Bava Metzia 4b

בבא מציעא ד׳ ע״ב

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Topic

Testing whether הילך is exempt from a שבועה, using a ברייתא about an unnumbered שטר and a משנה about claims of vessels and land.

Overview

The גמרא continues its question of whether a defendant who says הֵילָךְ ('here you are') is exempt from a שבועה. It brings a ברייתא about a שטר that says only 'סלעים' or 'דינרין', which proves at least two. The lender claims five and the borrower admits three. רבי שמעון בן אלעזר says he swears as a מודה במקצת, and רבי עקיבא says he is like a מֵשִׁיב אֲבֵידָה and is פטור. The גמרא first tries to prove from רבי שמעון בן אלעזר that הילך פטור. It ends up saying that admitting two is פטור only because the שטר backs the borrower up, or because a שטר creates a lien on land and no oath is taken over land. A second version reads רבי עקיבא to prove the opposite, that הילך חייב. The גמרא shows by logic that רבי עקיבא exempts even someone who admits two, and that this still does not refute רבי חייא. Finally מר זוטרא tries to prove הילך חייב from a משנה about claims of vessels and land. The גמרא answers that the land case was chosen to teach זוקקין, an oath on movables pulling in the land, and that שבועות, not קידושין, is that rule's main home.

Opening lines

The steps (18)

1. StatementThe ברייתא: a שטר with no number written
2. ProofProof from the ברייתא that הילך is exempt
3. RejectionRejection: 'three' is only there to argue against רבי עקיבא
4. ChallengeChallenge: then it should have said 'even this one swears'
5. RejectionTwo is exempt, but only because the document backs him up
6. RejectionA second reason: a document creates a lien on land
7. ChallengeFrom רבי עקיבא's words: maybe 'here you are' is obligated
8. Rejection'Three' is said only to argue with רבי שמעון בן אלעזר
9. ProofLogic shows that admitting two must also be exempt
10. ConclusionConclusion: admitting two is also exempt
11. ChallengeThis seems to be a problem for רבי חייא
12. ResolutionThe שטר supports the borrower
13. ResolutionA land-backed debt carries no oath
14. Challengeמר זוטרא quotes a משנה about vessels and land
15. ChallengeReading the משנה: הילך is obligated
16. ResolutionVessels and vessels is also exempt; the land case teaches something else
17. ChallengeWhy teach this? The rule of binding is already taught elsewhere
18. ResolutionThis משנה is the rule's main home; the other only mentions it in passing