, trente jours, et pour une grande, cinquante], ils se divisent; là où la coutume est de les élever, ils le font. R. Shimon n. Gamliel dit: Un veau est évalué avec sa mère et un poulain avec sa mère [et il n'est pas nécessaire de payer pour le travail et la nourriture du veau (voir 4: 4), mais seulement pour la mère. La halakha n'est pas conforme à R. Shimon b. Gamliel.] Et mafrin sur son terrain sans crainte de ribith (transgression). [("mafrin" :) comme dans parah veravah (être fécond et multiplier). Certains le lisent "mafriz", comme dans (Zacharie 2: 8): "P'razoth sera Jérusalem habitée"—Autrement dit, il "étend" son domaine. Comme quand le locataire du champ dit au propriétaire: "Vous avez coutume de prendre dix kor par an pour louer votre champ. Prêtez-moi deux cents zuz pour engrais afin que je puisse semer et labourer le champ, et je vous en donnerai douze kor un an pour le loyer, et je vous rendrai votre argent. " Ceci est permis, ces deux korim étant ajoutés car il reçoit un meilleur champ, dont la location est plus élevée que celle d'un champ inférieur.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
שמין פרה – a large [cow] or a large donkey, which are worthy for labor, and their work is all for the recipient [of their labor].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Introduction
Mishnah five and the beginning of mishnah six continue to deal with business arrangements that are forbidden because they are usurious. The remainder of mishnah six deals with lending with interest to gentiles.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
למחצה – to divide the profit that they earn, in money and offspring
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
One may evaluate cows and donkeys and anything that works and eats [and give them to one’s fellow to raise] in order to share the profit. In the previous mishnah we learned that it is forbidden to give a person animals to raise in order to share the profit and losses. Since in the end the person receiving the animals will repay the value of the animals plus half the value of the increase, this is considered interest. However, we learned that if the person receives a wage for raising the animals then this arrangement is permitted, for it is not a loan but rather a work arrangement. In other words the half of the profit goes to the owner in return for the wages and not in return for the loan. Our mishnah teaches that if the animal can do work or produce profit, such as cows or donkeys, then the work that the animal does is considered the wages that the person raising them receives. In this case the business arrangement is permitted.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
לחלוק את הולדות מיד – when the time arrives for their division, which for a small animal is thirty days and for a large animal fifty days.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Where the custom is to share the offspring immediately at birth, they do so; and where the custom is to first rear them [and then give them over to the owner], they do so. Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel says: “One may evaluate a calf with its mother, and a foal with its mother [and give them to one’s fellow to raise in order to share the profit.] In section one the mishnah taught that if the animal can work or otherwise produce profit, such as a milking cow or a donkey which can carry a load, it is permitted for one to give it to another person in order to share the profits and losses. If there are young born to the animal while this arrangement is in effect there is a potential problem. The young animals cannot work or produce and therefore there may be a potential problem of interest. The mishnah states, however, that the turning over of the animals immediately to the owner in order to avoid interest, is only necessary if that is the custom. If it is not the custom to turn over the young animals until they mature, there is still no problem of interest. Since the mothers will continue to produce the person raising them is still receiving a wage and not, therefore, in danger of paying interest to the owner. Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel states that even from the outset young animals may be given to be raised with mature animals. Although the young animals do not produce any profit, since the mature animals do produce profit the person raising them does receive a wage and there is no problem of interest.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
שמין עגל עם עמו – and it is not necessary to give work and food to a calf but rather [only] to the mother. But the Halakha is not according to Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
A tenant may offer increased rent in exchange for a loan to improve his field, without fearing that this is usury. If Reuven owns a field and Shimon rents the field in order to pay a fixed yearly sum to Reuven, Shimon may ask Reuven to loan him money in order for Shimon to repay Reuven with a higher yearly sum. The extra amount added to the sum is not considered to be interest on the loan but rather an increase in rent in return for Shimon’s working a more valuable field. Since rent is permitted this business arrangement is not usurious.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ומפרין על שדהו – the language of “being fruitful and multiplying,” and there are those who read this as ומפריז with the letter “zayin” (instead of a final “nun”), in the language of (Zechariah 2:8): “Jerusalem shall be peopled as a city [without walls, so many shall be the men and cattle it contains],” that is to say, extend his field. And this is what he would tell him [the tenant on a fixed rent payable in kind to the landlord]: “You are accustomed to take your field in stipulated rent for ten Kors per year; lend me two hundred zuz that I can spend to manure this field, to sow it and to plough it and I will increase the stipulated rent to twelve Kors per year and I will return your monies” – this is permitted because it is as if he does more business him through these two Kors because he rents from him a good and praiseworthy field that his rental is better than the rental of a bad field.
