Study Bava Batra folio 84A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
דאמר ליה: אילו לא אוניתן – לא הוה מצית הדרת בך; השתא דאוניתן, מצית הדרת בך?! ותנא תונא: יפות ונמצאו רעות – לוקח יכול לחזור בו, ולא מוכר.
the buyer can say to the seller: If you had not exploited me, you would not be able to renege on the sale, and I would receive the profit. Now that you have exploited me, can you renege on the sale and benefit? And similarly, the tanna of the Mishnah also taught: If the seller sold him wheat while claiming that the wheat was good, and it is found to be bad, the buyer can renege on the sale. This implies that the buyer can renege but not the seller, even in a situation where the seller would want to renege on the sale, e.g., if the item became more expensive.
ואמר רב חסדא: מכר לו שוה שש – בחמש, והוזלו ועמדו על שלש, מי נתאנה? מוכר. מוכר יכול לחזור בו, ולא לוקח; דאמר ליה: אילו לא אוניתן – לא הוה מצית הדרת בך; השתא מצית הדרת בך?! ותנא תונא: רעות ונמצאו יפות – מוכר יכול לחזור בו, ולא לוקח.
And similarly, Rav Ḥisda says: If he sold him an item that was worth 6 dinars for 5 dinars, and its price was reduced and its value now stood at 3 dinars, who was exploited in this case? The seller; therefore, the seller, but not the buyer, can renege on the sale. The reason is that the seller can say to him: If you had not exploited me, you would not be able to renege on the sale. Now that you have exploited me, can you renege on the sale? And similarly, the tanna of the Mishnah also taught: If the seller sold him bad wheat and it is found to be good, the seller can renege on the sale, but not the buyer.
מאי קא משמע לן? מתניתין היא! אי ממתניתין, הוה אמינא: דלמא דרב חסדא – תרוייהו מצו הדרי בהו, ומתניתין הא אתא לאשמועינן – דלוקח יכול לחזור בו.
The Talmud asks: What is Rav Ḥisda teaching us? It is all already taught in the Mishnah. The Talmud answers: If the halakha were derived from the Mishnah alone, I would say that perhaps in the cases brought by Rav Ḥisda, both the buyer and the seller are able to renege on the sale. The reason is that this is a case of exploitation, as the item was sold for more than its value, and therefore as long the buyer can renege on the sale, the sale is not complete. Consequently, as the seller lost out as well, he can also renege on the sale. And as for the Mishnah, it comes to teach us that if the seller said that he is selling good wheat and it is found to be bad, the buyer can renege on the sale, as this is considered a case of exploitation.