פירוש על בבא בתרא 5:7

משך – from the public domain in a recess adjoining an open place to which merchants retire to transact business/market-stand under a colonnade or in a courtyard of both of them, he has acquired it. But taking possession by drawing towards one’s self the object to be acquired in the public domain has no effect.

Introduction Mishnah seven defines the precise moment when a sale occurs and is therefore not retractable.

אע"פ שלא מדד – and such as he case where he fixed a price from the outset for such and then he gives him the measurement, but if he did not fix the price [even though] he measured and drew it towards himself, he did not acquire it, because he did not rely upon the fact that the seller is able to raise the price as he wants and the buyer says: “I won’t purchase it other than at a cheap price.”

If a man sold produce to his fellow and the buyer drew it towards him but did not measure it, [the buyer] has acquired [the produce]. If [the seller] had measured it but [the buyer] did not draw it towards him, he has not acquired [the produce]. If [the buyer] is clever he will rent the place [in which the produce is located]. According to Jewish law, movable items (as opposed to real estate) are acquired by taking hold of them (either by lifting them or by drawing them near) and not through the transfer of money. In other words, if Reuven gives Shimon money for his television set, the deal is not final until Reuven takes possession of the television set. If the set should break after Reuven has given the money, but still in Shimon’s possession, Shimon will have to return the money. If, on the other hand, Reuven took the television and did not pay the money, and then the set broke, Reuven will still owe Shimon the money. Our mishnah teaches that when a person buys produce, the moment he takes the produce is when the sale is final and not retractable. If the buyer wishes to ensure that the seller does not change his mind, he can rent the place where the produce is located. Thus when the buyer gives the money it is as if the produce is already in his possession and the seller may not retract the sale.

מדד – the seller to the purchaser in the public domain, even in the utensils of the purchaser, he did not acquire it, for the utensils of a person do not purchase things for him in the public domain, but if the purchaser himself measured it, even in the public domain, he acquired it through lifting it up.

If a man bought flax from his fellow he has not acquired it until he has moved it from one place to another. If it was still attached to the ground, and he plucked any small quantity of it, he has acquired possession. With regards to flax, according to the mishnah it is not enough that he draw the flax towards him, he must carry it from place to place. Alternatively, if he purchased flax still attached to the ground, he can acquire the flax by plucking it.

אם היה פקח – the purchaser.

שוכר את מקומו – if he is in the domain of the owners, and hs place acquires for him. And we are speaking about large burdens where it was not the manner to lift it up, therefore, he acquires it through pulling it.

עד שיטלטלנו – that is through lifting, and it (i.e, the Mishnah) took the way of things – that the way of lifting to carry from one place to another place.

אם היה מחובר לקרקע – In the Gemara (Tractate Bava Batra 87a and see Rashi’s explanation and the reference to Tractate Bava Batra 54a) it is established it as in the case where the seller says to the purchaser: “go and take possession of a small piece of the land and you will acquire everything that is upon it,” for since he had been hired to do work on his (i.e., the owner’s) land, and worked on it a little bit, his being hired acquired it for him, and he acquired also that thing which he had wanted to acquire for himself with his being hired. Therefore, if he tore out a little bit, he acquired/bought it.