Gemara Clarity

Bava Metzia 20b

בבא מציעא כ׳ ע״ב

Learn Bava Metzia 20b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Bava Metzia 20b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Returning found court documents and loan notes, and רב's ruling that a סמפון found with the lender is invalid.

Overview

The amud opens with the end of רב הונא's worry that there may be two towns called שוירי, so a found גט should not be returned. רבה finds a משנה saying that any court document is returned. When רב עמרם objects that money cases cannot teach about איסור, רבה shows that the same משנה lists חליצה and מיאון documents. After a short story about the cracked beam in the study hall, the גמרא explains the words חפיסה and דלוסקמא. It then defines a roll and a bundle of documents, rejects a proof that a knot is a סימן, and works out what the finder announces. Next the גמרא explains why notes of one borrower from three lenders go back to the borrower, and why notes of three borrowers from one lender go back to the lender. Finally, רב rules that a סמפון found with the lender is invalid. The גמרא defends his ruling against several challenges, mostly by saying the סמפון was found among torn documents. Its answer to the last challenge continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

חָיְישִׁינַן לִשְׁנֵי שְׁוִירֵי.

We are concerned for two places called Sheviri.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב חִסְדָּא לְרַבָּה:

Rav Chisda said to Rabba:

פּוֹק עַיֵּין,

Go out and examine it,

דִּלְאוּרְתָּא בָּעֵי לַהּ רַב הוּנָא מִינָּךְ.

for in the evening Rav Huna will ask it of you.

The steps (42)

  1. Statementרב הונא worries there may be two towns named שוירי
  2. Statementרב חסדא tells רבה to look into the matter
  3. Proofרבה finds a משנה: court documents are returned
  4. Challengeרב עמרם: you can't learn an איסור case from a ממון case
  5. Resolutionרבה: the same משנה lists חליצה and מיאון documents
  6. StatementThe study hall beam cracks, and each sage blames the insult
  7. QuestionBack to the משנה: what is a חפיסה?
  8. ResponseA חפיסה is a small leather flask
  9. QuestionWhat is a דלוסקמא?
  10. ResponseA דלוסקמא is a bag used by old people
  11. StatementA ברייתא defines a roll and a bundle of documents
  12. ProofInference: a knot counts as an identifying sign
  13. RejectionRejection: רבי חייא's version says 'rolled,' not 'tied'
  14. ChallengeThen a bundle is the same as a roll
  15. ResolutionThe difference: chained in a row versus stacked and rolled
  16. QuestionWhat does the finder announce?
  17. ResponseFirst answer: he announces the number
  18. ChallengeThen why does the משנה say three?
  19. ResolutionLike רבינא: he announces only 'documents'
  20. Statementרבן שמעון בן גמליאל: one borrower from three lenders
  21. ProofWhy the notes go to the borrower
  22. ChallengeMaybe the three lenders took their notes to court together
  23. ResolutionThe notes are already ratified
  24. ChallengeMaybe they fell from the court scribe
  25. ResolutionPeople don't leave ratified notes with the scribe
  26. StatementThe next case: three borrowers from one lender
  27. ProofWhy the notes would not be with the borrowers
  28. ChallengeMaybe the borrowers went to one scribe together
  29. ResolutionThree different scribes wrote them
  30. ChallengeMaybe the borrowers went to have the notes ratified together
  31. ResolutionOnly the lender ratifies a loan note
  32. StatementThe משנה's rule about סמפונות
  33. Statementרב: a סמפון in the lender's hands is invalid
  34. StatementWhy even the lender's own handwriting does not help
  35. ChallengeChallenge to רב from the משנה
  36. ResolutionThe receipt was found among torn documents
  37. ChallengeChallenge from the case of two men named יוסף בן שמעון
  38. ResolutionSame answer: it was found among torn documents
  39. ChallengeChallenge from the orphans' oath
  40. ResolutionThe orphans' oath also refers to torn documents
  41. ChallengeA ברייתא says a receipt with witnesses is confirmed by its signers
  42. ResolutionRead it as confirmed from its signers