I prodotti non vengono negoziati fino a quando non viene annunciato il prezzo di mercato. Se il prezzo di mercato fosse annunciato, potrebbero effettuare transazioni (su tale base). E anche se lui (il venditore) potrebbe non avere (il prodotto), un altro ha (e il venditore può acquistarlo ora a quel prezzo). Se lui (il compratore) fosse il primo a raccogliere [e avesse una pila di grano, e il prezzo di mercato non fosse stato ancora annunciato], potrebbe effettuare transazioni con lui [a qualunque prezzo desideri] per la pila. [Dal momento che ha prodotto, non c'è ribith qui, la pila è stata acquisita da lui da ora (cioè, il tempo della transazione). E anche se non l'ha tirato (per effettuare l'acquisizione), poiché anche se non avesse prodotto, sarebbe solo ribadito dall'ordinanza rabbinica, quando ce l'ha non hanno decretato (contro di esso)] (Potrebbe transazione con lui) per l'avit di uva e per il ma'atan di olive. [Un'avita è una grande nave in cui le uve vengono immagazzinate prima di essere calpestate, riscaldate lì per una migliore trasudazione del loro vino. La nave (paragonabile) per le olive si chiama "ma'atan".], E per le "uova" del vasaio [Se avesse raccolto la terra e l'aveva modellata in "uova" per la fabbricazione di vasi, potrebbe effettuare transazioni con lui per le pentole a qualunque prezzo desideri, anche se il prezzo di mercato non era stato ancora annunciato], e [potrebbe negoziare con lui] per la calce [a qualunque prezzo desideri] una volta che [il legno e le pietre] sono stati impregnati nel forno [da bruciare nella calce]. E può effettuare transazioni con lui per fogliame (fertilizzante) tutti i giorni dell'anno. R. Yossi dice: Il fogliame non può essere contratto a meno che non abbia fogliame nel suo mucchio di rifiuti. I saggi lo consentono. [La differenza tra i saggi e il primo tanna: il primo tanna dice: "Tutti i giorni dell'anno". R. Yossi differisce, dicendo: Sia che si tratti della stagione delle piogge o della stagione secca, il venditore deve avere fogliame nel suo mucchio. E i saggi lo permettono solo nella stagione secca. Anche se potrebbe non averne nessuno, altri ce l'hanno, tutti con fogliame (nella stagione secca), che si è già trasformato in muffa e paglia nella stagione delle piogge—ma non lo consentono nella stagione delle piogge. L'halachah è in accordo con i saggi.] E si contrae con lui secondo il "alto" prezzo di mercato [cioè, "Se il prezzo di mercato scende al di sotto di quello attuale, dammelo al prezzo più economico". ("alto" :) ovvero "economico". Gli dà prodotti "alti", abbondanti a basso costo.] R. Yehudah dice: anche se non ha contratto con lui secondo il "alto" prezzo di mercato, può dirgli: "Dammelo a questo (" alto ") prezzo o restituisci i miei soldi". [Perché non ha tirato (per effettuare l'acquisizione), e può tornare indietro. E anche "Colui che ha richiesto il pagamento, ecc." non ottiene qui. Perché non aveva dato i suoi soldi per acquisire i prodotti allora (cioè, al momento in cui pagava), ma in seguito; e nel frattempo il prezzo di mercato era cambiato. Si presume che si contragga per il prezzo di mercato più basso. L'halachah non è conforme a R. Yehudah.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
היה הוא תחלה לקוצרים – and he has a stack/heap of grain but the market price has not yet been published.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Introduction
Our mishnah teaches that one who wishes to advance money to a merchant in order for the merchant to provide him with produce at a later time may not fix a price for the purchase if the produce is not currently in the hands of the merchant or the market-price for the produce has not been set. The fear is that the buyer will give money to the merchant and then the produce will rise in value and it will be as if the buyer received a discount for having advanced the money. This is a form of interest since in return for giving his money in advance and letting the seller use them the buyer will get a greater deal of merchandise in return. If, however, the market-price was set or the merchant had the produce in hand this type of purchase is permitted since the buyer could have currently bought and taken hold of the produce but just chose not to.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
פוסק עמו – for whatever market price that he wants, and since he has it (i.e., pile of grain), there is no interest here, since from now that heap is acquired for him, and he though he did not take possession [by drawing or seizing], since he does not have it also, it is not other than the dust of interest of the Rabbis, but if he has it, a decree was not made.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
One may not set a price for produce before its market-price is known. After its market-price is known, one may set a price, for even though this one does not have [the produce] another does have it. Reuven may not set a fixed price to provide Shimon with produce at a future time unless there is an established market-price for the produce. The problem is that if the produce goes up in value then Shimon will have prepaid in return for a lower price. In such a case Shimon will receive in return more than he gave, which is a form of interest. If, however, the market-price has been set, and many people in the market are selling this type of produce, they may set a price even though Reuven does not currently have the produce. Since Shimon could have bought from others he is not benefiting by prepaying for the produce.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
