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Bava Basra 70b

בבא בתרא ע׳ ע״ב

Bava Batra 70b

Learn Bava Basra 70b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

A שומר's claim that he returned a פקדון despite the owner's שטר, and the dispute and final ruling about a שטר כיס presented against יתומים

Overview

This amud finishes a back-and-forth between רב עמרם and רב חסדא about a שומר who says he returned a פקדון while the owner still holds the שטר. רב חסדא explains that the שומר is believed, but only with a שבועה. The גמרא then suggests their argument matches an older dispute about a שטר כיס, a business-venture document, presented against יתומים. In that dispute דייני גולה say the investor swears and collects everything, and דייני ארץ ישראל say he swears and collects half. Both courts accept the rule of נהרדעי that an עיסקא is half מלוה and half פקדון. The גמרא rejects the match. Everyone agrees with רב חסדא, and the courts only argue whether a father who had paid would surely have told his children, or whether death may have stopped him. Two rulings of רב הונא בר אבין are then shown to fit together for that same reason. Finally, רבא rules that the investor collects half, מר זוטרא rules like דייני גולה, and רבינא challenges him. מר זוטרא's answer begins here and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

סוֹף סוֹף,

Ultimately,

כִּי אָמַר לֵיהּ ״נֶאֶנְסוּ״,

when he says to him, 'They were taken by force,'

לָאו שְׁבוּעָה בָּעֵי?

doesn't he need an oath?

הָכָא נָמֵי,

Here too,

The steps (13)

  1. ChallengeEven a claim of forced loss needs an oath
  2. ResolutionBelieved means believed with an oath
  3. QuestionSuggesting the argument matches a dispute of תנאים
  4. StatementEveryone agrees with נהרדעי: half loan, half deposit
  5. ProofLinking the dispute to 'What is your document doing in my hand?'
  6. RejectionEveryone agrees with רב חסדא; the real argument is whether the father would have told his children
  7. Statementרב הונא בר אבין sends two rulings
  8. ChallengeDon't the two rulings contradict each other?
  9. ResolutionThe orphans' case is different: the father would have told them
  10. Statementרבא rules: swear and collect half
  11. Statementמר זוטרא rules like דייני גולה
  12. Challengeרבינא challenges מר זוטרא from רבא's ruling
  13. Resolutionמר זוטרא begins his answer