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SteinsaltzMISHNA: If one sells a field to another, telling him that he is selling him a field measuring a beit kor, with its particular demarcations and borders that the seller specifies for the buyer, the field’s measurement is not treated in as exacting a manner as in a standard sale. Therefore, if it later turns out that the field was not precisely a beit kor, but the difference is still less than one-sixth, the field is the buyer’s, and the sale is valid as is. But if the difference is greater, e.g., one-quarter or one-fifth, then, until it is calculated at one-sixth, the seller must deduct the difference from the purchase price and return money to the buyer. GEMARA: It was stated that the amora’im disagreed about the following issue: Rav Huna says: A difference that is precisely one-sixth is like one that is less than one-sixth, and the sale is valid. Rav Yehuda says: A difference that is precisely one-sixth is like one that is more than one-sixth, and the difference must be deducted from the purchase price. The Gemara explains the respective reasons of the two amora’im: Rav Huna says that a difference of one-sixth is like a difference of less than one-sixth, as this is what the mishna is saying: If the difference is less than one-sixth, and including a difference that is precisely one-sixth, it is the buyer’s, as the sale is valid, and if it is more than one-sixth, the seller must deduct the difference from the purchase price. Rav Yehuda says that a difference of one-sixth is like a difference of more than one-sixth, as this is what the mishna is saying: If the difference is less than one-sixth, it is the buyer’s, as the sale is valid, and if the difference is greater, until it is calculated at one-sixth, and including a difference that is precisely one-sixth, the seller must deduct the difference from the purchase price. The Gemara raises an objection to Rav Huna’s statement from a baraita: If one sells a field to another, telling him that he is selling him a field measuring a beit kor within its particular demarcations and borders, and he gave him a field that is one-sixth less than the measure stipulated, or, alternatively, he gave him a field that is one-sixth more than the measure stipulated, it is like a sale of orphans’ property that is executed in accordance with the judges’ assessment of the value of that property, and therefore it is the buyer’s, as the sale is valid. The Gemara states the objection: But in the case of a sale executed in accordance with the judges’ assessment, an error of precisely one-sixth is like an error of more than one-sixth, and the sale is void. This contradicts Rav Huna’s opinion that an error of one-sixth is like an error of less than one-sixth. The Gemara answers: Rav Huna could have said to you in reply: Even according to your reasoning, there is still a difficulty, since the baraita teaches that it is the buyer’s, i.e., the sale is final. Rather, the comparison drawn between this halakha and the judges’ assessment is not a general comparison. It is like the judges’ assessment, but it is not entirely like the judges’ assessment. It is like the judges’ assessment in that the limit is one-sixth, but it is not like the judges’ assessment, as there, in the case of the judges’ assessment, the sale is voided, while here, in the mishna, it is the buyer’s, and the sale is final. It is related that Rav Pappa bought land from a certain man, Talmud - Bavli - The William Davidson digital edition of the Koren No=C3=A9 Talmud
with commentary by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz Even-Israel (CC-BY-NC 4.0)
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