## Bava Batra Daf 162b

###### Bava Batra 162b:1
[Bava Batra 162b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/162b:1)

אִיבַּעְיָא לְהוּ: שִׁיטָה וּמֶחֱצָה, מַאי? תָּא שְׁמַע: הִרְחִיק אֶת הָעֵדִים שְׁנֵי שִׁיטִין – פָּסוּל. הָא שִׁיטָה וּמֶחֱצָה – כָּשֵׁר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**A dilemma was raised before** the Sages: If the space of **a line and a half** is left blank, **what** is the *halakha*? The Gemara seeks a solution to the dilemma. **Come** and **hear** what was stated in the *baraita* cited earlier: If one writing a document **distanced the witnesses’** signatures **two lines** from the text of the document, leaving two lines blank, the document is **not valid.** One can infer: **But** if there is a gap of only **a line and a half,** the document is **valid.**


###### Bava Batra 162b:2
[Bava Batra 162b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/162b:2)

אֵימָא סֵיפָא: שִׁיטָה אַחַת – כָּשֵׁר. שִׁיטָה אַחַת הוּא דְּכָשֵׁר, הָא שִׁיטָה וּמֶחֱצָה – פָּסוּל! אֶלָּא מֵהָא לֵיכָּא לְמִשְׁמַע מִינַּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara deflects this proof: **Say the last clause** of the *baraita*: If one writing a document distanced the witnesses’ signatures **one line** from the text of the document, the document is **valid.** One can infer: It is only when there is a gap of **one line that** the document **is valid, but** if there is a gap of **a line and a half** it is **not valid.** The Gemara states: **Rather, no** inference is **to be learned from this** *baraita*.


###### Bava Batra 162b:3
[Bava Batra 162b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/162b:3)

מַאי הָוֵי עֲלַהּ? תָּא שְׁמַע, דְּתַנְיָא: הִרְחִיק אֶת הָעֵדִים שְׁנֵי שִׁיטִין מִן הַכְּתָב – פָּסוּל. פָּחוֹת מִכָּאן – כָּשֵׁר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**What** halakhic conclusion **was** reached **about** this matter? **Come** and **hear** a proof from a different source, **as it is taught** in a *baraita* (*Tosefta* 11:10): If one writing a document **distanced the witnesses’** signatures **two lines from the text** of the document, the document is **not valid,** but if the gap is **less than that,** it is **valid.** It is clear from the *baraita* that any gap less than two full lines does not invalidate the document.


###### Bava Batra 162b:4
[Bava Batra 162b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/162b:4)

הָיוּ אַרְבָּעָה וַחֲמִשָּׁה עֵדִים חֲתוּמִין עַל הַשְּׁטָר, וְנִמְצָא אֶחָד מֵהֶן קָרוֹב אוֹ פָּסוּל – תִּתְקַיֵּים עֵדוּת בַּשְּׁאָר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The *baraita* continues: If **there were four or five witnesses signed on the document, and one of them was found** to be **a relative** of one of the parties in the document, **or** one of them was found to be otherwise **disqualified** from bearing witness, the **testimony** on the document may be **established via the other** witnesses.


###### Bava Batra 162b:5
[Bava Batra 162b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/162b:5)

מְסַיַּיע לֵיהּ לְחִזְקִיָּה, דְּאָמַר חִזְקִיָּה: מִלְּאָהוּ בִּקְרוֹבִים – כָּשֵׁר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara draws a further conclusion from this *baraita*: This **supports** the opinion of **Ḥizkiyya, as Ḥizkiyya says:** If one **filled in** the gap between the document and the signatures **with** signatures of **relatives,** the document is **valid.**


###### Bava Batra 162b:6
[Bava Batra 162b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/162b:6)

וְאַל תִּתְמַהּ, שֶׁהֲרֵי אֲוִיר סוּכָּה פּוֹסֵל בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה, סְכָךְ פָּסוּל פּוֹסֵל בְּאַרְבָּעָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Ḥizkiyya continued: **And do not be surprised** by this, **as** a similar situation is found with regard to the roofing of a *sukka*. Empty **space** in the roofing **of a *sukka* disqualifies** the *sukka* if the space extends for **three** handbreadths, whereas materials that are **unfit** to be used as **roofing disqualify** the *sukka* only if the unfit material extends for **four** handbreadths. If a *sukka* had a gap in its roofing of three handbreadths it is disqualified, but if the gap is filled in with unfit material the *sukka* is valid, since it is less than four handbreadths. This is comparable to the situation with a document: If there is a significant gap between the text and the signatures the document is not valid, but if the gap is filled in with signatures of those disqualified from bearing witness it is valid.


###### Bava Batra 162b:7
[Bava Batra 162b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/162b:7)

אִיבַּעְיָא לְהוּ: שְׁנֵי שִׁיטִין שֶׁאָמְרוּ –

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **A dilemma was raised before** the Sages: With regard to the gap of **two** blank **lines** between the text and the signatures, **which** the Sages **said** invalidates the document,