1that it was stated: With regard to a son who sold some of his father’s property during his father’s lifetime, and the son died, the son’s son repossesses the property from the buyers. And this is a difficult halakha with regard to monetary law, as the buyers can say to the son’s son: Does your father sell the property to us and you repossess it?
2The Gemara asks: And what is the difficulty? Perhaps he can say: I come to repossess the property on the basis of the right of my father’s father to the property, as I inherit directly from him. Know that this is so, as it is written: “In the place of your fathers shall be your sons; you shall make them into princes throughout the land” (Psalms 45:17). The phrase “In the place of your fathers shall be your sons” indicates that a grandson inherits from his grandfather directly, and he does not inherit through his father.
3Rather, if there is a halakha with regard to monetary law that poses a difficulty, this is the difficult halakha : With regard to a firstborn son who sold, during his father’s lifetime, the portion of the firstborn that he was set to inherit, and he died in his father’s lifetime, his son can repossess the portion of the firstborn from the buyers. And this is a difficult halakha with regard to monetary law, as his father sells the property and he repossesses it. And if you would say: Here too, he says: I come to repossess the property on the basis of the right of my father’s father to the property, this is not a valid claim, as, if he comes to repossess the property on the basis of the right of his father’s father, what is the relevance of the portion of the firstborn, since he is not his grandfather’s firstborn?
4The Gemara rejects this: And what is the difficulty? Perhaps he can say: I come to repossess the property on the basis of the right of my father’s father to the property, and yet I receive the portion of the firstborn, as I stand in my father’s stead.
5Rather, if there is a halakha with regard to monetary law that poses a difficulty, this is the difficult halakha : One knew testimony supporting another, and his testimony was written in a document before he became a robber, and then he became a robber and was disqualified from bearing witness. In this case, he may not testify as to the legitimacy of his handwriting. But others may testify that it is his handwriting on the document. The difficulty is that now that his testimony is not deemed credible, although he knows of the matter with certainty, is it logical that others are deemed credible and his signature is ratified according to their testimony? And this is a difficult halakha with regard to monetary law.
6The Gemara rejects this: What is the difficulty? Perhaps this halakha is referring to a case where the signature was already presumed by the court to be his handwriting before he was disqualified, and the witnesses testify merely that the document was already ratified.
7Rather, if there is a halakha with regard to monetary law that poses a difficulty, this is the difficult halakha : One knew testimony supporting another concerning the latter’s ownership of a plot of land, and his testimony was written in a document before the land came into the witness’s possession as an inheritance, which caused the witness to become an interested party. In this case, the witness may not ratify his handwriting. But others may ratify his handwriting. The Gemara rejects this: And what is the difficulty? Perhaps here too, the halakha is referring to a case where the signature was already presumed by the court to be his handwriting before he became an interested party, and the witnesses testify merely that the document was already ratified.
8Rather, if there is a halakha with regard to monetary law that poses a difficulty, this is the difficult halakha : One knew testimony with regard to another, and his testimony was written in a document before he became that person’s son-in-law, and then he became his son-in-law. In this case, the son-in-law may not testify as to his handwriting, since one cannot bear witness for his relative. But others may testify that it is his handwriting. Is it logical that his testimony is not deemed credible, yet others are deemed credible and may ratify his signature?
9And if you would say: Here too, the halakha is referring to a case where the signature was already presumed by the court to be his handwriting before he became a relative, this is difficult. But doesn’t Rav Yosef bar Minyumi say that Rav Naḥman says: Others may testify as to the validity of his handwriting even though the signature was not previously presumed by the court to be his handwriting?
10The Gemara rejects this: And what is the difficulty? Perhaps it is the King’s edict, i.e., a divine decree, that the testimony of a son-in-law is not deemed credible, and yet the testimony of others is deemed credible, and the reason he is disqualified is not that he is suspected of lying. This must be so, as if you do not say so, why are Moses and Aaron disqualified from bearing witness for their father-in-law? Could this be because their testimony is not deemed credible? Rather, it is the King’s edict that even Moses and Aaron shall not bear witness for their relatives. Here too, it is the King’s edict that a son-in-law shall not testify as to the validity of his handwriting for his father-in-law.
11Rather, the difficulty is actually as we said initially, with regard to the halakha that if a son sold some of his father’s property and then died, the son’s son repossesses the property from the buyers. And with regard to the verse that posed a difficulty for you: “In the place of your fathers shall be your sons” (Psalms 45:17), which apparently indicates that a grandson inherits from his grandfather directly, this is not difficult. That verse is written as a blessing. The verse does not indicate the halakhic status of the grandson’s inheritance, and the reason he can repossess the property is still difficult.
12The Gemara asks: But can you say that the verse is written as a blessing,