[73a - 37 lines; 73b - 46 lines]
1)[line 1]ברשות מוכרBI'RESHUS MOCHER- [when the merchandise is] in the domain of the seller (meaning that the seller accepted full responsibility for the merchandise until it is brought to its destination, and thus it is not considered to have been loaned to the recipient, but rather the recipient is merely acting as the seller's agent to bring it to its destination)
2)[line 5]והחמרין מעלים במקום היוקר כבמקום הזולHA'CHAMARIN MA'ALIM B'MAKOM HA'YOKER KEVI'MEKOM HA'ZOL- the donkey drivers (who deal in produce, bringing it from a place in which it is cheap to a place in which it is expensive) may [accept money from wealthy homeowners in the place where produce is expensive and commit themselves to] bring [produce] to the place where it is expensive and sell it there for the price of the place where it is cheap. (Even though it appears that they are doing a favor for the homeowners (i.e. giving a discount) in return for being able to keep the homeowners' money, this is not considered Ribis, as the Gemara explains.)
3)[line 7]דמגלו להו תרעאMEGALU LEHU TAR'A- (a) they (the wholesalers in the place where produce is cheap) see the money they are holding (i.e. the donkey drivers who come with the money of the wealthy homeowners) and give them favorable purchase terms, such as selling to them additional merchandise on credit (RASHI; the Rishonim question how this explanation is expressed by the words "Megalu Lehu Tar'a"); (b) they (the wealthy homeowners) reveal to them (the donkey drivers) the market price (i.e. on occasion, the price changes after the donkey drivers leave this town and return to the town where produce is cheap in order to buy the produce there; when they come back to the town where it is expensive, the wealthy homeowners do them a favor and tell them the new market price, and thus the donkey drivers are able to sell their produce in that town for a greater profit) (RABEINU CHANANEL and other Rishonim; see similar explanation in RA'AVAD cited by Shitah Mekubetzes)
4)[line 9]תגרא חדתאTAGRA CHADTA- a new merchant
5)[line 10]בסוראSURA- a town in Southern Bavel between the canals, seat of the Yeshiva founded by Rav
6)[line 10]אזלי ארבעה ארבעהAZLEI ARBA'AH ARBA'AH- four measures of produce go for one Zuz
7)[line 10]בכפריKAFREI- the name of a town
8)[line 13]אדם חשוב שאניADAM CHASHUV SHA'ANI- a prestigious person is different [and must conduct himself in a more stringent manner]
9)[line 14]בגרוטאותGRUTA'OS- broken pieces of metal; scrap metal (for which there is no consistent supply or demand)
10)[line 16]בכלי פשתןKELEI PISHTAN- linen garments
11)[line 18]פרדיסאPARDEISA- a vineyard. This refers to a futures contract wherein a buyer offers to purchase the wine that will eventually be produced from the grapes in the seller's vineyard. Since the grapes have not yet ripened, the wine is sold at a considerable discount.
12)[line 20]מיתחזי כי אגר נטר ליהMISCHAZI KI AGAR NATAR LEI- it appears as though he (the seller) is paying a fee (i.e. he discounts the cost of the wine) in return for being able to hold on to the buyer's money for a longer time
13)[line 21]תיוהאTIYUHA- a calamity
14)[line 23]בתורי דנפיש פסידייהוB'TOREI D'NAFISH PESEIDAIHU- (a) oxen whose damage is considerable. This refers to the damage caused to the oxen by the thorns in the vineyard. Since the buyer uses his own oxen to harvest the grapes of the seller's field, the discount that he receives is not considered Ribis, because he must absorb the damage caused to his oxen. In addition, the oxen damage the vines (see Rashi, beginning of 30a), causing a smaller yield of grapes (RASHI); (b) according to the Girsa TAVAREI, "ox-drivers," this refers to a completely different case altogether. It refers to ox-drivers who sell the young calves in their flock and the unborn calves which will be born in the coming year. Since it is common for many of the unborn calves to be stillbirths, the discount is warranted and is not considered Ribis (TOSFOS DH B'torei, citing the Girsa of RABEINU CHANANEL)
15)[line 24]להנהו דשבשי שבשאHANAHU D'SHAVSHEI SHIVSHA- (a) those [field owners] who provide seed to their sharecroppers to plant, in return for new grain at the time of the harvest (RASHI); (b) those [buyers] who give money to vineyard owners now in order to buy, at a discount, the branches and vines that will grow later (and be worth more) (RABEINU CHANANEL, RAMBAM)
16)[line 24]הפוכו בארעא כי היכי דקני לכו גופא דארעאHAFOCHU B'AR'A KI HEICHI D'KANI LECHU GUFA D'AR'A- dig in the ground in order that you should acquire [part of] the ground itself. According to Rashi (see 15:a above), the Girsa is "סייעו בגופא דארעא" "Sai'ye'o b'Gufa d'Ar'a" (help him in working the ground itself), and it means that the field owner must assist the sharecropper in some way so that when he receives new grain in return for the seed that he gave, it will not be Ribis (but rather it will be in return for the assistance that he gave). According to Tosfos and Rambam (see 15:b above), it means that the buyer should make a Kinyan on the vines that exist in the ground, so that his Kinyan takes effect now and when the vines grow to be large and valuable, they are his that grew.
