Bava Basra 171a

בבא בתרא קע״א ע״א

Bava Batra 171a

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Topic

Rewriting documents and documents with problem dates: replacement שטרות, a half-paid loan, and a שטר dated on שבת or יום כיפור

Overview

The גמרא asks whether witnesses who already wrote a שטר can write a replacement. A בית דין has the power to take away money, but witnesses seem to finish their job after one document. רב says witnesses may write even ten documents for one field. רב יוסף and רבה answer that רב meant documents that cannot take money from buyers: a gift document, or a document with no אחריות. The גמרא then quotes a full ברייתא about a loan that was half paid back. רבי יהודה says to write a new שטר dated from the first date, while רבי יוסי says to keep the old שטר and write a שובר, for two reasons. A second ברייתא records another argument between them: רבי יהודה says a שטר dated on שבת or יום כיפור is a valid שטר מאוחר, and רבי יוסי says it is invalid. רבי יוסי explains away his own ruling in ציפורי, and רבי פדת begins to explain the difference by describing a case where everyone agrees such a שטר is valid.

Opening lines

The steps (13)

1. ChallengeA court can rewrite a document, but can witnesses?
2. ChallengeChallenge: רב says witnesses may write ten documents for one field
3. Resolutionרב יוסף: רב was talking about a gift document
4. Resolutionרבה: רב was talking about a document with no guarantee
5. StatementThe full ברייתא about a half-paid loan
6. StatementTwo reasons for writing a receipt
7. ChallengeBut רבי יהודה also keeps the first date
8. Resolutionרבי יוסי covers both ways of reading רבי יהודה
9. StatementA שטר dated on שבת or יום כיפור
10. Challengeרבי יהודה: you once ruled it valid in ציפורי
11. Resolutionרבי יוסי: that case was a special one
12. ChallengeWasn't רבי יהודה talking about the same case?
13. Resolutionרבי פדת: when we only find out about the date by checking, everyone agrees