Bava Batra 343

והא האידנא דלא קעבדינן הכי אמר ליה רבנן תקוני תקיני מאן דעביד עביד מאן דלא עביד איהו הוא דאפסיד אנפשיה

But this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The omission of the date it, a receipt. ');">¹</span> is not done at the present time?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When deeds are written without R. Abba's formula, and dated quittances are issued. ');">²</span> — He replied to him: The Rabbis have made the necessary provision. Whosoever acts [accordingly] reaps the benefit;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'he who does, does'. ');">³</span>

אמר להו רבא בר רב שילא להנהו כתבי שטרא אקניאתא כי כתביתו שטרי אקניאתא אי ידעיתו יומא דקניתו ביה כתבו ואי לא כתבו יומא דקיימיתו ביה כי היכי דלא מתחזי כשקרא

he who does not act [accordingly] has himself to blame, for any loss suffered.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The provision was made by the Rabbis for the benefit of debtors who may wish to benefit by it. No man, however, is compelled to carry out a provision which was enacted solely in his own interests. ');">⁴</span> Raba son of R. Shila said to those who were writing deeds of transfer:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] deeds of gifts, or deeds of sale in which land security is entered. (Cf. Rashb.). Jastrow's definition is. 'An agreement by which one's landed estate is mortgaged in the form of a sale from date, independent of the loan to be consummated afterwards.' [Since agreement was accompanied by a kinyan from which the deed subsequently drawn up obtains its name. V. Rappaport. J., Das Darlehen, p. 70 ff.] ');">⁵</span> When you write deeds of transfer enter<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'write'. ');">⁶</span>

אמר להו רב לספריה וכן אמר להו רב הונא לספריה כי קיימיתו בשילי כתבו בשילי ואע"ג דמסירן לכו מילי בהיני כי קיימיתו בהיני כתבו בהיני ואף על גב דמסירן לכו מילי בשילי

the date of transfer<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. previous note. [In order to preclude the donor from presenting the gift to some one else.] In the case of a deed of sale, the buyer must be enabled, in addition, to seize such lands as wore sold during the period subsequent to the date of transfer. (Rashb.) ');">⁷</span> if you know it; and if not, enter the date on which the deed is prepared,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'on which you stand'. ');">⁸</span> so that it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The entry of a date of which they were not certain. ');">⁹</span>

אמר רבא האי מאן דנקיט שטרא בר מאה זוזי ואמר שויה ניהלי תרי בני חמשין חמשין לא משוינן להו

might not have the appearance of a falsehood. Rab said to his scribes, and R. Huna, similarly, said to his scribes: When you are at Shili write [in any deed] 'at Shili', although the information was given to you at Hini;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The locale of a deed is the place where the deed is written, not where the transaction (gift, sale, or loan) which it records took place. The former, therefore, must be entered in the deed. According to Rashb. both places arc entered, thus: 'We wrote at&nbsp;… what we saw at&nbsp;…' [Hini and Shili were two places South of Sura and close to each other. The point in R. Huna's instructions to the scribes according to Obermeyer, op. cit. 320, is that they were not to regard the two localities as one and write 'Hini-Shili'.] ');">¹⁰</span> when you are at Hini, write, 'at Hini',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The locale of a deed is the place where the deed is written, not where the transaction (gift, sale, or loan) which it records took place. The former, therefore, must be entered in the deed. According to Rashb. both places arc entered, thus: 'We wrote at&nbsp;… what we saw at&nbsp;…' [Hini and Shili were two places South of Sura and close to each other. The point in R. Huna's instructions to the scribes according to Obermeyer, op. cit. 320, is that they were not to regard the two localities as one and write 'Hini-Shili'.] ');">¹⁰</span>

