[Avodah] arithmetic question

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Jul 18, 2013 at 06:49:50PM +0300, Eli Turkel wrote:
: I have no problem with the 1/6 being a fraction of the starting or final
: value. What confuses me it that the SA seems to be using both
: simultaneously. That is onaah is raising (or lowering) the price by exactly
: 1/6 of EITHER the starting or final values

You just answered my question about the SMA. I had asked why he doesn't
use the more common way of referring to things -- milegav and milevar --
instead of talking of value and price.

The SMA explains the SA as saying ona'ah applies to both 1/6 the value
of the item and 1/6 the price. Although the side of the exchange that is
violating the pasuq would differ. 1/6 the price milevar is the same as
1/6 the value of the item milegav and visa versa. But in one case we're
looking at ona'ah on the money, and the other ona'ah on the merchandise.

So it would seem the whole point of the SMA is to show that while the
results are the same as using both milegav and milevar, the pesaq is
still logcally consistent.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha