Bava Metzia 41

דשיילינן להו לסהדי אי פרוע אי לא פרוע

We ask the witnesses whether [the debt] is paid or not.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus there is no contradiction to the previous teaching. It is only if the witnesses testify that they saw the debt being paid that the lender is not believed, and the note is valid. Otherwise we believe the lender, and the note is invalid. ');">¹</span>

ת"ש סמפון שיש עליו עדים כשר מאי עדים עדי קיום

Come and hear: A note of cancellation which bears the signatures of witnesses is valid?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even if it is in the possession of the lender. ');">²</span>

הכי נמי מסתברא מדקתני סיפא ושאין עליו עדים פסול מאי אין עליו עדים אילימא דליכא עלויה עדים כלל צריכא למימר דפסול אלא לאו עדי קיום

— The witnesses referred to are witnesses to the endorsement [of the note by the Court].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They are not witnesses who signed the receipt, but witnesses who testify that it was endorsed by the Court, and as the Court would not endorse the receipt unless the debt has been paid, the receipt is valid even if produced by the lender. ');">³</span>

גופא סמפון שיש עליו עדי' יתקיים בחותמיו אין עליו עדים ויוצא מתחת ידי שליש או שיוצא לאחר חיתום שטרות כשר

This is also conclusive, for the final clause teaches: 'But if it does not bear the signatures of witnesses it is invalid.' Now, what is the meaning of [the words], 'It does not bear the signatures of witnesses'? If I should say that [it means that] there are no signatures of witnesses on it at all — is it necessary to say that is invalid? Therefore we must assume that they are witnesses to the endorsement [of the note by the Court].

יוצא מתחת ידי שליש דהא הימניה מלוה לשליש יוצא לאחר חיתום שטרות נמי דאי לאו דפריע לא הוה מרע ליה לשטריה:

The main text [states]: 'A note of cancellation which bears the signatures of witnesses must be corroborated by the signatories.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And it is valid, even if produced by the lender, as the witnesses testify that it has been endorsed by the Court. ');">⁴</span>

<br><br><big><strong>הדרן עלך שנים אוחזין</strong></big><br><br>

But if it does not bear the signatures of witnesses<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., witnesses to the endorsement. ');">⁵</span>

מתני׳ <big><strong>אלו</strong></big> מציאות שלו ואלו חייב להכריז

and is produced by a third person,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Neither the lender nor the borrower produces it, but a third person, with whom the notes were deposited, and his statement is accepted. ');">⁶</span>

אלו מציאות שלו מצא פירות מפוזרין מעות מפוזרות כריכות ברשות הרבים ועגולי דבילה ככרות של נחתום מחרוזות של דגים וחתיכות של בשר וגיזי צמר הלקוחין ממדינתן ואניצי פשתן ולשונות של ארגמן הרי אלו שלו דברי רבי מאיר

or if it is found below the signatures of the notes [of indebtedness],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The cancellation is written on the note of indebtedness below the signatures. ');">⁷</span>

ר' יהודה אומר כל שיש בו שינוי חייב להכריז כיצד מצא עגול ובתוכו חרס ככר ובתוכו מעות

it is valid.' If it is produced by a third person [it is valid] because the lender trusted the third person;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As the lender writes the notes of cancellation he must have handed the note to the third person and placed his trust in him. The third person is therefore believed. ');">⁸</span>

רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר כל כלי אנפוריא אין חייב להכריז:

if it is found below the signatures of the notes [of indebtedness it is] also [valid], because if [the debt] had not been paid he [the lender] would not have invalidated the note.

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מצא פירות מפוזרין וכמה א"ר יצחק קב בארבע אמות

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. SOME FINDS BELONG TO THE FINDER; OTHERS MUST BE ANNOUNCED.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that the owner may claim them. ');">⁹</span>

היכי דמי אי דרך נפילה אפילו טובא נמי ואי דרך הינוח אפילו בציר מהכי נמי לא

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES BELONG TO THE FINDER: IF ONE FINDS SCATTERED FRUIT, SCATTERED MONEY,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which cannot be identified by the loser and are thus given up by him as beyond recovery. The fact of the loser resigning himself to his loss ([H]) renders the article public property and gives the finder the right to acquire it. ');">¹⁰</span>

א"ר עוקבא בר חמא במכנשתא דבי דרי עסקינן קב בארבע אמות דנפיש טרחייהו לא טרח איניש ולא הדר אתי ושקיל להו אפקורי מפקר להו בציר מהכי טרח והדר אתי ושקיל להו ולא מפקר להו

SMALL SHEAVES IN A PUBLIC THOROUGHFARE,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where the traffic soon destroys any distinguishing mark by which the sheaves might be identified. ');">¹¹</span>

בעי רבי ירמיה חצי קב בשתי אמות מהו קב בארבע אמות טעמא מאי משום דנפיש טרחייהו חצי קב בשתי אמות כיון דלא נפיש טרחייהו לא מפקר להו או דלמא משום דלא חשיבי וחצי קב בשתי אמות כיון דלא חשיבי מפקר להו

ROUND CAKES OF PRESSED FIGS, A BAKER'S LOAVES,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which are uniform in appearance and cannot be identified. ');">¹²</span>

קביים בשמונה אמות מהו קב בארבע אמות טעמא מאי משום דנפיש טרחייהו וכ"ש קביים בשמונה אמות כיון דנפישא טרחייהו טפי מפקר להו או דלמא משום דלא חשיבי וקביים בשמונה אמות כיון דחשיבי לא מפקר להו