מאי טעמא עבדו רבנן מילתא דניחא ליה למלוה וניחא ליה ללוה ניחא ליה למלוה כדי שיכוף לפורעו וניחא ללוה כי היכי דניפגם שטריה

although the information was given to you at Shili.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The locale of a deed is the place where the deed is written, not where the transaction (gift, sale, or loan) which it records took place. The former, therefore, must be entered in the deed. According to Rashb. both places arc entered, thus: 'We wrote at&nbsp;… what we saw at&nbsp;…' [Hini and Shili were two places South of Sura and close to each other. The point in R. Huna's instructions to the scribes according to Obermeyer, op. cit. 320, is that they were not to regard the two localities as one and write 'Hini-Shili'.] ');">¹⁰</span> Raba said: If a man [who] is in possession of a bond of a hundred <i>zuz</i>, said, 'Convert it into two bonds each of fifty zuz',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that in case the debtor repays him half the debt he can return one of the two bonds. ');">¹¹</span> his request must not be granted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'we do not make them'. ');">¹²</span>

ואמר רבא האי מאן דנקיט תרי שטרי בני חמשין חמשין ואמר שוינהו ניהלי חד בר מאה לא משוינן ליה

What is the reason? — The Rabbis instituted a law<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'thing'. ');">¹³</span> which is acceptable to the creditor and is [also] acceptable to the borrower. It is acceptable to the creditor in that [the debtor is thereby] compelled to repay him [the entire loan];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Having repaid half of the debt and received in return a quittance, the debtor is anxious to repay the other half at the earliest possible moment, so that he might secure the destruction of the bond and thus be liberated from the necessity of guarding his receipt 'from the mice'. ');">¹⁴</span> and it is [also] acceptable to the borrower in that [the legal force of] the bond is [thereby]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By the repayment of half of the amount mentioned in the bond. ');">¹⁵</span>

עבוד רבנן מילתא דניחא ליה למלוה וניחא ליה ללוה ניחא ליה למלוה כי היכי דלא ניפגום שטריה וניחא ליה ללוה כדי שלא יכוף לפורעו

impaired.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The creditor will not be able to recover with it the balance, except on oath (cf. Keth. 87a. Shebu. 41a). ');">¹⁶</span> Raba further stated: If a man, holding two bonds each of fifty [zuz:], requests that they be converted into one [bond] of a hundred [<i>zuz</i>], his request must not be granted,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 753, n. 8. ');">¹⁷</span> [because] the Rabbis have ordained a law<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 753. n. 9. ');">¹⁸</span>

אמר רב אשי האי מאן דנקיט שטרא בר מאה זוזי ואמר שוונהי ניהלי חד בר חמשין לא משוינא ליה

which is agreeable to the creditor and is also agreeable to the borrower. It is agreeable to the creditor in that [the force of] his bond is not [thereby] impaired;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Instead of giving a receipt for half the amount repaid and thus impairing the force of the deed (cf. n. 1), one bond is destroyed while the other retains its full force. ');">¹⁹</span> and it is [also] agreeable to the borrower in that he is not [thereby]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By the repayment of half of the amount mentioned in the bond. ');">¹⁵</span> under pressure to repay the debt.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since he secures the return and destruction of one of the deeds and need not take care of any quittance. ');">²⁰</span>

מ"ט אמרינן האי מיפרע פרעיה ואמר ליה הב לי שטראי ואמר ליה אירכס לי וכתיב ליה תברא ומפיק ליה האי ואמר ליה האי אחרינא הוא:

R. Ashi said: If a man holds a bond for a hundred <i>zuz</i> and requests that it be converted into<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'make the thing'. ');">²¹</span> one of fifty [<i>zuz</i>],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even though he consents to enter on the new bond the date of the original bond. ');">²²</span> his request must not be granted. What is the reason? — We assume [the debtor] had already repaid him that [loan] and [that when] he asked him for the return of his bond<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and he said to him: Give me my bond'. ');">²³</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> שני אחין אחד עני ואחד עשיר והניח להן אביהן מרחץ ובית הבד עשאן לשכר השכר לאמצע עשאן לעצמו הרי העשיר אומר לעני קח לך עבדים וירחצו במרחץ קח לך זיתים ובא ועשה בבית הבד

he was told [that] he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'I', the creditor. ');">²⁴</span> had lost it and [so] he wrote out for him a quittance<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the hundred zuz. ');">²⁵</span> but [that later] he would produce that [new bond] and claim,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and say to him'. ');">²⁶</span>

