Reference for Bava Metzia 8:5
אלא לעולם שתים פטור והילך חייב ושאני הכא דקא מסייע ליה שטרא
it follows that 'Here they are' does not involve an oath? — No; I could quite well maintain that when he says 'two' he also has to take an oath, and the reason why 'three' is stated is to express disagreement with R. Akiba, who maintains that the debtor [who says 'three'] is like a restorer of lost [property] and free [from taking an oath]. We are thus informed that he is like one who admits part of the claim, and that he has to take an oath.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For in the case of the debtor saying 'two', R. Akiba would not have differed, and there would have been no occasion for this comparison with the restoration of a lost object. ');"><sup>5</sup></span>
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