Bava Batra

at the College, and he expressed his approval'.  He went to him [when the other] explained  Would anyone acquire possession if he were told, 'Acquire ownership as an ass'?  For it was stated: [If one was told]. 'Acquire possession like an ass'. he does not acquire ownership. [If. however. one was told]. 'You and an ass [shall acquire possession].' R. Nahman said: He acquires the ownership of a half.  And R. Hamnuna said: The statement is invalid '  And R. Shesheth said: He acquires the ownership of all. R. Shesheth said: Whence do I derive this? — For it was taught: R. Jose said: In cucumbers, the inner portion only' is bitter.  Consequently. when a person is giving [a cucumber] as a heave-offering  he [must]add  to the external part of it,  and [thus] gives the heave-offering. [But] why? [This is surely the same as the case of] 'You and the ass'!  — There it is different; for Biblically it  is perfect terumah,' for R. Elai said, 'Whence [is it inferred] that if one separates a heave-offering from an inferior quality for the [redemption of] a superior quality that his offering is valid? For it is said. And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, seeing that ye have set apart from it the best thereof.  [From this it is to be inferred that if you do not set apart from the best, but of the worst, you shall bear sin]; if, [however, the inferior quality] does not become consecrated, why should there be any bearing of sin!  Hence [it follows] that if one separates a heave-offering from an inferior quality for [the redemption of] a superior quality, his offering is valid.' R. Mordecai said to R. Ashi: R. Iwya raised an objection [from the following Mishnah]: It once happened with five women, among whom there were two sisters. that a person gathered a basket of figs which were  theirs and[which] were' [also of the fruit] of the Sabbatical year  and said, 'Behold you are all betrothed  unto me by this basket',  and one of them accepted on behalf of all. The Sages said: The sisters are not betrothed.  [From this it follows that] only the sisters were not consecrated. but the strangers were consecrated;  but why? This [is surely the same case as] 'You and the ass'!  — He said unto him: This is indeed [the reason] why I saw R. Huna b. Iwya in [my] dream: Because R. Iwya raised the objection. Have we not [however]. explained [the Mishnah  as referring only to the case] where he said, 'She who is [legally] suitable among you for cohabitation shall be betrothed unto me'? A certain [person] said to his wife, 'My estate shall belong to you and to your children' — R. Joseph said: She acquires the ownership of half [of it]. R. Joseph. furthermore, said: Whence do I derive this? — For it was taught:  Rabbi said: And it shall be for Aaron and his sons,  half for Aaron [and] half for his sons.  Abaye said to him: This  is quite correct there;  [since] Aaron was [in any case] entitled to receive a share, the All Merciful [must have] mentioned him explicitly in order [to indicate] that he is to receive a [full] half, [in the case of] a woman, [however], [who] is not entitled to be heir [at all]. it should be sufficient for her to receive like one of the children,  [But] this is not [so] — For surely there was [such] a case at Nehardea where Samuel allowed her to receive a half; at Tiberias, and R. Johanan allowed her to receive a half. Furthermore, when R. Isaac b. Joseph came, he related [that] the Government  once imposed crown money  upon Bule  and Startege  [and] Rabbi said: Bule shall give a half and Startege a half!  — What a comparison!  There, when an order was issued  on previous occasions it was directed to  Bule, [yet] Startege contributed together with them, and the Government  knew that they were assisting. Why. then, did they now direct the order to both Bule and Startege? [Obviously] to indicate that these [as well as] those [shall each contribute] a half. R. Zera raised an objection: If a person said; I undertake to bring a meal.offering [of] a hundred 'isaron  in two vessels, he [must] bring sixty  in one vessel, and forty in the other vessel,