Why does the gemorah (according to Rashi) say that listim are usually worse than ganavim in refernece to the two cases. The second case was also a case of listim since they spoke with their victims and it wasn't done b'seiter??
avi Bonchek, Jerusalem
In truth, in the text of RABEINU CHANANEL the Girsa is, " Listim d'Bavel" (although perhaps it is a typographical error there).
However, this that they spoke to the Talmidim of Rebbi Akiva, admitting to them that their trick worked, is no proof that they were Listim and not Ganavim, because an ambiguous admission such as this does not make a person into a "Listim," as they did not admit openly that they had harbored intention to rob them. When Rashi writes that Listim are usually more "Parutzin" than Ganavim, this refers to the moment at which they rob the possessions of their victim; Ganavim are more clandestine in the manner in which they steal. Moreover, these robbers who were accompanying the students of Rebbi Akiva had already become well-known as Listim who steal openly and brazenly, while those that accompanied Rav Menashya in Bavel were known only as Ganavim who steal in a manner in which the victim does not notice the robbery until some time later.
M. Kornfeld
MK:ys