Gittin 71

דמדרינן ליה ברבים הניחא למאן דאמר נדר שהודר ברבים אין לו הפרה אלא למאן דאמר יש לו הפרה מאי איכא למימר

— We assume that the vow is taken by him in the presence of a company. This is a valid reason for one who holds that a vow which has been taken in the presence of a company cannot be annulled. But what are we to say to one who holds that it can be annulled? — We must say that the vow is imposed on the authority<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'by the knowledge' or 'will of'; i.e., they say to him, 'We administer this vow to you on our responsibility.' ');">¹</span>

דמדרינן ליה על דעת רבים דאמר אמימר הלכתא אפילו למאן דאמר נדר שהודר ברבים יש לו הפרה על דעת רבים אין לו הפרה

of the company. For Amemar has said: The law is that even according to those who hold that a vow made in the presence of a company cannot be annulled, one made on the authority of a company cannot be annulled. This, however, is the case only with a vow relating to some optional action, but if it interferes with a religious duty, it can be annulled. A case in point is that of the teacher of children whom R. Aha bound by a vow on the authority of a company [to give up teaching], because he maltreated the children, but Rabina reinstated him because no other teacher could be found as thorough as he was.

והני מילי לדבר הרשות אבל לדבר מצוה יש לו הפרה כי ההוא מקרי דרדקי דאדריה רב אחא על דעת רבים דהוה פשע בינוקי ואהדריה רבינא דלא אישתכח דדייק כוותיה:

WITNESSES SIGN A GET TO PREVENT ABUSES. [Is this rule only] to prevent abuses?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And so of Rabbinical sanction only. ');">²</span>

והעדים חותמין על הגט מפני תיקון העולם: מפני תיקון העולם דאורייתא הוא דכתיב (ירמיהו לב, מד) וכתוב בספר וחתום

It derives from the Scripture, does it not, since it is written, And subscribe the deeds and seal them?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jer. XXXII, 44. ');">³</span>

אמר רבה לא צריכא לרבי אלעזר דאמר עדי מסירה כרתי תקינו רבנן עדי חתימה מפני תיקון העולם דזמנין דמייתי סהדי אי נמי זימנין דאזלי למדינת הים

— Rabbah said: [All the same this reason] is necessary on the view of R. Eleazar, who said that the witnesses to delivery make [the Get] effective. The Rabbis nevertheless ordained that there should be witnesses to sign [as well], to prevent abuses, since sometimes the witnesses [to delivery] may die or go abroad. R. Joseph said: You may even say [that this reason is necessary] on the view of R. Meir,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the witnesses who sign the Get make it effective. ');">⁴</span>

רב יוסף אמר אפי' תימא לר' מאיר התקינו שיהא עדים מפרשין שמותיהן בגיטין מפני תיקון העולם

[and what] they ordained was that the witnesses should subscribe their names in full,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., their name and that of their father, e.g., Reuben ben Jacob, and not merely their own name, which would be sufficient from the point of view of the Torah. [V. Strashun and cf. following note]. ');">⁵</span>

כדתניא בראשונה היה כותב אני פלוני חתמתי עד אם כתב ידו יוצא ממקום אחר כשר ואם לאו פסול

to prevent abuses, as it has been taught: At first the witness used simply to write, 'I, So-and-so,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Without specifying his name (Rashi). The term 'So-and-so' however, hardly bears this interpretation. Tosef. Git, VII omits 'So-and-so' and reads simply 'I am witness'; cf. previous note]. ');">⁶</span>

אמר רבן גמליאל תקנה גדולה התקינו שיהיו מפרשין שמותיהן בגיטין מפני תיקון העולם

subscribe as witness. 'If then his writing could be found on other documents,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Through which his identity could be established. ');">⁷</span>

ובסימנא לא והא רב צייר כורא ורבי חנינא צייר חרותא רב חסדא סמך ורב הושעיא עין רבה בר רב הונא צייר מכותא שאני רבנן דבקיאין סימנייהו

the Get was valid, but if not, it was invalid. Said Rabban Gamaliel: A most important regulation was laid down [by the Rabbis], that the witnesses should write their names in full in a Get, to prevent abuses.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because now it would be possible to find witnesses who recognised their signatures. ');">⁸</span>

מעיקרא במאי אפקעינהו בדיסקי:

