Bava Batra 349

הכא נמי אדם עשוי שלא להשביע את עצמו

[could it not then be said] here<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the case of consecrated property. ');">¹</span> also [that] a person is wont to disclaim wealth for himself!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Consequently, it might be rightly assumed that his admission of indebtedness to a creditor amounted to no more than a desire to conceal his wealth. How then could R. Huna state that the sum specified must be paid to the creditor? ');">²</span> — R. Huna gave his ruling there<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the case of consecrated property. ');">¹</span>

כי קאמר רב הונא התם דנקיט שטרא

only when [the creditor] was in possession of a bond of indebtedness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the dying man only confirmed it. Had there been no bond, but a verbal admission only, R. Huna would not have authorised payment to the alleged creditor. ');">³</span> [Does this] imply that Rab and Samuel [deal with a case] where the [creditor] is not in possession of a bond?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And this is the reason why the creditor must not be paid if the dying man did not add, 'Give'? ');">⁴</span> [Why, then,] is [the <i>maneh</i>] to be given [where the dying man] said 'Give'? [This, surely,] is [only] a verbal loan, and both Rab and Samuel stated [that] a verbal loan may be recovered neither from the heirs nor from the buyers!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the debtor. ');">⁵</span>

מכלל דרב ושמואל דלא נקיט שטרא אמר תנו נותנין מלוה על פה הוה ורב ושמואל דאמרי תרוייהו מלוה על פה אינו גובה לא מן היורשין ולא מן הלקוחות

— But, said R. Nahman, both<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'these and those'. The statement of R. Huna, on the one hand, and that of Rab and Samuel on the other. ');">⁶</span> [are cases] where [the creditor] is in possession of a bond, but<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As to the question why in the case dealt with by Rab and Samuel it was necessary for the instruction, 'Give', to be added. ');">⁷</span> there is no contradiction. The one [is a case of a bond] that was authenticated;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By the Court. ');">⁸</span>

אלא אמר רב נחמן אידי ואידי דנקיט שטרא ולא קשיא הא דמקויים הא דלא מקויים אמר תנו קיימיה לשטריה לא אמר תנו לא קיימיה לשטריה

the other where it was not authenticated. [Consequently,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the latter case. ');">⁹</span> if] he said, 'Give,' he [thereby] confirmed<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the sum is to be paid to the creditor though his bond had no authentication. ');">¹⁰</span> the bond. [If, however], he did not say, 'Give,' he did not confirm<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the possibility of his desire to conceal his children's wealth must be taken into consideration, and the sum must not be paid in the absence Of an authentication in court. ');">¹¹</span>

אמר רבה שכיב מרע שאמר מנה לפלוני בידי ואמרו יתומין פרענו נאמנין תנו מנה לפלוני ואמרו יתומין פרענו אין נאמנין

the bond. Rabbah stated: If a dying man said, 'I owe a <i>maneh</i> to X', and the orphans stated, 'We have paid it'&lt; they are believed. [If, however, he said,] 'Give a <i>maneh</i> to X', and the orphans stated, 'We have paid it', they are not believed. Topsy-turvy!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra p. 435. n. 27. ');">¹²</span> [Does not] the reverse stand to reason? If he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The dying man. ');">¹³</span>

כלפי לייא איפכא מסתברא אמר תנו מנה כיון דפסקה אבוהון למילתא איכא למימר דפרעיה מנה לפלוני בידי כיון דלא פסק אבוהון למילתא איכא למימר דלא פרעיה

said, 'Give a maneh', since their father had given a definite order,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'cut off the thing'. ');">¹⁴</span> it might be [justly] assumed that they discharged [the debt]; [if, however, he said.] 'I owe a <i>maneh</i> to X', since their father did not give a definite order, it ought to be assumed that they did not discharge it!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why, then, did Rabbah give a decision which is directly opposed to such logical reasoning? ');">¹⁵</span> — If, however, [such a statement] was made, it was made<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'it was said'. ');">¹⁶</span>

אלא אי איתמר הכי איתמר שכיב מרע שאמר מנה לפלוני בידי ואמרו יתומין חזר ואמר לנו אבא פרעתי נאמנין מ"ט אדכורי מידכר תנו מנה לפלוני ואמרו יתומין חזר ואמר אבא פרעתי אין נאמנין דאם איתא דפרעיה לא הוה אמר תנו

in the following terms: If a dying man said, 'I owe a <i>maneh</i> to X', and the orphans declared, 'Our father subsequently told us that he paid',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'I paid'. ');">¹⁷</span> they are believed. What is the reason? He might have [subsequently] recalled it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The fact that ho had already repaid that debt. ');">¹⁸</span> to his mind. [If, however, he said,] 'Give a <i>maneh</i> to X', and his orphans declared, 'Our father subsequently told us that he paid',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'I paid'. ');">¹⁷</span>

בעי רבא שכיב מרע שהודה מהו צריך לומר אתם עדי או אין צריך לומר אתם עדי צריך שיאמר כתובו או אין צריך לומר כתובו אדם משטה בשעת מיתה או אין אדם משטה בשעת מיתה

they are not believed; for had it been the case that he paid it, he would not have used [the word], 'Give'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' His use of the definite order, 'Give', implies that he was absolutely certain that the debt had not been discharged. ');">¹⁹</span> Raba inquired: What [is the law where] a dying man admitted [a debt]? Is it necessary [for him] to say [also] 'Be you my witnesses,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As is the case with a man in good health (cf. Sanh. 29a), otherwise he can subsequently deny all liability, pleading that his admission was a mere jest. ');">²⁰</span> or is it not necessary to say, 'Be you my witnesses'? [Is it assumed that] a man<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For his order of the text, of. BaH and Rashal, a.l. ');">²¹</span>

בתר דבעיא הדר פשטה אין אדם משטה בשעת מיתה ודברי שכ"מ ככתובין וכמסורין דמו:

might jest in the hour of his death or that a man does not jest in the hour of his death? Is it necessary [for him] to say. 'Write',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., a bond. In the case of a pots in in good health such an order is essential to the validity of the creditor's claim (cf. supra 40a). ');">²²</span> or is it not necessary to say, 'Write'? — After having raised these questions, he answered them himself:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'after he enquired he returned and solved it'. ');">²³</span> No one jests in the hour of [his] death, and the words of a dying man are regarded [legally] as written and delivered.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence there is no need to add, 'Be my witnesses', or, 'Write out a bond'. ');">²⁴</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> המלוה את חבירו בשטר גובה מנכסים משועבדים על ידי עדים גובין מנכסים בני חורין

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. IF A MAN LENT [MONEY] TO AN OTHER ON [THE SECURITY OF] A BOND OF INDEBTEDNESS,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even though the clause pledging security had not been entered (v. B.M. 15b, and cf. supra 157a). ');">²⁵</span> HE MAY COLLECT [THE DEBT] FROM MORTGAGED PROPERTY.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which was mortgaged subsequent to the date of the loan, and certainly from property in possession of the debtor. ');">²⁶</span> [IF, HOWEVER, THE LOAN WAS MADE] BEFORE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'by the hands of'. ');">²⁷</span> WITNESSES,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And no bond was written. ');">²⁸</span> HE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. BaH, a.l. ');">²⁹</span> MAY RECOVER [HIS DEBT] FROM FREE PROPERTY [ONLY].