שנים שהיו בעיר אחת שם אחד יוסף בן שמעון ושם אחר יוסף בן שמעון אין יכולין להוציא שטר חוב זה על זה ולא אחר יכול להוציא עליהן שטר חוב

'This is [for] another [loan]'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The bond being made out for a sum of fifty zuz, the creditor could plausibly claim that the receipt for the hundred zuz was given for a totally different loan which had no connection whatsoever with the fifty zuz bond produced. Hence no bond must be exchanged at the request of a creditor even though he request the issue of a bond for a smaller amount in lieu of one containing a larger amount. ');">²⁷</span> <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. [IN THE CASE OF] TWO BROTHERS, THE ONE POOR AND THE OTHER<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'one'. ');">²⁸</span> RICH, WHOM THEIR FATHER HAD LEFT A BATH-HOUSE OR AN OLIVE-PRESS, [IF] HE BUILT THESE [TO BE LET OUT] ON HIRE, THE RENT BELONGS TO THE COMMON ESTATE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'to the middle', i.e., it is divided between the two brothers in equal proportions. ');">²⁹</span>

נמצא לאחד בין שטרותיו שטרו של יוסף בן שמעון פרוע שטרות שניהן פרועין

[IF,] HOWEVER, HE BUILT THEM FOR HIS OWN [USE]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'to the middle', i.e., it is divided between the two brothers in equal proportions. ');">²⁹</span> THE RICH [BROTHER] MAY<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'behold'. ');">³⁰</span> SAY TO THE POOR [BROTHER], BUY FOR YOURSELF SLAVES THAT THEY MAY BATHE IN THE BATH-HOUSE', [OR] 'BUY FOR YOURSELF OLIVES AND COME AND PREPARE [THEM] IN THE OLIVE-PRESS'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' None of the brothers has the right to use the bequeathed joint estate (except, of course, by mutual consent) for any purpose other than that for which their father had originally intended it (v. supra 13a). ');">³¹</span>

כיצד יעשו ישלשו ואם היו משולשין יכתבו סימן ואם היו מסומנין יכתבו כהן:

IF THERE WERE TWO [MEN] IN THE SAME TOWN [AND THE] NAME OF THE ONE [WAS] JOSEPH SON OF SIMEON AND THE NAME OF [THE] OTHER [WAS] JOSEPH SON OF SIMEON, NEITHER MAY PRODUCE A BOND OF INDEBTEDNESS AGAINST THE OTHER, NOR MAY ANOTHER [PERSON] PRODUCE A BOND OF INDEBTEDNESS AGAINST THEM.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since each can say that it was not he but the other who signed the bond. ');">³²</span> [IF] A MAN FOUND AMONG HIS DEEDS [A QUITTANCE SHOWING THAT] THE BOND OF JOSEPH SON OF SIMEON [WAS] DISCHARGED, THE BONDS OF BOTH [ARE CONSIDERED TO BE] DISCHARGED. HOW SHOULD THEY PROCEED?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If they desire to borrow, or buy from one another or from a third party. ');">³³</span> THEY SHOULD INDICATE THE THIRD [GENERATION].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They give their own names and the names of their fathers and grandfathers. ');">³⁴</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> ההוא שטרא דנפק לבי דינא דרב הונא דהוה כתיב ביה אני פלוני בר פלוני לויתי מנה ממך

AND IF [THEIR NAMES] ARE [ALIKE] TO THE THIRD [GENERATION], THEY ADD<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'they shall write'. ');">³⁵</span> [SOME PERSONAL] DESCRIPTION;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Such as Joseph etc. the tall, the short, black, brown. ');">³⁶</span> AND IF THEIR [PERSONAL] DESCRIPTIONS ARE ALIKE THEY WRITE, 'PRIEST'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If one of these was a priest, or some similar patronymic. e.g.. Levite. ');">³⁷</span> <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. In a certain bond that was presented at the court of R. Huna there was [the following] entry:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'written'. ');">³⁸</span> 'I.X, son of Y, borrowed from you<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The name of the creditor not being entered, and the holder of the bond claiming that the pronoun referred to him. ');">³⁹</span> a maneh'.