17)[line 26]להנהו דמנטרי באגיHANAHU D'MENATREI BAGEI- those who guard the [stalks in the] fields
18)[line 27]פוקוPUKU- go out
19)[line 27]הפוכו בבי דריHAFOCHU B'VEI DAREI- help [the owners do the threshing] in the threshing house
20)[line 27]כי היכי דלא תשתלם שכירות דידכו עד ההיא שעתאKI HEICHI D'LO SISHTALEM SECHIRUS DIDCHU AD HA'HI SHA'ATA- in order that your employment not conclude until that moment. The field owner would pay the guards their fee late, after the produce had been harvested and processed, and in return for paying them late he would add a bonus. This constitutes Ribis, since the employer owed them money and added to what he owed them in return for the delay in payment. Therefore, Rava advised the guards to do some work in the threshing house, so that their employment would not end until that time, and thus the owner would not owe them any money until that point (and when he adds a little extra, it is not in return for the delayed payment, since there was no delay in the payment, but it is merely an extra bonus).
21)[line 29]דשכירות אינה משתלמת אלא בסוףSECHIRUS EINAH MISHTALEMES ELA LEVA'SOF- employment wages (of hired workers) are not paid until the end (when the work is finished)
22)[line 36]מפסידתו להו בכמהMAFSIDATU LEHU B'CHAMAH- you are causing him a loss of a lot
23)[line 36]אנא נטרנאANA NATARNA- I wait
73b----------------------------------------73b
24)[line 1]רב מרי בר רחלRAV MARI BAR RACHEL- Rav Mari, the son of Rachel. He was referred to by his mother's name, and not by his father's name, because his mother, Rachel (the daughter of Shmuel) was taken captive by a Nochri who married her. After she conceived and before she gave birth, the Nochri converted and became Jewish, and was known as Isur Giyora (Isur the Ger). In deference to Rav Mari's honor, he is referred to by his mother's name.
25)[line 2]נטר תריסר ירחי שתאNATAR TREISAR YARCHEI SHATA- he waited twelve months, a [full] year [before paying rent for the house]
26)[line 3]שקל אגר ביתאSHAKAL AGAR BEISA- he took the rent for the house
27)[line 3]אמטי ליה לרבאAMTI LEI L'RAVA- and he brought it to Rava
28)[line 9]כדיניהם עבדינן לךK'DINEIHEM AVDINAN LACH- I will act with you in accordance with their laws (i.e. the laws of the Nochrim)
29a)[line 9]כל אימת דלא מסלקי בזוזיKOL EIMAS D'LO MESALKEI B'ZUZEI- as long as he (the debtor) cannot remove him (the creditor) [from the property he gave to the creditor as security for the loan] by paying him back the money [of the loan]
b)[line 10]לא שקיל אגר ביתאLO SHAKIL AGAR BEISA- he (the debtor) may not take rent for the house
30)[line 11]עד דמסלקנא לך בזוזיAD D'MESALAKNA LACH B'ZUZEI- until I remove you [from the house by making sure that the Nochri pays you back] with money
31)[line 12]מברנישBARNISH- Barnish, the name of a city
32)[line 14]אחמראCHAMRA- wine
33)[line 14]ומבחרי להU'MAVCHAREI LEI- they choose it (the wine)
34)[line 15]אחלאCHALA- vinegar
35)[line 18]אקרא דשנוותאAKRA D'SHANVASA- (O.F. contrede) the province/region of around the river Shanvasa (a river in Bavel) (RASHI)
36)[line 18]ושפכי ליה טפי כופיתאV'SHAFCHEI LEI TEFEI KUFISA- they poured for him an extra container's worth [of wine]
37)[line 22]ארעא לטסקא משעבדאAR'A L'TASKA MESHA'ABDA- the land is subject to the property tax
