Bava Metzia 67B

כגדולים,

as though they were adults. Even if the lender consumed produce equivalent to the amount of the debt, Rav Ashi would not collect the value of the produce from him, as this is merely a hint of interest and therefore it cannot be claimed in court.

אמר רבא בריה דרב יוסף משמיה דרבא: האי משכנתא, באתרא דמסלקי ⁠– לא ניכול אלא בנכייתא. וצורבא מדרבנן ⁠– אפילו בנכייתא לא ניכול. אלא במאי ניכול? בקיצותא.

§ Rava, son of Rav Yosef, says in the name of Rava: With regard to this following type of mortgage, in which the lender holds part of the borrower’s land and may consume its produce, the halakha depends on the local custom. In a place where the custom is that the borrower can repay the loan at any time and the court removes the lender from the land, the lender may consume the produce of the land only with a deduction in the amount of the loan granted to the borrower, equivalent in value to that of the produce consumed by the lender. And a Torah scholar [tzurva miderabbanan], who must be especially careful with regard to his conduct, may not consume the produce even with a deduction in the amount of the loan. The Talmud poses a question: But if so, in what manner may he consume the produce? The Talmud answers: By a fixed payment, the details of which the Talmud will soon explain.

הניחא למאן דאמר קיצותא שריא, אלא למאן דאמר קיצותא אסירא, מאי איכא למימר? דאתמר: קיצותא, פליגא בה רב אחא ורבינא. חד אמר: קיצותא שריא, וחד אמר: קיצותא אסירא. היכי דמי קיצותא? דאמר ליה: עד חמש שנין אכילנא לה בלא נכייתא, מכאן ואילך שיימנא לך כולהו פירי.

The Talmud asks: This works out well according to the one who says that a fixed payment is permitted, but according to the one who says that a fixed payment is forbidden, what is there to say? As it was stated: With regard to a fixed payment, Rav Aḥa and Ravina disagreed: One said that a fixed payment is permitted, and one said a fixed payment is forbidden. The Talmud clarifies: What are the circumstances of this fixed payment? The Talmud explains: One case of a fixed payment is where the lender says to the borrower: For a period of up to 5 years, I will consume the produce of the field without a deduction in the amount of the loan; from that point forward I will appraise for you the value of all the produce I consume and subtract this sum from the debt.