Bava Metzia 13b

בבא מציעא י״ג ע״ב

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Topic

Returning a found שטר חוב without אחריות נכסים: רבי אלעזר and רבי יוחנן explain the משנה's מחלוקת, and a ברייתא refutes רבי אלעזר.

Overview

The amud first finishes an earlier line about a borrower who says the loan never happened. Then two אמוראים explain the משנה's argument between רבי מאיר and the רבנן about returning a found loan document that has no property guarantee. רבי אלעזר says they argue when the borrower denies the debt. רבי יוחנן says they argue when the borrower admits it. Each one also explains how much such a document can collect in each opinion. The גמרא then quotes a ברייתא that supports רבי יוחנן. It shows that, for רבי מאיר, a note without a guarantee still collects from free property. It also shows that everyone worries about קנוניא, since a guaranteed note is not returned even when both sides agree. Finally, the גמרא asks why this counts as only one refutation of רבי אלעזר when two of his claims were disproved.

Opening lines

The steps (9)

1. ResponseFinishing the earlier point: the borrower says the loan never happened
2. Statementרבי אלעזר: they argue when the borrower denies the debt
3. Statementרבי יוחנן: they argue when the borrower admits the debt
4. ProofA ברייתא supports רבי יוחנן and disproves רבי אלעזר and שמואל
5. ProofThe ברייתא's rulings on found loan documents
6. Proofרבי מאיר's reason and the view of the חכמים
7. ChallengeAnnouncing the refutation and restating רבי אלעזר's view
8. ConclusionThe ברייתא contradicts both of רבי אלעזר's claims
9. ChallengeAren't two claims refuted, not one?