Bava Metzia 65 - May 3, 25 Nissan

Today's daf is sponsored by Judy and Jerel Shapiro for the yahrzeits of Arnold Shapiro, Jerel's father z”l, and their grandson Edan Shai, z”l. And in honor of the birth just before Pesach of their new granddaughter in Kiryat Tivon, Israel, whose name is Tohar Libi.

If a lender collects interest, Rabbi Elazar asserts that the court can compel the lender to return the money. Various scenarios are presented where the interest collected deviates from the agreed terms. In each instance, the question arises: should the lender return what was originally agreed upon or what was actually received? Concerning the practice of offering different prices for upfront versus deferred payments in transactions such as renting or buying a house, the Mishna delineates that while it is permissible for rentals, it is prohibited in sales. This discrepancy stems from the nature of rental charges, which are incurred only at the end of the agreed period, thus avoiding issues of benefiting from delayed payments. In contrast, in a sale, payment obligations arise at the time of the transaction. Rav Nachman, Rav Papa, and Rav Chama each attempt to justify their business practice of imposing higher rates on deferred payments. If land is sold with a partial payment upfront and a commitment to pay the remainder later, who is entitled to the produce during the interim period before full payment? A braita provides four potential resolutions based on the initial terms of the sale. After expounding on these cases, Rav Huna, son of Rabbi Yehoshua, contends that the braita does not align with the stance of Rabbi Yehuda, who permits interest if it's not explicitly defined from the outset. Furthermore, Rav Huna identifies two additional cases that diverge from Rabbi Yehuda's position.