על העביט – a large utensil that they collect/pile up the grapes before treading and they become heated to producer their wine well, and of olives, it is called a vat or pit where olives are packed until they form a viscid mass.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If he was the first to harvest his crop, he may set a price with his fellow over grain stacked in a heap, or over grapes in their harvesting basket, or over olives in a vat, or over the clay-balls of the potter, or over lime as soon as the limestone is sunk in the kiln. The aforementioned arrangement is also permitted if Reuven already has the produce in hand, even though the market-price has not yet been set. Since Shimon could have taken the produce at the time when he paid for it, it is not a problem of interest for Shimon to pay and then take it later. This is true even if the produce is not totally ready, such as wheat that has only just been harvested but not processed or any of the other examples in the mishnah. Although it is not completed Shimon still could have nevertheless acquired it in the present.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
על הביצים של יוצר – if he brought in dust and made it eggs to make of them a dishes, he sets with him on the dishes for whatever price he wants, and even though the [official] price had not been publicized.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
One may set a price for manure at any time of the year. Rabbi Yose says: “One may not set a price over manure unless the seller has manure on the dungheap.” But the Sages permit it. According to the first opinion in this section it is always permitted to set a price for manure, since manure is always available. Rabbi Yose disagrees and states that the one providing the manure must have it available. Otherwise we fear that the price of the manure may rise and the buyer will profit from having advanced the money, which is interest. The Sages agree with the first opinion and disagree with Rabbi Yose.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ועל הסיד – he sets with him at whatever price that he wants from when he let them down into the kiln/furnace of wood and stones to burn them and make of them plaster.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
One may set the price at the cheapest rate [that will be at the time of delivery]. Rabbi Judah says: “Even if he didn’t set the price at the cheapest rate he may say, “Give me at the such a price or give me back my money.” Although one may not set a fixed price since if the price rises the buyer will receive interest for advancing the money, they may strike a bargain that the buyer will pay the lowest price when the market-price is set. In such a manner the buyer will definitely not receive a benefit for having advanced the money. Rabbi Judah states that in general if the buyer prepaid for his produce and the produce later goes down in price, he may give the seller a choice of providing the produce at the lower amount or of returning the money. Since the buyer did not actually take the produce and thereby legally acquire it, he is not legally obligated by the sale (Bava Metziah 4:2). [The buyer is also not sanctioned by the clause of “the one who exacted punishment” (ibid.) since his acquisition was from the outset a delayed acquisition].
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
וחכמים מתירין – there is a difference between the Sages and the first Tanna [of the Mishnah], for the First Tanna speaks of all the days of the year and Rabbi Yosi disagrees with him and says that there is no difference between the dry season (i.e., literally, the “days of sunshine) and the days of the rainy season until the seller has manure in the dung heaps, but the Sages permit specifically during the days of sunshine, for even if he doesn’t have [manure], others have it, for everyone has manure which has decayed and became crushed during the rainy season, but not during the rainy season itself. And the Halakha is according to the Sages.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
כשער הגבוה – [according to the price at the height of the market – Bava Metzia 72b] – and if the market price became less than what it is now currently, give me according to the lowest market price. The height – that is the cheapest that when giving tall and much produce lesser costs.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
תן לי כזה או תן לי מעותי – for since he did not take possession (by pulling/seizing), he is able to retract, and even [the curse of] “He who punished [the generation of the Flood….will punish those who do not stand by his word (although the court cannot compel him) is not [applicable] , for he did not give his monies on the condition to receive [the produce] now, but rather later, and in the midst of things, the market price changed, it is the mere opinion of people of delighting in the cheap market price. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.
