Bava Batra 309

הכי קאמר ליה רבי יוחנן לר' שמעון בן לקיש בשלמא לדידי דאמינא ראיה בקיום השטר היינו דמשכחת לה דנחתי לקוחות לנכסים אלא לדידך דאמרת ראיה בעדים היכי משכחת לה דנחתי לקוחות בנכסים

thus said R. Johanan to R. Simeon b. Lakish: According to my interpretation that<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'to me, that I said'. ');">¹</span> proof [is produced] through the attestation of the deed, one can well understand how it was possible for the buyers to seize<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'to go down into'. ');">²</span>

אמר ליה מודינא לך בערער דבני משפחה דלאו ערער הוא מאי קאמרי קטן היה חזקה אין העדים חותמין על השטר אלא אם כן נעשה גדול

the property.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And why the relatives were driven to protest. The buyers may have been able to secure the attestation of their deeds. ');">³</span> according to you, however, since you maintain [that] proof [is to be produced] through [the evidence of] witnesses, how was it possible for the buyers to seize<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 672, n. 12. ');">⁴</span>

איתמר קטן מאימתי מוכר בנכסי אביו רבא אמר רב נחמן בן שמנה עשרה שנה ורב הונא בר חיננא אמר רב נחמן מבן עשרים שנה (והא דרבא לאו בפירוש איתמר אלא מכללא איתמר)

the property?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Surely there were no witnesses to testify that the seller was of age at the time of the sale! ');">⁵</span> — He replied to him: In the case of a protest on the part of members of the family I agree with you that it is no [legal] protest; [for] what do they plead? [That] he was a minor! [But] it is an established fact [that[ witnesses do not sign a deed unless [they know that] he was of age.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is the reason why the property was allowed to be seized by the buyers. Elsewhere, however, witnesses must be procured. ');">⁶</span>

מתיב ר' זירא מעשה בבני ברק באחד שמכר בנכסי אביו ומת ובאו בני משפחה וערערו לומר קטן היה בשעת מיתה ובאו ושאלו את רבי עקיבא מהו לבודקו אמר להם אי אתם רשאין לנוולו ועוד סימנין עשויין להשתנות לאחר מיתה בשלמא למאן דאמר בן שמנה עשרה שנה

It was stated: At what age<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'From when'. ');">⁷</span> [may] a minor sell his [deceased] father's estate? — Raba said in the name of R. Nahman: [When he is] eighteen years of age. And R. Huna b. Hinena said in the name of R. Nahman: [When] twenty years of age. R. Zera raised an objection: It once happened at Bene-Berak that a person sold his father's estate, and died. The members of his family. thereupon.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra p. 669. n. 1. ');">⁸</span> protested. asserting [that] he was a minor at the time of [his] death. They came [to] R. Akiba and asked whether the body might be examined. He replied to them: You are not permitted to dishonour him; and, furthermore, [the] signs [of maturity] usually undergo a change after death.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 154a, q.v. for notes. ');">⁹</span> [Now], according to him who said, 'Eighteen years of age'.