Bava Batra 324:1

איבעיא להו שיטה ומחצה מאי תא שמע הרחיק את העדים שני שיטין פסול הא שיטה ומחצה כשר

The question was raised: What [is the ruling in the case of] a line and a half?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If a space sufficient for the writing of a line and a half was left between the text and the witnesses' signatures. ');">¹</span> — Come and hear: 'If the [signatures of the] witnesses were removed two lines from the text,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. BaH, a.l. ');">²</span>

אימא סיפא שיטה אחת כשר שיטה אחת הוא דכשר הא שיטה ומחצה פסול אלא מהא ליכא למשמע מינה

[the deed] is invalid',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 162a. ');">³</span> [from which it may be inferred that if they were removed] a line and a half only [the deed] is valid. Explain, [however], the first clause: '[If only] one line, [it is] valid'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 162a. ');">³</span>

מאי הוי עלה ת"ש דתניא הרחיק את העדים שני שיטין מן הכתב פסול פחות מכאן כשר

[from which it follows] that only [if the interval was] one line is [the deed] valid but [if it was] a line and a half [the deed] is invalid! From this, then, no deduction can be made.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the deduction from the first part is in contradiction to that of the second, the Baraitha can be used as a guide only for that which it actually teaches. ');">⁴</span> What about an answer to the question?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'what becomes about it'. ');">⁵</span>

היו ארבעה וחמשה עדים חתומין על השטר ונמצא אחד מהן קרוב או פסול תתקיים עדות בשאר

— Come and hear what has been taught: [If] the [signatures of the] witnesses were removed two lines from the text, [the deed] is invalid; [if] less than this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., a line and a half. ');">⁶</span> [it is] valid.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosef. Git. VII. ');">⁷</span>

מסייע ליה לחזקיה דאמר חזקיה מלאהו בקרובים כשר

[If] four or five witnesses have signed on a deed, and the first two were found to be relatives or [such as are in any other way] disqualified,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Rashb. a.l. Current edd., 'four and (or) five witnesses … and one of them was found to be a relative etc.' ');">⁸</span> the evidence may be confirmed by the remaining witnesses.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though the signatures of the disqualified witnesses are entirely ignored, the space, nevertheless, on which their signatures are written, even if it extends to two lines between the text and the signatures of the qualified witnesses, is not regarded as a blank to disqualify the deed. ');">⁹</span>

ואל תתמה שהרי אויר סוכה פוסל בשלשה סכך פסול פוסל בארבעה

[This] affords support to [the view of] Hezekiah; for Hezekiah said, '[If] it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The blank space of two lines between the text of a deed and the signatures of the witnesses. ');">¹⁰</span> was filled with [the signatures of] relatives, [the deed] is valid',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Git. 87b. ');">¹¹</span>

איבעיא להו שני שיטין שאמרו

And there is nothing strange<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'be not astonished'. ');">¹²</span> [in this law],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That a blank of two lines renders the deed invalid, while disqualified signatures. though ignored, and though covering the space of two lines, do not. ');">¹³</span> for [while] air [space]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Corresponding to a blank in a deed. ');">¹⁴</span> renders the festive tabernacle ritually unfit when [that space measures only] three [handbreadths],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the tabernacle has only three walls, and the air space of three handbreadths in the roof runs across the entire length or breadth of the tabernacle intercepting one or two of the walls, so that the tabernacle is, as it were, short of the prescribed minimum number of walls. (Cf. Tosaf. s.v. [H] a.l.). ');">¹⁵</span> unfit roofing<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The roof of the festive tabernacle must consist of twigs or any other suitable materials which grow from the ground and are not subject to Levitical defilement. ');">¹⁶</span> renders [it] ritually unfit [only] when [that roofing measures] four [handbreadths].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Suk. 17a. ');">¹⁷</span> The question was raised: [Do] the 'two lines' which were mentioned<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In respect of the law that a blank space of two lines between the text of a deed and the signatures of the witnesses renders the deed invalid. ');">¹⁸</span>