38)[line 23]מאן דיהיב טסקא, ליכול ארעאMAN D'YAHIV TASKA, LEICHOL AR'A- the person who pays the property tax shall consume the [produce of the] land
39)[line 24]דיהבי זוזי אכרגא דאינשיYAHAVEI ZUZEI A'KARGA D'INSHEI- they pay money for the head-tax of [poor] people
40)[line 25]ומשעבדי בהו טפיU'MESHA'ABDEI BEHU TEFEI- they subjugate them excessively
41)[line 26]איכו שכיבאICHU SHECHIVA- if I would have died now
42)[line 27]מוהרקייהו דהניMOHARKAIHU D'HANEI- the seal of slavery of these people
43)[line 28]בטפסא דמלכא מנחB'TAFSA D'MALKA MANACH- is lying in the chest of the king
44)[line 30]הוה תקיף אינשי דלא מעלוHAVAH TAKIF INSHEI D'LO MA'ALU- he would seize people who were not good
45)[line 31]ומעייל להו בגוהרקא דרבאU'ME'AYEIL LEHU B'GUHARKA D'RAVA- he would bring them to [carry] the coach (O.F. reitwage) of Rava
46)[line 32]ראית שאינו נוהג כשורהRA'ISA SHE'EINO NOHEG KA'SHURAH- [if] you have seen that he (your fellow Jew) is not acting properly
47)[line 34]"לְעוֹלָם בָּהֶם תַּעֲבֹדוּ, וּבְאַחֵיכֶם...""L'OLAM BAHEM TA'AVODU, UV'ACHEICHEM..." The entire verse states as follows: "וְהִתְנַחַלְתֶּם אֹתָם לִבְנֵיכֶם אַחֲרֵיכֶם לָרֶשֶׁת אֲחֻזָּה, לְעֹלָם בָּהֶם תַּעֲבֹדוּ; וּבְאַחֵיכֶם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אִישׁ בְּאָחִיו, לֹא תִרְדֶּה בוֹ בְּפָרֶךְ" "V'HISNACHALTEM OSAM LI'VNEICHEM ACHAREICHEM LA'RESHES ACHUZAH, L'OLAM BAHEM TA'AVODU; UV'ACHEICHEM BENEI YISRAEL, ISH B'ACHIV, LO SIRDEH VO B'FARECH"- "And you shall hold onto them as a heritage for your children after you, to give to your heirs as a possession, you shall work with them forever; and with your brothers, the people of Yisrael, each man towards his fellow, you shall not subjugate with hard labor" (Vayikra 25:46). The Gemara reads the word "uv'Acheichem" ("and your brothers") together with the preceding phrase ("you shall work with them"), teaching that you may also make your fellow Jew a slave, under the conditions which the Gemara describes.
48)[line 39]אפרוותא דזולשפטPARVESA D'ZULSHAFAT- the port of Zulshafat, the main market for wine during the season of grape harvest, when wine was sold for cheap.
49)[line 44]ואסמכתא לא קניאASMACHTA LO KANYA (ASMACHTA)
(a)Asmachta refers to "reliance" upon a particular eventuality or a conditional [monetary] obligation which the parties involved undertake without full commitment. The reason that the parties involved do not commit themselves fully is because their obligation is contingent upon the fulfillment of a condition that each party anticipates will not be fulfilled. An example of this is when gamblers place wagers, for neither of them expects to lose the wager.
(b)The Tana'im (Bava Basra 168a) argue as to whether such a commitment is binding or not.
50)[line 45]אם אוביר ולא אעביד אשלם במיטבאIM OVIR V'LO A'AVID, ASHALEM B'MEITVA- "If I let the land lie fallow and I do not work it, I will pay you with my highest quality property." The sharecropper is obligated to pay the field owner a certain percentage of the field's produce. In this case, in the sharecropping agreement the sharecropper stipulates that if he does not work the field, he will compensate the field owner for his share of the produce that the field would have produced, and if he does not pay cash as compensation, he will let the field owner take the best of his fields as compensation.
51)[last line]בידוB'YADO- it is in his hands [to work the field]