Bava Metzia 55

אלא הא דתנן מצא תכריך של שטרות או אגודה של שטרות ה"ז יחזיר הכי נמי דניחא ליה ללוה לאהדורי ליה למלוה

But what of that which we learnt: If one finds a roll of notes or a bundle of notes he must surrender [them]:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To the creditor, if he states identification marks; v. supra 20a. ');">¹</span>

אלא אמר רבא סימנין דאורייתא דכתיב (דברים כב, ב) והיה עמך עד דרוש אחיך אותו וכי תעלה על דעתך שיתננו קודם שידרשנו אלא דרשהו אם רמאי הוא או אינו רמאי לאו בסימנין שמע מינה

here too, [is then the reason] because the debtor is pleased that they should be returned to the creditor! — But, said Raba, identification marks are Biblically valid, because it is written, And it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it. Now, would it then have occurred to you that he should return it to him before he sought it! But [it means this:] examine him [the claimant], whether he be a fraud or not.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra p. 169 for notes. ');">²</span>

אמר רבא אם תמצי לומר סימנין דאורייתא אם תמצי לומר הא פשיט ליה סימנין דאורייתא משום דאיכא למימר כדשנינן

Surely that is by means of identification marks! That proves it.

סימנין וסימנין יניח סימנין ועדים ינתן לבעל העדים סימנין וסימנין ועד אחד עד אחד כמאן דליתיה דמי ויניח

Raba said: Should you resolve that identification marks are Biblically valid&nbsp;… ('Should you resolve!' — but he has proved that they are Biblically valid! — That is because it can be explained as was answered [above].)<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra p. 169. ');">³</span>

עדי אריגה ועדי נפילה תנתן לעדי נפילה דאמרינן זבוני זבנה ומאיניש אחרינא נפל

If two sets of identification marks [are offered by two conflicting claimants], it [the lost article] must be left [in custody].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It cannot be returned to either. Cf. supra 20a: 'It must lie until Elijah comes.' ');">⁴</span>

מדת ארכו ומדת רחבו תנתן למדת ארכו דמדת רחבו שעורי קא משער לה כד מכסי לה מרה וקאי ומדת ארכו לא משתער לה

[If one states] identification marks and [another produces] witnesses, it [the lost article] must be surrendered to him who has witnesses.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even if identification marks are Biblically valid, yet witnesses stand higher. ');">⁵</span>

מדת ארכו ומדת רחבו ומדת גמיו ינתן למדת ארכו ורחבו

[If one states] identification marks, and [another also states] identification marks and [produces] one witness — one witness is as non-existent, and so it must be left. [If one produces] witnesses of weaving,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That he wove it. ');">⁶</span>

מדת ארכו ומדת רחבו ומדת משקלותיו ינתן למדת משקלותיו

and [another] witnesses of dropping,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That he dropped it. ');">⁷</span>

הוא אומר סימני הגט והיא אומרת סימני הגט ינתן לה במאי אילימא במדת ארכו ורחבו דלמא בהדי דנקיט ליה חזיתיה אלא נקב יש בו בצד אות פלוני

it must be given to the latter, because we argue, He [the first] may have sold, and another lost it. [If one states] its length, and [another] its breadth,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This refers to a garment, these measurements being offered as marks of identification. ');">⁸</span>

הוא אומר סימני החוט והיא אומרת סימני החוט ינתן לה במאי אילימא בחיורא ובסומקא ודלמא בהדי דנקיט ליה חזיתיה אלא במדת ארכו

it must be given to [him who states its] length; because it is possible to conjecture the breadth when its owner is standing and wearing it, whereas the length cannot be [well] conjectured.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [The breadth of the cloth out of which a toga was made was worn lengthwise, and the length breadthwise.] ');">⁹</span>

הוא אומר בחפיסה והיא אומרת בחפיסה ינתן לו מ"ט מידע ידעה דכל מה דאית ליה בחפיסה הוא דמנח ליה:

[If one states] its length and breadth, and another its gums,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [ [H] the sum total of its length and breadth. The term Gam has been identified with the Greek Gnomon, the carpenter's square, and is derived from the Hebrew gimel, which has the shape of an axe, or carpenter's square. V. B.B. (Sonc. ed.) p. 251, n. 4.] ');">¹⁰</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> ועד מתי חייב להכריז עד כדי שידעו בו שכניו דברי ר"מ ר' יהודה אומר שלש רגלים ואחר הרגל האחרון שבעה ימים כדי שילך לביתו שלשה ויחזור שלשה ויכריז יום אחד:

it must be surrendered to the former. If the length, breadth, and weight [are stated by different claimants], it must be given to [him who states] its weight.

