Bava Batra 86

Chapter 86

א אמאי שמירה בבעלים היא אמר רב פפא דאמר ליה שמור לי היום ואני אשמור לך למחר:
1 Why should this be, seeing that this is a case of keeping with the owner present?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to Tosaf, we must suppose that both commenced to keep watch over the property together. Hence at the beginning each was in the position of a man taking charge of an article while the owner is still with him, and in such a case the keeper, even if he receives a fee, is not responsible even if the owner subsequently departs (cf. Ex. XXII, 15, and B.M. 95a). ');"><sup>1</sup></span>
ב תנו רבנן מכר לו בית מכר לו שדה אין מעיד לו עליה מפני שאחריותו עליו מכר לו פרה מכר לו טלית מעיד לו עליה מפני שאין אחריותו עליו מאי שנא רישא ומאי שנא סיפא
2 — R. Papa replied: [Samuel's rule applies] where one said to the other, You keep [the whole property for me] today and I will keep it [for you] tomorrow.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., they made a special stipulation that each should be responsible in turn. ');"><sup>2</sup></span>
ג אמר רב ששת רישא בראובן שגזל שדה משמעון ומכרה ללוי ואתא יהודה וקא מערער דלא ליזיל שמעון לאסהיד ליה ללוי דניחא ליה דהדרא
3 Our Rabbis taught: If a man sells to another a house or a field, he is not allowed to testify to the latter's title to it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supposing that a third party claims it from him. ');"><sup>3</sup></span>
ד וכיון דאסהיד ליה דלוי הוא היכי מצי מפיק לה מיניה דאמר ידענא דהאי ארעא דלאו דיהודה היא ובההוא זכותא דקא מפיק לה מלוי ליפקה מיהודה
4 because he is responsible to him for it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The meaning of this is discussed later. ');"><sup>4</sup></span>
ה דאמר השני נוח לי הראשון קשה הימנו
5 If, however, he sells him a cow or a garment, he can testify to his title to it, because he is not responsible to him for it. Why should the rule in the second case be different from that in the first? — R. Shesheth said: The first rule [applies to a case where, for instance,] Reuben wrongfully takes a field from Simeon and sells it to Levi, and then Judah comes and contests Levi's title, Simeon then must not go and give evidence in favour of Levi, thinking that [if Levi retains it] it will be easier for him to recover it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., he may consider that he has a better chance of recovering it from Levi (from whom he may claim it as having been purchased from a robber) than from Judah, and therefore he has an interest in testifying on Levi's behalf. ');"><sup>5</sup></span>
ו ואי בעית אימא כגון דאית ליה סהדי למר ואית ליה סהדי למר ואמור רבנן ארעא היכא דקיימא תיקום
6 But if he has once testified that it belongs to Levi, how can he recover it from him?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And so how can he think any such thing? ');"><sup>6</sup></span> — [We suppose] that what he will say [in evidence] is, I know that this field does not belong to Judah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Without committing himself to the statement that it belongs to Levi. ');"><sup>7</sup></span> But cannot he recover it from Judah by means of the same proofs by which he recovers it from Levi?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., if Judah has claimed the property on the ground that Reuben sold it to him. In that case we should think there can be no objection to Simeon's testifying that Reuben sold the field to Levi, because even if the field is ultimately assigned to Judah, Simeon can recover it from him on the ground that Reuben took it from him (v. Tosaf. s.v. [H]). ');"><sup>8</sup></span> — He says: It is easier for me to deal with the second [Levi] than with the first [Judah].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the first is easy for me, the second difficult'. ');"><sup>9</sup></span> Or if you like I can reply that both [Simeon and Judah] have witnesses [to prove their title], and the Rabbis have laid down that in such cases the land shall remain in possession of its present owner.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore, if the land is once assigned to Judah, Simeon will not be able to recover it from him. Hence if Judah claims it from Levi (from whom Simeon can certainly recover), Simeon must not give evidence against him. ');"><sup>10</sup></span>