About this episode
Study Guide Bava Metzia 93 Today's daf is sponsored by Becki Goldstein in honor of a double family simcha. "My cousin became a kalla and her brother and sister-in-law, Rabbi Zvi and Laurie Engel are celebrating the bat mitzvah of Aderet Bina in Chicago. During these trying days, we are grateful for the loving kindness bestowed on us all. May we continue to learn and grow together and see soon geula shleima . Mazel tov!" The Gemara concludes that it is a tannaitic debate whether the worker's rights to eat on the job are considered an added wage or a gift awarded by the Torah. Is one who guards a field considered "working" to the extent that the guard can eat from the field or not? The Torah did not permit it but the rabbis did. Rav and Shmuel disagree about which type of field (at what stage of development) is the case in which the Torah did not permit but the rabbis did. What is at the root of their debate? Two difficulties are raised against Shmuel's position. The Mishna discusses the four types of shomrim and what is the level of responsibility of each of them. Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda disagree about the level of responsibility of a renter - is it the same as one who guards an item for free or one who gets paid? There is a disagreement about who holds which position. One who gets paid for guarding is responsible for circumstances beyond their control. Rabba and Abaye disagree about what is the level of "out of one's control" necessary to be exempt. Is one expected to go beyond what is expected of a regular person since the shomer is getting paid (Abaye) or not (Rabba)? Other rabbis sided with Abaye and ruled accordingly. The Mishna delineates what cases are considered beyond one's control and what are not.