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> תנא שכני אבידה מאי שכני אבידה אילימא שכינים דבעל אבידה אי ידע ליה ליזול ולהדריה נהליה אלא שכני מקום שנמצאת בו אבידה:

If he [the husband] states the identification marks of a bill of divorce, and she does likewise,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Each claims ownership, the husband maintaining that he lost it before delivering it to his wife, so that she is still married to him, and now he has changed his mind and no longer wishes to divorce her, whilst the wife insists that she lost it after receiving it, so that she is divorced. ');">¹¹</span>

רבי יהודה אומר כו':

it must be given to her.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because the husband's knowledge is no proof of ownership, since he certainly saw it before delivering it to her; but if she had not received it, she would not know its identification marks. ');">¹²</span>

ורמינהו בשלשה במרחשון שואלין את הגשמים ר"ג אומר בז' בו (שהוא) ט"ו יום אחר החג כדי שיגיע אחרון שבא"י לנהר פרת

Wherewith [is it identified]? Shall we say, by its length and breadth? perhaps she saw it whilst he was holding it!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And before delivering it he changed his mind. ');">¹³</span>

אמר רב יוסף לא קשיא כאן במקדש ראשון כאן במקדש שני

— But it had a perforation at the side of a certain letter. If he identifies the ribbon [with which the divorce was tied], and she does likewise, it must be given to her. Wherewith [is it identified]? Shall we say, by [its colour], white or red? perhaps she saw it whilst he was holding it! — Hence, by its length. If he states, [it was found] in a valise, and she states likewise, it must be surrendered to him. Why? She knows full well that he places whatever he has [of his documents] in a valise.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though this does not prove his ownership either, it must nevertheless be surrendered to him, since she cannot be declared free after a valid doubt has arisen. ');">¹⁴</span>

במקדש ראשון דנפישי ישראל טובא דכתיב בהו (מלכים א ד, כ) יהודה וישראל רבים כחול אשר על הים לרוב בעינן כולי האי במקדש שני דלא נפישי ישראל טובא דכתיב בהו (עזרא ב, סד) כל הקהל כאחד ארבע רבוא אלפים שלש מאות וששים לא בעינן כולי האי

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. NOW, UNTIL WHEN IS HE [THE FINDER] OBLIGED TO PROCLAIM IT? UNTIL HIS NEIGHBOURS MAY KNOW THEREOF: THIS IS R. MEIR'S VIEW. R. JUDAH MAINTAINED: [UNTIL] THREE FESTIVALS [HAVE PASSED], AND AN ADDITIONAL SEVEN DAYS AFTER THE LAST FESTIVAL, GIVING THREE DAYS FOR GOING HOME, THREE DAYS FOR RETURNING, AND ONE DAY FOR ANNOUNCING.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The three Festivals referred to are Passover, Weeks, and Tabernacles, when Jerusalem was visited by all Israel. This was the practice whilst the Temple stood and some time after; but v. Gemara on this. ');">¹⁵</span>

אמר ליה אביי והא כתיב (נחמיה ז, עב) וישבו הכהנים והלוים וגו' (עזרא ב, ע) והמשוררים והשוערים וכל ישראל בעריהם

<b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. A Tanna taught: The neighbours of the loss [are referred to in the Mishnah]. What is the meaning of 'the neighbours of the loss?' Shall we say, the neighbours of the loser? But if they know him [who lost it], let them go and return it to him! — But [it means] the neighbours of the vicinity wherein the lost article was found.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And R. Meir's reason is that it is probably theirs. ');">¹⁶</span>

