Bava Batra 89

Chapter 89

א אי דאית ליה ארעא אחריתי עליה דידיה הדר אי דלית ליה ארעא אחריתי מאי נפקא ליה מינה
1 If he has other land, the creditor can seize that.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'he (the creditor) will come back on his (the debtor's property. ');"><sup>1</sup></span>
ב לעולם דלית ליה ארעא אחריתי דאמר לא ניחא דליהוי (תהלים לז, כא) לוה רשע ולא ישלם
2 If he has no other land, what advantage has he [from the land remaining in the hands of the purchaser]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because even if the purchaser has to give up the land, the seller has no assets from which he can obtain restitution. ');"><sup>2</sup></span>
ג סוף סוף לגבי אידך נמי לוה רשע ולא ישלם הוא דאמר להכי זביני לך שלא באחריות
3 — The rule actually applies to the case where he has no other land, and the reason for it is that the seller is anxious if possible not to be a defaulter.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a wicked man who borrows and does not repay.' Ps. XXXVII, 21. ');"><sup>3</sup></span>
ד מכריז רבא ואיתימא רב פפא דסלקין לעילא ודנחתין לתתא האי בר ישראל דזבין ליה חמרא לישראל חבריה וקא אתי עכו"ם ואניס ליה מיניה דינא הוא דמפצי ליה מיניה
4 But when all is said and done, he does become a defaulter in respect of the purchaser? — [The rule is still sound] because he says: It was for this very reason that I sold it to you without a guarantee.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., so that if it is taken from you I shall not be called a defaulter, even if I do not make restitution. ');"><sup>4</sup></span>
ה ולא אמרן אלא שאינו מכיר בה שהיא בת חמורו אבל מכיר בה שהיא בת חמורו לא ולא אמרן אלא דלא אניס ליה לדידיה ולאוכפא אבל אניס ליה לדידיה ולאוכפא לא
5 Raba [or some say, R. Papa] issued a proclamation: [Know] all you that go up [to Eretz Yisrael] or go down [to Babylon] that if an Israelite sells an ass to a fellow-Israelite and a Gentile comes and forcibly takes it from him,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the ground that it was stolen from him. ');"><sup>5</sup></span>
ו אמימר אמר אפילו ליכא כל הני לא מאי טעמא מידע ידע דסתם עובד כוכבים אנס הוא שנאמר (תהלים קמד, ח) אשר פיהם דבר שוא וימינם ימין שקר:
6 it is the duty of the first to help him to rescue It.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By convincing the Gentile that it is not his. If, however, a Jew forcibly takes it, the seller need not help the purchaser, because the latter can summon the Jew for assault, even if the ass did rightly belong to him. ');"><sup>6</sup></span>
ז אומן אין לו חזקה וכו': אמר רבה ל"ש אלא שמסר לו בעדים אבל מסר לו שלא בעדים מתוך שיכול לומר לו לא היו דברים מעולם כי אמר ליה נמי לקוחה היא בידי מהימן
7 This, however, only applies if the purchaser cannot recognise the ass as the foal of the seller,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore should he go to law with the Gentile, he will not be able to prove that the animal is not his. ');"><sup>7</sup></span>
ח אמר ליה אביי אי הכי אפילו בעדים נמי מתוך שיכול לומר לו החזרתיו לך כי אמר ליה לקוחה היא בידי מהימן
8 but if he can recognise it as the foal of the ass of the seller, [he need] not [help him].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because he will be able to recover the ass from the Gentile by process of law. ');"><sup>8</sup></span>
ט אמר ליה רבה מי סברת
9 Further, we only say [that he has this duty] if the non-Jew does not forcibly take the saddle along with the ass,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because this is a sign that he only desires to assert his right, but if he takes the saddle as well, the presumption is that he is a robber, and can be proved so in a court of law. ');"><sup>9</sup></span> but if he takes the saddle along with the ass, [we do] not [say so]. Amemar said: Even without all these qualifications he need not help him, because generally speaking the heathen is a grabber,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And he is likely therefore to have no case in a court of law. ');"><sup>10</sup></span> and so Scripture says of them, Their mouth speaketh vanity and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' p. 5, CXLIV, 8. ');"><sup>11</sup></span> A CRAFTSMAN HAS NO <i>HAZAKAH</i>. Rabbah said: This rule was meant to apply only to the case where the owner delivered the article to the craftsman in the presence of witnesses, but if he delivered it to him without any witnesses being present, since he [the craftsman] is able to plead [without fear of contradiction] that the transaction never took place at all,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But that either he never had the garment or it was given him by someone else. ');"><sup>12</sup></span> if he puts forward [the more probable] plea that he has purchased it [from the claimant],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'It is purchased in my hand.' ');"><sup>13</sup></span> his plea is accepted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to Rabbah, therefore, the essential point is whether the article was originally transferred in the presence of witnesses, and it makes no difference whether the owner has or has not seen it in the hands of the repairer. ');"><sup>14</sup></span> Said Abaye to him: If that is so,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Viz., that the fact of his seeing it in his hands makes no difference. ');"><sup>15</sup></span> then even [if he has delivered it to him] in the presence of witnesses, since he is able to plead 'I have returned it to you',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If it has not been seen in his possession. ');"><sup>16</sup></span> if he only pleads 'I have bought it', his word should certainly be accepted! Rabbah replied: Is it your view