Shevuot 81

Chapter 81

א ומאן דמתני לה אסיפא הכא הוא דאיכא דררא דממונא אבל התם דליכא דררא דממונא לא

1 but he who applies it to the second clause [may say] here it is applicable because there is money at stake;1 but there where there is no money at stake,2

ב מאי איכא בין שבועה דאורייתא לשבועה דרבנן איכא בינייהו מיפך שבועה בדאורייתא לא מפכינן שבועה בדרבנן מפכינן

2 it is not applicable. What is the difference between an oath imposed by the Torah3

ג ולמר בר רב אשי דאמר בדאורייתא נמי מפכינן שבועה מאי איכא בין דאורייתא לדרבנן איכא בינייהו מיחת לנכסיה בדאורייתא נחתינן לנכסיה בדרבנן לא נחתינן לנכסיה

3 and an oath imposed by the Rabbis?4 - There is this difference; transference of the oath: in the case of an oath imposed by the Torah we do not transfer the oath; but in the case of an oath imposed by the Rabbis we transfer the oath.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The rule is that the debtor takes the oath, and is free. If he says to the claimant, 'You take the oath' (being satisfied to pay, if he really takes ,menc vsun the oath) , the Court do not permit this transference of the oath from debtor to creditor in the case of a Torah oath () , but permit it kfv rpuf in the case of a Rabbinic oath ( , where a consuetudinary oath is imposed) .');">5

ד ולרבי יוסי דאמר בדרבנן נמי נחתינן לנכסי'

4 And according to Mar son of R'Ashi who holds that in the case of a Torah oath we also transfer the oath, what is the difference between a Torah oath and a Rabbinic oath? - There is this difference: going down to his property; in the case of a Torah oath we go down to his property;6 in the case of a Rabbinic oath we do not go down to his property.

ה דתנן מציאת חש"ו יש בהם גזל מפני דרכי שלום ר' יוסי אומר גזל גמור ואמר רב חסדא גזל גמור מדבריהם למאי נפקא מינה להוציאו בדיינין מאי איכא בין דאורייתא לדרבנן

5 And according to R'Jose who holds that in the case of a Rabbinic [law] we also go down to his property? For we learnt: The finding of a deaf-mute, imbecile, or minor, is subject to the law of theft, in the interests of peace.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If they find anything, it belongs to them, though, because of their disabilities, they have no legal right of possession. Yet, in the interests of peace, no one is permitted to deprive them of what they find; and he who does is guilty of theft.');">7

ו איכא בינייהו שכנגדו חשוד על השבועה בדאורייתא שכנגדו חשוד על השבועה אפכינן ליה שבועה ושמו אאידך בדרבנן תקנתא היא ותקנתא לתקנתא לא עבדינן

6 R'Jose says: Real theft.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not only in the interests of social stability do we empower the deaf-mute, imbecile, and minor to retain what they find; it is really lawfully theirs; and he who extracts it from them is guilty of real theft.');">8 And R'Hisda said: [He means] real theft according to their enactment.9

ז ולרבנן דפליגי עליה דרבי יוסי דאמרו בדרבנן לא נחתינן לנכסיה מאי עבדינן ליה משמתינן ליה

7 What is the difference?10 Its extraction by the Court.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Jose makes the proprietary rights of the deaf-mute stronger (though only Rabbinically, and not Biblically) , and if anyone steals from him that which he has found, the Court extracts it from the thief; though the thief has not transgressed the Biblical law (Thou shalt not steal) , nor is he disqualified from being a witness (v. Git. 61a, Rashi) . According to the other Rabbis, if the thief stole from the deaf-mute the thing that he found, the Court does not interfere,');">11

ח אמר ליה רבינא לרב אשי האי נקטיה בכובסיה דנשבקיה לגלימיה הוא אלא מאי עבדינן ליה אמר ליה משמתינן ליה עד דמטי זמן נגדיה ונגדינן ליה ושבקינן ליה

8 [Now, according to R'Jose] what is the difference between a Torah oath and a Rabbinic oath?12 - There is a difference in the case where the opponent is suspected of swearing falsely: in the case of a Torah oath, where the opponent is suspected of swearing falsely, we transfer the oath to the other one;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the debtor is suspected of swearing falsely (in the case of a claim of which he admits a portion) the creditor is given the oath, and obtains his money. kfv rpuf');">13

ט אמר רב פפא האי מאן דאפיק שטרא על חבריה ואמר ליה שטרא פרוע הוא אמרינן ליה לאו כל כמינך זיל שלים ואם אמר לשתבע לי אמרינן ליה אשתבע ליה

9 but in the case of a Rabbinic oath, it is an enactment and we do not institute one enactment on top of another enactment.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To impose an oath on a is itself a Rabbinic ordinance; and to transfer the oath from debtor to creditor is also a Rabbinic ordinance; we do not impose both; if the debtor is suspect and cannot take the oath, the creditor is not permitted to take the oath, but loses his money.');">14 And according to the Rabbis who disagree with R'Jose, holding that in the case of a Rabbinic [law] We do not go down to his property,15

י א"ל רב אחא בריה דרבא לרב אשי ומה בין זה לפוגם את שטרו

10 what do we do to him? We excommunicate him.

