Sunday, March 15, 2009

Daf Yoma Bava Kamma: Bellwether

Yes, I know I am quote behind in Daf Yomi and Rif Yomi, but here is a nice idea I had on Bava Kamma 52a:
{Bava Kamma 52a}
אמר רשב"ל משום רבי ינאי המוכר עדר לחברו כיון שמסר לו משכוכית לא צריך למימר ליה לך משוך וקנה דכמאן דאמר ליה לך משוך וקנה דמי מאי
משכוכית הכא תרגמו כרכשתא
רבי יעקב אמר עיזא דאזלא ברישא
כדדרש ההוא גלילאה עליה דרב חסדא כד רגיז רעיא על עאניה עביד להו נגידא סמיתא:
Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said in the name of Rabbi Yannai: If a man sells a herd to his neighbour, as soon as he has handed over the mashchochit, he need not say to him "go, pull and acquire," for he is as if he said to him "go, pull and acquire."
What is a mashchochit? So did they translate it: The bell.
Rabbi Yaakov said: The goat that leads the herd.
As that Gililean expounded before Rav Chisda: when the shepherd becomes angry with his flock he appoints for a leader one which is blind.
Is this actually a dispute? At first glance, it would seem so. After all, a bell is not the same as a goat! But here is a nice idea (IMHO). When they gave the targum of Karkashta, they did not mean the bell, but rather the bellwether. To cite Wikipedia:
The term is derived from the Middle English bellewether and refers to the practice of placing a bell around the neck of a castrated ram (a wether) leading its flock of sheep. The movements of the flock could be perceived by hearing the bell before the flock was in sight.
Thus, the lead goat is the one that wears the bell, and also leads the flock. Rashi, who said it is a bell that one rings before the herd to lead the flock, seems to be implying that the shepherd rings the bell. But just perhaps those who gave targum meant the bell-goat, and Rabbi Yaakov is giving a further explanation of the Targum.

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