Gemara Clarity

Bava Metzia 28a

בבא מציעא כ״ח ע״א

Learn Bava Metzia 28a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Bava Metzia 28a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Proving ownership of lost objects with סימנין and witnesses, and how long and in what words a finder must announce his find.

Overview

The גמרא first knocks down the idea that we return lost objects by סימנין only because owners are happy with that system, since found loan documents are returned even though the לוה is hurt. רבא then proves from a פסוק that סימנין are דאורייתא. He goes on to rule on competing claims: marks against marks, marks against witnesses, weaving witnesses against losing witnesses, and stronger marks against weaker ones. He applies the same test to a found גט that both husband and wife describe. A new משנה then asks how long a finder must announce: רבי מאיר says until the neighbors know, and רבי יהודה says three רגלים plus seven days. The גמרא explains that 'neighbors' means the neighbors of the place where the item was found. It also asks why רבי יהודה allows only three days of travel when another משנה implies fifteen, and gives three answers. Finally, a ברייתא teaches how the finder numbers the רגלים in his announcement, and the גמרא begins to question that wording.

Opening lines

אֶלָּא הָא דִּתְנַן:

But that which we learned in the משנה:

מָצָא תַּכְרִיךְ שֶׁל שְׁטָרוֹת

If one found a roll of documents

אוֹ אֲגוּדָּה שֶׁל שְׁטָרוֹת –

or a bundle of documents

הֲרֵי זֶה יַחְזִיר,

he must return it,

The steps (33)

  1. ChallengeThe bundle of documents disproves the 'owners agree' theory
  2. Proofרבא's proof from the פסוק that marks come from the Torah
  3. ConclusionThe examining must be done by marks
  4. Statementרבא opens a new ruling with 'if you want to say'
  5. ChallengeWhy does רבא sound unsure?
  6. ResolutionHis proof can be pushed aside
  7. Statementרבא's rulings on competing claims
  8. StatementWitnesses to Weaving Against Witnesses to Losing
  9. StatementLength Measurement Beats Width Measurement
  10. StatementSeparate Length and Width Beat a Combined Measure
  11. StatementWeight Beats Length and Width
  12. StatementHusband and wife both give signs of a found גט
  13. QuestionWhich sign of the גט makes it hers?
  14. StatementBoth give signs of the string around the גט
  15. QuestionWhich sign of the string makes it hers?
  16. StatementBoth say the גט was kept in a case
  17. StatementNew משנה: how long must the finder announce?
  18. StatementA ברייתא says 'neighbors of the lost item'
  19. QuestionWhose neighbors are meant?
  20. ResponseThe neighbors of the place where it was found
  21. StatementTurning to רבי יהודה's view
  22. ChallengeA contradiction: the trip home takes fifteen days
  23. ResolutionFirst מקדש versus second מקדש
  24. ResolutionWhy population size changes the travel time
  25. Challengeאביי shows the Jews still lived in all their cities
  26. Resolutionאביי flips the two periods around
  27. ResolutionThe חכמים did not overburden the finder
  28. Statementרבינא proves the finder names the object he found
  29. Rejectionרבא rejects רבינא's proof
  30. StatementHow the finder numbers the רגלים in his announcement
  31. ChallengeWhy not say 'third רגל'?
  32. Resolution'Third' could be confused with 'second'
  33. ChallengeThen why say 'second' at all?