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Bava Batra 77aChapter 5 HaMokher et HaSefinah
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Read the full text in the readerBava Batra 77a
Bava Batra 77a. The full printed text of this folio side - 4 numbered segments, about 90 words - with the classic commentaries printed on the page.
Original text
אָמַר אַמֵּימָר, הִלְכְתָא: אוֹתִיּוֹת נִקְנוֹת בִּמְסִירָה, כְּרַבִּי. אָמַר לֵיהּ רַב אָשֵׁי לְאַמֵּימָר: גְּמָרָא, אוֹ סְבָרָא? אָמַר לֵיהּ: גְּמָרָא. אָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי: סְבָרָא נָמֵי הוּא – דְּאוֹתִיּוֹת מִילֵּי נִינְהוּ, וּמִילֵּי בְּמִילֵּי לָא מִיקַּנְיָן.
Ameimar says: The halakha is that letters are acquired by merely transferring the document to the buyer, in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. Rav Ashi said to Ameimar: Is your ruling based on a tradition or on your own logical reasoning? Ameimar said to him: It is based on a tradition. Rav Ashi said: It also stands to reason that the contents of a promissory note are acquired through transferring, as letters, i.e., the contents of a promissory note, are words, i.e., the buyer is acquiring the right to a monetary obligation, not a physical item, and words cannot be acquired through other words.
וְלָא?! וְהָאָמַר רַבָּה בַּר יִצְחָק אָמַר רַב: שְׁנֵי שְׁטָרוֹת הֵם – ״זְכוּ בְּשָׂדֶה לִפְלוֹנִי וְכִתְבוּ לוֹ אֶת הַשְּׁטָר״ – חוֹזֵר בַּשְּׁטָר, וְאֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר בַּשָּׂדֶה.
The Gemara asks: And is it true that documents cannot be acquired through words? But doesn’t Rabba bar Yitzḥak say that Rav says: There are two types of documents. The first type is where one says to others: Take possession of this field for so-and-so and write the document for him as proof of the sale of the field. In this case, he may renege with regard to the document, i.e., he may change his mind and tell them not to write it. But he may not renege with regard to the field, as the buyer has already acquired it.
״עַל מְנָת שֶׁתִּכְתְּבוּ לוֹ אֶת הַשְּׁטָר״ – חוֹזֵר בֵּין בַּשְּׁטָר בֵּין בַּשָּׂדֶה.
The second type of document is where he said: Take possession of this field for so-and-so on the condition that you write him a document. If the document has not yet been delivered he can retract his instruction both with regard to the document and with regard to the field, as the transfer of the field is dependent on the writing of the document.
וְרַב חִיָּיא בַּר אָבִין אָמַר רַב הוּנָא: שְׁלֹשָׁה שְׁטָרוֹת הֵן; תְּרֵי – הָא דַּאֲמַרַן, אִידַּךְ – אִם קָדַם מוֹכֵר וְכָתַב אֶת הַשְּׁטָר.
And Rav Ḥiyya bar Avin says that Rav Huna says: There are actually three types of documents. Two are those that we stated above, and the other is if the seller wrote the document in advance.