Bava Batra 81

Chapter 81

א סתמא מאי רבינא אמר לא חיישינן רב אשי אמר חיישינן והלכתא חיישינן:
1 What is the rule where the donor does not specify [the place of writing]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., whether the deed of gift was to be written in a secret or a public place. This question was left open above. ');"><sup>1</sup></span>
ב <big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> כל חזקה שאין עמה טענה אינה חזקה כיצד אמר לו מה אתה עושה בתוך שלי והוא אמר לו שלא אמר לי אדם דבר מעולם אינה חזקה
2 — Rabina said that we take no account of this;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., we do not suppose that the donor meant it to be written secretly, and therefore it is enforceable. ');"><sup>2</sup></span>
ג שמכרת לי שנתת לי במתנה אביך מכרה לי אביך נתנה לי במתנה הרי זו חזקה והבא משום ירושה אינו צריך טענה:
3 R. Ashi said that we do take account of it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore the deed is not enforceable. if however, the gift has been made it cannot be recovered. ');"><sup>3</sup></span>
ד <big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> פשיטא
4 The law is that we do take account of it.
ה מהו דתימא האי גברא מיזבן זבנה ליה האי ארעא ושטרא הוה ליה ואירכס והאי דקאמר הכי סבר אי אמינא מיזבן זבנה לי האי ארעא אמרי לי אחוי שטרך הלכך לימא ליה אנן דלמא שטרא הוה לך ואירכס כגון זה (משלי לא, ח) פתח פיך לאלם הוא קמ"ל
5 <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. THE FACT OF POSSESSION<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For three years in the case of land, etc., immediate in the case of movables. ');"><sup>4</sup></span>
ו (ענ"ב סימן)
6 IF NOT REINFORCED BY SOME PLEA OF RIGHT DOES NOT OF ITSELF CONFER A TITLE OF OWNERSHIP. FOR INSTANCE, IF A MAN SAYS TO ANOTHER, WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON MY PROPERTY, AND HE REPLIES, NO-ONE HAS EVER SAID A WORD TO ME ABOUT IT, HIS OCCUPATION CONFERS NO TITLE. IF, HOWEVER, HE PLEADS, I AM HERE BECAUSE YOU SOLD THE LAND TO ME, BECAUSE YOU GAVE IT TO ME, BECAUSE YOUR FATHER SOLD IT TO ME, BECAUSE YOUR FATHER GAVE IT TO ME, THEN HIS OCCUPATION CONFERS A TITLE OF OWNERSHIP. AN OCCUPIER BY VIRTUE OF INHERITANCE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., one who inherited the land from the previous occupier. ');"><sup>5</sup></span>
ז רב ענן שקל בידקא בארעיה אזל הדר גודא בארעיה דחבריה אתא לקמיה דרב נחמן א"ל זיל הדר
7 DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY SUCH PLEA.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because he cannot be expected to know how his father came by the property. ');"><sup>6</sup></span>
ח והא אחזיקי לי אמר ליה כמאן כר' יהודה ור' ישמעאל דאמרי כל בפניו לאלתר הוי חזקה לית הלכתא כוותייהו
8 <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. [THE FACT OF POSSESSION IF NOT REINFORCED BY SOME PLEA OF RIGHT DOES NOT OF ITSELF CONFER A TITLE OF OWNERSHIP.] Surely this is self-evident? — [The reason for stating it is this] We might say: The land really was sold to this man, and he had a deed and has lost it, and the reason why he pleads as he does is because he thinks that if he says he bought the land he will be asked to produce the deed of sale. Let the <i>Beth din</i> then suggest to him that perhaps he had a deed and lost it, on the principle of Open thy mouth for the dumb.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XXXI, 8. ');"><sup>7</sup></span>
ט אמר ליה והא אחיל דאתא וסייע בגודא בהדאי אמר ליה מחילה בטעות היא את גופך אי הוה ידעת לא עבדת כי היכי דאת לא הוה ידעת הוא נמי לא הוה ידע
9 The Mishnah therefore tells us [that this is not so].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And though the plea is valid if put forward by him, we do not suggest it to him. ');"><sup>8</sup></span>
י רב כהנא שקל בידקא בארעיה אזל הדר גודא בארעא דלא דידיה
10 (Mnemonic 'ANaB.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [The meaning of this mnemonic is obscure. V. Brull, J. Die Mnemotechnik des Talmuds, 40, and D.S. a.l. for attempted interpretations.] ');"><sup>9</sup></span> ) R.'Anan's<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Var. lec. 'Hanan'. ');"><sup>10</sup></span> field was flooded through the bursting of a dam.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the boundary marks were obliterated. ');"><sup>11</sup></span> He afterwards went and restored the fence, [which, however, he built] on land belonging to his neighbour. The latter [on discovering this] sued him before R. Nahman. He said to him: 'You must restore the land.' 'But,' he rejoined, 'I have become the owner of it by occupation?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because the owner has allowed me to remain in possession of it a certain time without protest. ');"><sup>12</sup></span> — Said R. Nahman to him: 'On whose authority [do you rely]? On that of R. Ishmael and R. Judah, who both lay down that [if the occupation takes place] in presence of the owner [without protest], it constitutes a title at once. The law however, is not in accordance with their ruling.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But that of the Rabbis, who say that three years occupation is required to confer a title. ');"><sup>13</sup></span> R. 'Anan thereupon said: 'But this man has tacitly waived his right because he came and helped me to build the fence?' R. Nahman replied: 'This was a waiver given in error. You yourself, had you known that the land was his, would not have built the fence on it. Just as you did not know, so he also did not know.' R. Kahana's land was flooded through the bursting of a dam. He afterwards went and built a new fence on land which did not belong to him.
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