STRINGS OF FISHES, PIECES OF MEAT, FLEECES OF WOOL WHICH HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FROM THE COUNTRY,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In a raw state, and bear no mark by which they could be identified. ');">¹³</span>

קב שומשמין בארבע אמות מהו קב בארבע אמות טעמא מאי משום דלא חשיבי ושומשמין כיון דחשיבי לא מפקר להו או דלמא משום דנפיש טרחייהו וכ"ש שומשמין כיון דנפיש טרחייהו טפי מפקר להו

BUNDLES OF FLAX AND STRIPES OF PURPLE,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Long strips of wool dyed purple, a common article in the days of the Mishnah. ');">¹⁴</span>

קב תמרי בארבע אמות קב רמוני בארבע אמות מהו קב בארבע אמות טעמא מאי משום דלא חשיבי קב תמרי בארבע אמות קב רמוני בארבע אמות נמי כיון דלא חשיבי מפקר להו

COLOURED WOOL; ALL THESE BELONG TO THE FINDER.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The person who finds these articles need not announce them because they bear no marks by which the loser could identify them, and he has a right to keep them because the owner has given up the hope of recovering them. ');">¹⁵</span>

או דלמא משום דנפישא טרחייהו וקב תמרי בארבע אמות וקב רמוני בארבע אמות כיון דלא נפיש טרחייהו לא מפקר להו מאי תיקו

THIS IS THE VIEW OF R. MEIR.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Var. lec. omit, 'This is&nbsp;… R. Meir;' v. also infra p. 143. n. 1.] ');">¹⁶</span>

איתמר

R. JUDAH SAYS: WHATSOEVER HAS IN IT SOMETHING UNUSUAL MUST BE ANNOUNCED,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' v. infra 23a. ');">¹⁷</span> AS, FOR INSTANCE, IF ONE FINDS A ROUND [OF FIGS] CONTAINING A POTSHERD, OR A LOAF CONTAINING MONEY. R. SIMEON B. ELEAZAR SAYS: NEW MERCHANDISE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra 23b. ');">¹⁸</span> NEED NOT BE ANNOUNCED. <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. IF ONE FINDS SCATTERED FRUIT, etc. What quantity [of fruit in a given space] is meant? R. Isaac said: A <i>kab</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A measure. V. Glos. ');">¹⁹</span> within four cubits. But what kind of a case is meant? If [the fruit appears to have been] dropped accidentally, then even if there is more than a <i>kab</i> [it should] also [belong to the finder].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As the loser would have no means of identifying them. ');">²⁰</span> And if it appears to have been [deliberately] put down, then even if there is a smaller quantity it should not [belong to the finder]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As the owner evidently intended to come back for them and has not really lost them. ');">²¹</span> — R. 'Ukba b. Hama answered: We deal here with [the remains of] what has been gathered on the threshing floor:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After the harvest. ');">²²</span> [To collect] a <i>kab</i> [scattered over a space] of four cubits is troublesome, and, as people do not trouble to come back and collect it, [the owner also] abandons it, but if it is [spread over] a smaller space [the owner] does come back and collect it, and he does not abandon it. R. Jeremiah enquired: How is it [if one finds] half a <i>kab</i> [scattered over the space] of two cubits? Is the reason why a <i>kab</i> within four cubits [belongs to the finder] that it is troublesome [to collect], and therefore half a <i>kab</i> within two cubits, which is not troublesome to collect, is not abandoned [and should not belong to the finder], or is the reason [in the case of a <i>kab</i> within four cubits] that it is not worth the trouble of collecting [when spread over such a space], and therefore half a <i>kab</i> within two cubits, which is still less worth the trouble of collecting, is abandoned [and should belong to the finder]? [Again,] how is it [if one finds] two <i>kabs</i> [scattered over the space] of eight cubits? Is the reason why a <i>kab</i> within four cubits [belongs to the finder] that it is troublesome to collect, and therefore two <i>kabs</i> within eight cubits, which are still more troublesome to collect, are even more readily abandoned [and should certainly belong to the finder], or is the reason [in the case of a <i>kab</i> within four cubits] that it is not worth the trouble [of collecting], and therefore two <i>kabs</i> within eight cubits, which are worth the trouble [of collecting] are not abandoned [and should not belong to the finder]? [Again,] how is it [if one finds] a <i>kab</i> of poppy-seed [scattered over a space] of four cubits? Is the reason why a <i>kab</i> [of fruit] within four cubits [belongs to the finder] that it is not worth the trouble [of collecting], and therefore poppy-seed, which is worth the trouble [of collecting] is not abandoned [and should not belong to the finder], or is the reason [in the case of a <i>kab</i> within four cubits] that it is troublesome [to collect], and therefore poppy-seed, which is even more troublesome [to collect], is abandoned [and should belong to the finder]? [Again], how is it [if one finds] a <i>kab</i> of dates within four cubits, or a <i>kab</i> of pomegranates within four cubits? Is the reason why a <i>kab</i> [of ordinary fruit] within four cubits [belongs to the finder] that it is not worth the trouble of collecting, and therefore a <i>kab</i> of dates within four cubits, or a <i>kab</i> of pomegranates within four cubits, which also is not worth the trouble [of collecting] is abandoned [and should belong to the finder], or is the reason [in the case of a <i>kab</i> within four cubits] that it is troublesome to collect, and therefore a <i>kab</i> of dates within four cubits or a <i>kab</i> of pomegranates within four cubits, which are not troublesome [to collect], are not abandoned [and should not belong to the finder]? — The questions remain unanswered. It has been stated: