[97a - 44 lines; 97b - 34 lines]
1)[line 2]התוקףHA'TOKEF- one who seizes
2)[line 5]ברשותא דמריה קאיBI'RESHUSA D'MAREI KA'I- he remains in the domain of his owner [and it is insufficient to merely return him as one returns a stolen item; one must pay for the benefit that he has received since he caused a loss to the owner by preventing him from working his slave]
3)[line 8]הדר בחצר חבירו שלא מדעתוHA'DAR B'CHATZER CHAVEIRO SHE'LO MI'DAITO- one who resides in the courtyard of another without his knowledge
4)[line 8]להעלות לו שכרL'HA'ALOS LO SECHAR- to pay him rent
5)[line 11]ביתא מיתבא יתיבBEISA MEISVA YASIV- an inhabited house remains inhabitable [since those who reside there keep it in good repair; as such, one who resides in the empty courtyard of another does him a favor] (see 21a)
6)[line 12]"... וּשְׁאִיָּה יֻכַּת-שָׁעַר""[NISH'AR BA'IR SHAMAH,] U'SHE'IYAH YUKAS SHA'AR"- "[The cities of Eretz Yisrael will be left desolate,] and due to the desolation the gate will be smote" (Yeshayah 24:12). Rav Huna explains in the name of Rav that "She'iyah" refers to the name of a destructive spirit. One who resides in the empty courtyard of another prevents this spirit from causing damage (see 21a).
7)[line 14]דלא ליסתרי עבדיהD'LO LISTEREI AVDEI- so that his slave not pick up lazy habits
8)[line 15]ביBEI- the Yeshivah of
9)[line 16]דמסיק בהו זוזיD'MASIK BEHU ZUZEI- who owed them money
10)[line 17]מרMAR- a third-person term of respect
11)[line 18]עבדא נהום כריסיה לא שויAVDA NEHOM KREISEI LO SHAVI- a Nochri slave is not worth the value of the food that he eats (lit. the bread of his stomach) [and since I feed the slave on the day that I work him I have done his owner a favor]
12)[line 18]אימאEIMAR- we can say
13)[line 19]כגון דארו עבדיה דמרקיד בי כוביDARU AVDEI D'MARKID BEI KUVEI- his slave Daru who performs as a clown in stores [in return for wine] (RASHI to Bava Metzia 65a)
14)[line 25]מיחזי כרביתMEICHZI K'RIBIS- it appears as [though you are working their slaves in order to collect] interest [on the loan]
15)[line 28]הלוהוHILVEHU- if he gave him a loan
16)[line 30]הדרי ביHADRI VI- I [hereby] retract my opinion [and I will no longer work the Nochri slaves of those who owe me money]
17)[line 30]ספינתוSEFINASO- his boat
18)[line 31]רצה, שכרה נוטלRATZAH, SECHARAH NOTEL- if he prefers, he may take the rent [that he would normally charge for such a period of]
19)[line 32]פחתהPICHSAH- the damage [that it sustained when it was taken, if this amounts to a greater sum than the rent]
20a)[line 33]הא דעבידא לאגראHA D'AVIDA L'AGRA- that [which he has an option to take rent is in a case] in which it is normally rented out [in which case we may assume that the "thief" did not intend to steal it, but rather to simply rent it without permission]
b)[line 33]הא דלא עבידא לאגראHA D'LO AVIDA L'AGRA- that [which he does not have an option to take rent is in a case] in which it is not normally rented out [in which case the thief clearly intended to steal it]
21)[line 35]נחית ליהNACHIS LEI- lit. he went down upon it; i.e., he took it
22a)[line 37]מלכותMALCHUS- the kingdom [that had issued the currency]
b)[line 38]מדינה זוMEDINAH ZO- this country [in which the thief and his victim reside]
23)[line 38]יוצאהYOTZ'AH- it is legal tender
24)[line 40]כי פסלתו מלכות דמיKI PASLASO MALCHUS DAMI- they are similar to the case in which the kingdom [that had issued the currency] cancelled it [in that in all of these cases the stolen item no longer has any value]
25a)[line 43]לא מינכר היזיקהLO MINKAR HEIZEIKA- its damage is not apparent
b)[line 43]מינכר היזיקהMINKAR HEIZEIKA- its damage is apparent [since it is clearly a coin that is no longer in circulation]
26)[last line]המלוה את חבירו על המטבעHA'MALVEH ES CHAVEIRO AL HA'METBE'A- a) one who sells merchandise to another on credit [as opposed to one who loaned another money] (RASHI); b) one who sells merchandise to another on credit or loaned another money [while specifying that he wishes to be repaid with money] (first explanation of the RI cited by TOSFOS DH ha'Malveh); c) one who loaned a measure of produce to another [specifying that he will take either a like measure of produce or money in return] (second explanation of the RI cited by TOSFOS DH ha'Malveh)
97b----------------------------------------97b
27)[line 2]לך הוציאו במישןLECH HOTZI'O B'MEISHAN!- go and spend it in Meishan! Meishan, or Mesene, was the island formed by the intersection of the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers and the Royal Canal that connects them. Here it is an example of a distant place.
28)[line 3]אית ליה אורחא למיזל למישןIS LEI ORCHA L'MEIZAL L'MEISHAN- he plans on traveling to Meishan
29)[line 6]מחלליןMECHALELIN - we may redeem [Ma'aser Sheni] (MA'ASER SHENI)
(a)After a crop is harvested and brought to the owner's house or yard, he must separate Terumah from the crop and give it to a Kohen. Although the Torah does not specify an amount that must be given, the Rabanan set the requirement at between one fortieth and one sixtieth of the total crop.
(b)Once Terumah has been separated from the produce, the first tithe must be separated. One tenth of the remaining produce is given to a Levi; this is known as Ma'aser Rishon. The Levi, in turn, must separate one tenth of his Ma'aser Rishon and give it to a Kohen (Bamidbar 18:26). This is called Terumas Ma'aser.
(c)Once Terumah Gedolah and Ma'aser Rishon have been separated from the crop, it is time to separate the second tithe. In the third and sixth years of the seven-year Shemitah cycle this tithe is called Ma'aser Ani, and it is given to the poor.
(d)During the first, second, fourth and fifth years of the seven-year Shemitah cycle, the second tithe is called Ma'aser Sheni. Ma'aser Sheni must be brought to Yerushalayim and eaten there while one is in a state of purity (Devarim 14:22-29).
(e)If it is impractical to bring the actual food to Yerushalayim, Ma'aser Sheni produce may be redeemed (Mechulal) with money. This money receives the status of Ma'aser Sheni, and is then brought to Yerushalayim. In Yerushalayim the money is used to buy food, which in turn receives the Kedushah of Ma'aser Sheni and must be eaten b'Taharah in Yerushalayim.
(f)If the owner of the Ma'aser Sheni redeems his own Ma'aser, he must add a fifth of the total value (equal to a quarter of the original value) onto the money used; if someone else redeems it, he may do so with money equal to the value of the Ma'aser.
(g)The money upon which Ma'aser Sheni is redeemed must be minted, and not simply a blank (derived from Devarim 14:25).
30)[line 7]כוזביות ירושלמיותKOZVIYOS YERUSHALMIYOS- a) coins minted by Ben Koziva (a.k.a. Bar Kochba; see Background to Gitin 55:73), which were coins of Yerushalayim. (It is interesting to note that although archaeologists have found thousands of ancient coins minted by Bar Kochba during his revolt against the Romans, only a single one of them was ever found in Yerushalayim - implying that he did not succeed in wresting the holy city from Roman hands. It therefore seems likely that the coins referred to here are those upon which he imprinted the facade of the Beis ha'Mikdash and slogans such as "Freedom for Jerusalem" over the original Roman designs. Such coins have been found in caves in the Judean hills in which members of Bar Kochba's rebellion hid from the Romans - MK); b) according to the Girsa KOZVIYOS O YERUSHALMIYOS - coins from Keziv or coins from Yerushalayim
31)[line 7]של מלכים הראשוניםSHEL MELACHIM HA'RISHONIM- [coins] of earlier kings [that are no longer in circulation]
32a)[line 8]של אחרונים דומיא דראשוניםSHEL ACHRONIM DUMYA D'RISHONIM- [coins] of later (i.e., current) kings [that are not legal tender in this particular place] similar to those of earlier kings [that are no longer in circulation in that they cannot be spent here]
b)[line 9]מחלליןMECHALELIN- one may transfer Ma'aser Sheni onto [even though he is not planning on taking them to where they are legal tender, as he needs to bring them to Yerushalayim]
33)[line 10]כשאין מלכיות מקפידות זו על זוKESHE'EIN MALCHIYOS MAKPIDOS ZO AL ZO- [a case] in which there is no tension between the two countries [to the degree that each does not honor the currency of the other]
34)[line 12]היכי מצי ממטי להו?HEICHI MATZI MAMTI LEHU?- [in that case] how is he able to bring [the coins to Meishan?