But is not a mark enough? Did not Rab [sign by] drawing a fish and R. Hanina by drawing a palm-branch, R. Hisda with a Samek,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' One letter of his Hebrew name. ');">⁹</span>

הלל התקין פרוסבול וכו': תנן התם פרוסבול אינו משמט זה אחד מן הדברים שהתקין הלל הזקן שראה את העם שנמנעו מלהלוות זה את זה ועברו על מה שכתוב בתורה (דברים טו, ט) השמר לך פן יהיה דבר עם לבבך בליעל וגו' עמד והתקין פרוסבול

R. Hoshaia with an Ayin, and Rabbah son of R. Huna by drawing a sail?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Al. 'boat'; al. 'mast'. ');">¹⁰</span>

וזה הוא גופו של פרוסבול מוסרני לכם פלוני דיינין שבמקום פלוני שכל חוב שיש לי אצל פלוני שאגבנו כל זמן שארצה והדיינים חותמים למטה או העדים

— The Rabbis are different, because their marks are well known. How did they make these signs known to begin with? — On letters.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [G] 'discs', 'tablets', 'official letters'. ');">¹¹</span>

ומי איכא מידי דמדאורייתא משמטא שביעית והתקין הלל דלא משמטא אמר אביי בשביעית בזמן הזה ורבי היא

HILLEL INSTITUTED THE <i>PROSBUL</i>. We have learnt elsewhere: A <i>prosbul</i> prevents the remission of debts [in the Sabbatical year]. This is one of the regulations made by Hillel the Elder. For he saw that people were unwilling to lend money to one another and disregarded the precept laid down in the Torah, Beware that there he not a base thought in thine heart saying, etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XV, 9. The verse proceeds, The seventh year is at hand, and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother and give him nought. ');">¹²</span>

דתניא רבי אומר (דברים טו, ב) וזה דבר השמיטה שמוט בשתי שמיטות הכתוב מדבר אחת שמיטת קרקע ואחת שמיטת כספים בזמן שאתה משמט קרקע אתה משמט כספים בזמן שאי אתה משמט קרקע אי אתה משמט כספים

He therefore decided to institute the <i>prosbul</i>. The text of the <i>prosbul</i> is as follows: 'I hand over to you, So-and-so, the judges in such-and-such a place, [my bonds], so that I may be able to recover any money owing to me from So-and-so at any time I shall desire';<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even after the Sabbatical year. ');">¹³</span> and the <i>prosbul</i> was to be signed by the judges or witnesses.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sheb. x, 3. [The principle underlying the prosbul is founded on the passage 'that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release' (Deut. XV, 2). From this there had been derived the law that the operation of the year of release did not affect debts of which the bonds had been delivered to the Court before the intervention of the year of release (v. Sifre. a.l. and infra p. 38), such debts being regarded as virtually exacted' and hence not coming under the prohibition 'he shall not exact'. By a slight extension of this precedents the prosbul was instituted, which in effect amounted to entrusting the Court with the collection of the debt. Without actually handing over the bond to the court, as required by the existing law, the creditor could secure his debt against forfeiture by appearing in person before the Beth din and making the prescribed declaration. For a fuller examination of the nature and legal effect of the prosbul as well as a survey of the proposed derivations of the term, v. Blau, L. Prosbul im Lichte der Griechischen Papyri und der Rechtsgeschichte.] ');">¹⁴</span> But is it possible that where according to the Torah the seventh year releases Hillel should ordain that it should not release? — Abaye said: He was dealing with the Sabbatical year in our time,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After the destruction of the first Temple. ');">¹⁵</span> and he went on the principle laid down by Rabbi, as it has been taught: Rabbi says: [It is written], Now this is the matter of the release; [every creditor] shall release.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XV, 2. ');">¹⁶</span> The text indicates here two kinds of release,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By the juxtaposition of the two words, [H] ('release') and [H] ('shall release'). ');">¹⁷</span> one the release of land<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At the Jubilee. V. Lev. XXV, 13. ');">¹⁸</span> and the other the release of money. When the release of land is in operation the release of money is to be operative, and when the release of land is not operative the release of money is not to be operative.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Jubilee was not operative in the time of the Second Temple because the land was not fully occupied by Israel. But v. Tosaf. s.v. [H]. ');">¹⁹</span>