Bava Batra 65

זוזי אחריני גביה ואכלתה שני משכנתא

other money besides.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For which no land had been mortgaged to him. ');">¹</span>

אמינא אי מהדרנא לה ארעא ליתמי ואמינא דאית לי זוזי אחריני גבי דאבוכון אמור רבנן הבא ליפרע מנכסי יתומים לא יפרע אלא בשבועה אלא אכבשיה לשטר משכנתא ואוכלה שיעור זוזי דמיגו דאי בעינא אמינא לקוחה היא בידי מהימנא כי אמינא דאית לי זוזי גבייכו מהימננא

When I had had the use of the land for the number of years covered by the mortgage, I said to myself: If I restore the land to the orphans and then tell them that I have still a claim on their father for more money, [I shall have to comply with] the rule of the Rabbis that 'anyone who claims to recover from orphans must support his claim with an oath.' I will therefore keep back the mortgage bond and continue to use the land to the extent of the money still owing to me; for since, if I were to say that I had bought the land, my plea would be accepted,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because he had had unchallenged occupation for more than three years. ');">²</span>

א"ל לקוחה בידי לא מצית אמרת דהא איכא עלה קלא דארעא דיתמי היא אלא זיל אהדרה ניהלייהו וכי גדלי יתמי אשתעי דינא בהדייהו:

I shall certainly be believed when I say that they owe me money. Said Abaye to him: You could not plead that you have bought the land, because common report says that it belongs to the orphans.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And this is equivalent to a protest, in which case no right can be proved save through a deed of sale. ');">³</span>

קריביה דרב אידי בר אבין שכיב ושבק דיקלא רב אידי בר אבין אמר אנא קריבנא טפי וההוא גברא אמר אנא קריבנא טפי לסוף אודי ליה דאיהו קריב טפי אוקמה רב חסדא בידיה

Go therefore and restore it to them, and when they become of age<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., thirteen years old. ');">⁴</span>

א"ל ליהדר לי פירי דאכל מההוא יומא עד השתא אמר זה הוא שאומרים עליו אדם גדול הוא אמאן קא סמיך מר אהאי הא קאמר דאנא מקרבנא טפי אביי ורבא לא סבירא להו הא דרב חסדא

claim your debt from them in court. A relative of R. Idi b. Abin died, leaving a date tree. [R. Idi and another man disputed its possession] R. Idi saying, 'I am the nearer relative,' whilst the other man said, 'I am the nearer relative;' [and the other man seized the tree]. Eventually, however, he admitted that R. Idi was a nearer relative, and R. Hisda assigned to him the tree. He [R. Idi] then claimed: 'Let him return me the produce which he has consumed from the time he seized it.' Said R. Hisda: 'So this is the man<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Referring to R. Idi. ');">⁵</span> who is said to be a great authority! On what ground do you base<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'on whom'. ');">⁶</span> [your ownership]? On this man s admission. But he has been saying till now that he was the nearer relative.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore he is in effect making you a gift of the tree, though you cannot claim it by law. Hence you cannot claim the produce, if he does not choose to give you that also. ');">⁷</span> Abaye and Rab did not concur in R. Hisda's decision;