35)[line 13](דממטי לה ע"י הדחק)(D'MAMTI LEHU AL YEDEI HA'DECHAK)- ([the case is one] in which they bring them with difficulty; i.e., they smuggle it in). The BACH removes these words from the Gemara, and points out that RASHI does not have them either.
36a)[line 13]לא בחשיLO BACHASHEI- [the government officials] do not inspect [in order to confiscate the currency of the other country]
b)[line 13]ואי משכחי, קפדיV'IY MASHKECHEI, KAPDEI- but if they do find [foreign currency], they take exception [and confiscate it]
37)[line 15]כאןKAN- here [in Eretz Yisrael]
38)[line 15]הןHEN- the owners [of the Ma'aser Sheni that grew in Eretz Yisrael]
39)[line 17]למיסקL'MEISAK- to ascend
40)[line 18]כשמלכיות מקפידות זו על זוKESHE'MALCHIYOS MAKPIDOS ZO AL ZO- [a case] in which there is tension between the countries [of Eretz Yisrael and Bavel to the point that the government officials inspect travelers for foreign currency to confiscate]
41)[line 20]למאי חזו?L'MAI CHAZU?- what value do they have [since he cannot bring them to Eretz Yisrael, which is the only place that he may use them to purchase food items]?
42)[line 20]זביןZAVIN- he may purchase
43)[line 21]מפני כךMIPNEI KACH- for this reason [that Shekalim (see Background to Moed Katan 6:13) would be able to be sent to Yerushalayim from any place (TOSFOS DH she'Yehu citing the Gemara in Shekalim 8, which we do not have in our texts)]
44)[line 23]תקיפהTAKIFA- lit. is strong; rules over
45)[line 26]דוד ושלמה... ירושלים עיר הקודשDAVID U'SHLOMO... YERUSHALAYIM IR HA'KODESH- [the words] "David and Shlomo" ... "Yerushalayim Ir ha'Kodesh" [written]
46)[line 27]מטבע של אברהם אבינוMATBE'A SHEL AVRAHAM AVINU- the coin minted by Avraham Avinu (see Bereishis Rabah to 12:2 cited by TOSFOS DH Matbe'a)
47a)[line 28]זקן וזקינהZAKEN U'ZEKEINAH- [the words] "an old man and an old woman" [referring to Avraham Avinu and Sarah Imenu]
b)[line 28]בחור ובתולהBACHUR U'VESULAH- [the words] "a young man and a young woman" [referring to a) Yitzchak and Rivkah (RASHI); b) Avraham Avinu and Sarah Imenu after HaSh-m performed a miracle and they were rejuvenated (see Bereishis 15:1-14; second explanation of TOSFOS RABEINU PERETZ, MAHARSHAH, ETZ YOSEF to Bereishis Rabah)
48)[line 30]הוסיפו עליו, מהו?HOSIFU ALAV, MAHU?- and [the kingdom] added to [the weight of the coins of the realm in the interim], what is the Halachah? (see Insights)
49)[line 32]כי נפיא?KI NAFYA?- [if the new size of the coin is] equal to that of a sieve?
50)[line 32]איןIN- yes
51)[line 32]כי תרטיא?KI TARTIYA?- [if the new size of the coin is] equal to that of a large Sela (which is equal to the weight of a quarter of a Kav - just over a third of a liter; see Background to 20:22)?
52)[line 33]קא זיילין פירי!KA ZAILIN PEIREI!- lit. the value of produce has decreased; i.e., one can purchase more produce for the same number of new coins!
53)[last line]חזינןCHAZINAN- we take a look
54)[last line]מחמת טיבעאMACHMAS TIV'A- due to the nature [of the new coinage] (i.e., its increased value)
55)[last line]מנכינןMENAKINAN LEI- we deduct [from his debt]