Commento su Bava Metzia 7:6

קוצץ – he will take money and not eat.

Introduction Mishnah six deals with a person’s legal right to strike a deal with the employer on behalf of the other members of his household. Mishnah seven deals with workers hired to work with food which they may not eat since it has not had the proper agricultural offerings taken out of it.

על ידי עצמו – for himself

One may exact terms for himself and for his son or daughter that are of age, and for his slave or female slave that are of age, and for his wife, since these have understanding. But he may not exact terms for his son and daughter that are not of age, or for his slave or female slave that are not of age, or for his cattle, since these have no understanding. This mishnah deals with a man who is working in someone else’s field along with his family. The man has a right to make a contract with his employer that instead of taking food directly from the field the employer will pay them extra money with which they can buy their own food. This was probably a customary practice in their time. A man has a right to make this contract on behalf of his wife, his adult children and his adult male and female slaves. The reason is that these people have understanding and will be able to refrain from eating directly from the field. Therefore the man’s contract with the employer is legally binding on them as well and they may no longer eat directly from the field. However, a man may not exact terms for the minors in his family, be they children or slaves. Since these people have no legal understanding, meaning they cannot be held legally liable for their actions, the father may not make a contract to prevent them from eating from the field.

מפני שיש בהן דעת – and they know and they pardon/forgive.

Questions for Further Thought:
Mishnah six: What does this mishnah tell us about the structure of the Jewish family at the time of the Mishnah?