Gittin 21

Chapter 21

א בשמות מובהקין
1 with signatures which are obviously those of heathens.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In which case there is no danger that their witnessing to the Get would create a wrong impression as to their competence. ');"><sup>1</sup></span>
ב היכי דמי שמות מובהקין אמר רב פפא כגון הורמיז ואבודינא בר שיבתאי ובר קידרי ובאטי ונקים אונא
2 Can you give some examples of names which are obviously those of heathens? — Said R. Papa: For instance, Hannez and Abudina, Bar Shibthai, Bar Kidri, Batti and Nakim and Una. What then if the signatures are not obviously those of heathens? [The document, you will say,] is invalid? If so, instead of going on to say, 'THEY WERE ONLY PRONOUNCED TO BE INVALID WHEN DRAWN UP BY UNAUTHORISED PERSONS, R. Simeon should draw a distinction between [the signatures] themselves, and should continue thus: 'when I say [they are valid, I mean] when the names are obviously [heathen], but otherwise they are invalid!' — This in fact is what he does mean, viz.: 'When I say [they are valid I mean] when the names are obviously [heathen], but where they are not so, the document is on a par with one drawn up by unauthorised persons and is invalid.' Or if you like I can reply that the last clause [of the Mishnah] refers to monetary documents, and the meaning is as follows: 'Monetary documents were not pronounced to be invalid save when they were drawn up by unauthorised persons.' It has been taught: R. Eleazar said in the name of R. Jose: Thus did R. Simeon say to the Rabbis in Sidon: R. Akiba and the Sages were agreed in reference to all documents entered in heathen courts that even if those that signed them were heathens they are valid, including also writs of divorce and of emancipation. They differed only in the case where they were drawn up by unauthorised persons, R. Akiba declaring all such documents to be valid and the Sages declaring them all invalid, save only writs of divorce and of emancipation. Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel says that these too are valid only in places where Jews are not allowed to sign documents,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where there is no danger that the witnesses who signed the Get will be deemed competent to attest delivery. ');"><sup>2</sup></span>
ג אבל שמות שאין מובהקים מאי לא אי הכי אדתני סיפא לא הוזכרו אלא בזמן שנעשו בהדיוט לפלוג וליתני בדידה בד"א בשמות מובהקין אבל שמות שאין מובהקין לא
3 but where Jews are allowed to sign documents they are not valid. Why does not Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel declare them invalid even in places where Jews are allowed to sign, for fear lest they should come to be deemed valid even in places where they are not? — Names may be confused but not places. Rabina had a mind to declare valid a document which had been drawn up in a gathering<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., not an official body. ');"><sup>3</sup></span>
ד הכי נמי קאמר בד"א בשמות מובהקין אבל בשמות שאין מובהקין נעשה כמי שנעשו בהדיוט ופסולין
4 of Arameans. Said Rafram to him: 'We learnt [distinctly] "COURTS".'
ה ואיבעית אימא סיפא אתאן לגיטי ממון והכי קאמר לא הוזכרו גיטי ממון דפסולים אלא בזמן שנעשו בהדיוט
5 Raba said:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra 19b. ');"><sup>4</sup></span>
ו תניא אמר ר' אלעזר בר' יוסי כך אמר ר"ש לחכמים בצידן לא נחלקו ר"ע וחכמים על כל השטרות העולין בערכאות של עובדי כוכבי' שאע"פ שחותמיהן עובדי כוכבים כשרים ואפי' גיטי נשים ושחרורי עבדים לא נחלקו אלא בזמן שנעשו בהדיוט שר"ע מכשיר וחכמים פוסלים חוץ מגיטי נשים ושחרורי עבדים
6 A document drawn up in Persian which has been handed over in the presence of Jewish witnesses is sufficient warrant for recovering from property on which there is no previous lien. But the witnesses to the transfer cannot read it? — We speak of the case where they can. But we require writing which cannot be erased? — We speak of a case where the sheet has been dressed with gall-nut juice.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that the ink cannot be erased. ');"><sup>5</sup></span>
ז רשב"ג אומר אף אלו כשירין במקום שאין ישראל חותמין אבל במקום שישראל חותמין לא
7 But we require the rule [to be observed] that the gist of the document must be summarised in the last line?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., 'I have received from So-and-so all the sums mentioned above'. This was not the custom with Persian documents. ');"><sup>6</sup></span>
ח מקום שאין ישראל חותמין נמי ליגזור אטו מקום שישראל חותמין שמא בשמא מחליף אתרא באתרא לא מחליף
8 — We speak of a case where this has been done. If so, why not recover from mortgaged property also? — [The contents of a document of this kind] do not become generally known.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'it has no voice'. Since there are no Jewish witnesses to the deed to give publicity to the transaction, thus keeping off prospective buyers from the property; v. infra 19b. And therefore the creditor from the first never expected to recover from such property. ');"><sup>7</sup></span>
ט רבינא סבר לאכשורי בכנופיאתה דארמאי א"ל רפרם ערכאות תנן
9 Resh Lakish put the following question to R. Johanan:
י אמר רבא האי שטרא פרסאה דמסריה ניהליה באפי סהדי ישראל מגבינן ביה מבני חרי
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יא והא לא ידעי למיקרא בדידעי
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יב והא בעינא כתב שאינו יכול לזייף וליכא בדאפיצן והא בעינא צריך שיחזיר מענינו של שטר בשיטה אחרונה וליכא בדמהדר
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יג א"ה ממשעבדי נמי לית ליה קלא
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יד בעא מיניה ריש לקיש מר' יוחנן
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