Bava Batra 79

Chapter 79

א ואין צריך לומר כתובו מודעא בפני שנים ואין צריך לומר כתובו

1 , and they are at liberty to write it down without being definitely instructed by the protester to do so.1 A moda'ah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit. 'notification': an affidavit made by a man that a sale or a gift which he is about to execute is being forced on him against his will, and that he intends when opportunity arises to take legal steps to annul it. ');">2

ב הודאה בפני שנים וצריך לומר כתובו קנין בפני שנים ואינו צריך לומר כתובו וקיום שטרות בשלשה

2 must be made in the presence of two persons, and they are at liberty to write it down without being definitely instructed to do so.3 An admission of a debt must be made in the presence of two persons, and they must not write it unless definitely instructed to do so.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'he must say write', because it is a disadvantage to the debtor to have his debt recorded in writing, and 'a disadvantage may not be inflicted on a man without his consent.' ');">4

ג (סימן ממה"ק)

3 A transfer [by means of a cloth]5 must be carried out in the presence of two persons, and they may record it in writing without being definitely instructed to do so.6

ד אמר רבא אי קשיא לי הא קשיא לי האי קנין היכי דמי אי כמעשה בית דין דמי ליבעי תלתא אי לא כמעשה בית דין דמי אמאי אינו צריך לומר כתובו

4 For certifying [the signatures of witnesses to] documents<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If a document signed by witnesses is brought before a Beth din and the Beth din certifies that the signatures are genuine, no question can subsequently be raised about their genuineness. The Beth din's endorsement was called honpak. ');">7 [a Beth din of] three persons is required. (The mnemonic [for these is] Mamhak.)8

ה בתר דבעי הדר פשטא לעולם לאו כמעשה בית דין דמי והכא טעמא מאי דאינו צריך לומר כתובו משום דסתם קנין לכתיבה עומד

5 Said Raba: If I have any difficulty about any of these rulings, it is this: How are we to regard this legal transfer [by means of a cloth]? If it is on a par with a proceeding of the Beth din, then we should require three persons. If it is not on a par with the proceedings of the Beth din, why can it be recorded without the permission of the seller?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Seeing that it is a disadvantage to him, confirming as it does the title of the transferee. But the proceedings of the Beth Din are of course independent of this rule. ');">9 — After posing the question, he himself resolved it. 'In fact a kinyan', he said, 'is not on the same footing as a proceeding of the Beth din, and the reason why the witnesses may record it in writing without definite instructions from the transferor is because a kinyan unless there are instructions to the contrary, is intended to be recorded in writing.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because by using the kinyan the transferor shows that he is really anxious to make the transfer, since the exchange of the cloth in itself closes the transaction. ');">10

ו רבה ורב יוסף דאמרי תרוייהו לא כתבינן מודעא אלא אמאן דלא ציית דינא אביי ורבא דאמרי תרוייהו אפילו עלי ועליך אמרי נהרדעי כל מודעא

6 Both Rabbah and R. Joseph hold that a moda'ah11 should not be issued save against a man who does not obey the decisions of the Beth din.12 [This is not the opinion of] Abaye and Raba, who said [to one another]: It can be issued even against me and against you.13 The Nehardeans say that a moda'ah

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