יא א"ל התם אע"ג דלא טעין איהו טענינן ליה אנן הכא אמרינן ליה זיל שלים ליה ואי טעין ואמר אשתבע לי אמרינן ליה זיל אשתבע ליה ואי צורבא מרבנן הוא לא משבעינן ליה

11 - Said Rabina to R'Ashi: This is holding him by his testicles till he gives up his cloak!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is actually force, the same as distraint, if you say that we excommunicate him till he restores the theft or, in the case of a debtor, pays the debt; then what is the difference between the Rabbis and R. Jose?');">16 - Well then what do We do to him?17

יב א"ל רב יימר לרב אשי צורבא מרבנן משלח גלימא דאינשי אלא לא מזדקקינן ליה לדיניה:

12 - He [Rabina]18 said to him: We excommunicate him until the time comes for his punishment with lashes, and we lash him, and leave him.19

יג מנה לי בידך כו': אמר רב יהודה אמר רב אסי המלוה את חבירו בעדים צריך לפורעו בעדים כי אמריתה קמיה דשמואל אמר לי יכול לומר לו פרעתיך בפני פלוני ופלוני והלכו להם למדה"י

13 R'Papa said: If one produces a document of indebtedness against his neighbour, and the other says to him, 'It is a paid document, we say to him, 'It is not at all in your power [to question the validity of the document]; go and pay him.' And if he says, 'Let him swear to me,'20

יד תנן מנה לי בידך אמר לו הן למחר אמר לו תנהו לי נתתיו לך פטור והא הכא כיון דתבעיה בעדים כמאן דאוזפיה בעדים דמי וקתני פטור

14 we say to him, 'Swear to him.' Said R'Aha B'Raba to R'Ashi: [If so]21 what is the difference between this and one who impairs the validity of his document?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If a creditor, producing a document for his claim, admits having already received some payment on account, he impairs the trustworthiness of his document, for the amount stated on the document is now not true (on his own admission) , and he may have received more than he admits; he therefore cannot obtain the rest of his claim without taking an oath. But in R. Papa's example he does not admit partial repayment, and therefore has not impaired the validity of the document he produces; why then should he be asked to take an oath?');">22 - He said to him: There,23 even if the debtor does not demand [an oath], we demand it for him; but here, we say to him, 'Go and pay him'; but if he demands and says, 'Swear to me,' we say to the creditor, 'Go and swear to him.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For though the document is valid, it is possible the debtor paid him, and the creditor omitted to restore the document to the debtor for destruction; therefore he must swear, if the debtor demands it; v. Tosaf.');">24 But if he is a Rabbinic scholar, we do not make him swear. Said R'Yemar to R'Ashi: A Rabbinic scholar may strip men of their cloaks?25 But26 we do not attend to his case.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' We do not make him swear, because it would appear that we suspect him of attempting to claim money on a paid document; but he cannot receive his money, for the debtor demands an oath. But what is the difference between a scholar and an ordinary person? An ordinary person, too, need not swear, and loses his money. A scholar, if he has obtained his money by force from the debtor, is allowed to retain it; but an t,phrj tkupkp ordinary person is compelled by the court to return it; v. Asheri and a.l.');">27 'YOU HAVE OF MINE IN YOUR POSSESSION ONE HUNDRED DENARII,' etc. R'Judah said: R'Assi said; If one lends to his neighbour before witnesses, he must repay him before witnesses. When I said this before Samuel, he said to me: He may say to him: 'I paid you before So-and-so and So-and-so, and they went to a country beyond the seas.'28 We learnt: 'YOU HAVE OF MINE IN YOUR POSSESSION A HUNDRED DENARII'; HE SAID TO HIM [BEFORE WITNESSES]: 'YES'. ON THE MORROW HE SAID TO HIM: 'GIVE THEM TO ME'; [AND THE OTHER REPLIED:] 'I HAVE GIVEN THEM TO YOU,' HE IS EXEMPT. Now here, since he claimed from him before witnesses,29 it is as if he le him before witnesses, and yet it states he is exempt:

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