וכיון דהכי הוא אפכא מסתברא מקדש ראשון דנפישי ישראל טובא דמצוות עלמא ומשתכחי שיירתא דאזלי בין ביממא ובין בליליא לא בעינן כולי האי וסגי בתלתא יומא מקדש שני דלא נפישי ישראל טובא ולא מצוות עלמא ולא משתכחי שיירתא דאזלי בין ביממא ובין בליליא בעינן כולי האי

R. JUDAH MAINTAINED etc. But the following contradicts this: On the third day of Marcheshvan<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The eighth month of the year, generally corresponding to mid-October-mid-November. ');">¹⁷</span>

רבא אמר לא שנא במקדש ראשון ולא שנא במקדש שני לא הטריחו רבנן באבדה יותר מדאי

we [commence to] pray for rain.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. P.B. p. 47. ');">¹⁸</span>

אמר רבינא שמע מינה כי מכריז גלימא מכריז דאי סלקא דעתך אבידתא מכריז בעינן למטפי ליה חד יומא לעיוני במאניה אלא שמע מינה גלימא מכריז שמע מינה

R. Gamaliel said: On the seventh, which is fifteen days after the Festival,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'The Festival' without any further designation, always means Tabernacles, which lasted from the 15th to the 22nd of Tishri inclusive, Tishri being the seventh month of the year. ');">¹⁹</span>

רבא אמר אפילו תימא אבידתא מכריז לא הטריחו רבנן באבידה יותר מדאי

so that the last [of the pilgrims] in Eretz Yisrael<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [MS.M.: 'The last of the Israelites (who had come from Babylon)]. ');">²⁰</span>

ת"ר רגל ראשון אומר רגל ראשון רגל שני אומר רגל שני רגל שלישי אומר סתם

can reach the river Euphrates!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Before the rains commence, This shews that a far longer period than three days is necessary to enable every Jew to reach his house. ');">²¹</span>

ואמאי לימא רגל שלישי דלא אתי לאחלופי בשני שני נמי

— Said R. Joseph: There is no difficulty. The latter refers to the days of the First Temple, the former [sc. our Mishnah] to the Second. During the First Temple, when the Israelites were extremely numerous, as it is written of them, Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings IV, 20. ');">²²</span> such a long period was required.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Owing to the communities being widely scattered.] ');">²³</span> But during the Second Temple, when the Israelites were not very numerous, as it is written of them, The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezra II, 64. ');">²⁴</span> such a long time was unnecessary. Thereupon Abaye protested to him: But is it not written, So the priests and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Neh. VII. 73. [So that they thus lived scattered 'in their (former) cities' despite their paucity in numbers.] ');">²⁵</span> and that being so, the logic is the reverse. During the first Temple, when the Israelites were very numerous, the people united [for travelling purposes], and caravan companies were to be found travelling day and night, so long a period was unnecessary, and three days were sufficient. But during the second Temple, when the Israelites were not very numerous, the people did not join together [for travelling], and caravan companies were not available for proceeding day and night, this long period was necessary! — Raba said: There is no difference between the first Temple and the Second: the Rabbis did not put one to unreasonable trouble in respect of a lost article. Rabina said: This [sc. our Mishnah] proves that when the proclamation was made, [the loss of] a garment was announced.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the actual article lost, the claimant having to submit identification marks. ');">²⁶</span> For should you think, a lost article was proclaimed [unspecified], another day should have been added to enable one to examine his belongings! Hence it follows that [the loss of] a garment was proclaimed. This proves it. Raba said: You may even say that a mere loss was proclaimed: the Rabbis did not put one to unreasonable trouble in respect of a lost article. Our Rabbis taught: At the first Festival [of proclamation] it was announced: 'This is the first Festival;' at the second Festival it was announced: 'This is the second Festival;' but at the third a simple announcement was made.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Without stating that it was the third time of proclamation. But the first and second had to be specified, so that the loser should know that he still had a third, and not be compelled to hurry back home. ');">²⁷</span> Why so; let him announce: 'It is the third Festival'? — So that it should not be mistaken for the second.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Through faulty hearing. ');">²⁸</span> But the second, too,