## Bava Batra Daf 168b

###### Bava Batra 168b:1
[Bava Batra 168b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/168b:1)

וּפְלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי עֵדָיו״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**and so-and-so and so-and-so were its witnesses.** The ratification document is signed, and it may be used as a replacement for the erased document.


###### Bava Batra 168b:2
[Bava Batra 168b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/168b:2)

**גְּמָ׳** תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: אֵיזֶהוּ קִיּוּמוֹ? ״בְּמוֹתַב תְּלָתָא הֲוֵינָא אָנוּ פְּלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי, הוֹצִיא פְּלוֹנִי בֶּן פְּלוֹנִי שְׁטָר מָחוּק לְפָנֵינוּ בְּיוֹם פְּלוֹנִי, וּפְלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי עֵדָיו״. וְאִם כָּתוּב בּוֹ: ״הוּזְקַקְנוּ לְעֵדוּתָן שֶׁל עֵדִים, וְנִמְצֵאת עֵדוּתָן מְכֻוֶּונֶת״ – גּוֹבֶה, וְאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְהָבִיא רְאָיָה. וְאִם לָאו, צָרִיךְ לְהָבִיא רְאָיָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**GEMARA:** **The Sages taught** (*Tosefta*, *Bava Metzia* 1:16): **What is** the text of **the ratification** document **of** an erased document? The court writes as follows: **We, so-and-so and so-and-so and so-and-so, were sitting as three** judges, and **so-and-so, son of so-and-so, produced an erased document before us,** which was written **on such and such a date, and so-and-so and so-and-so** were **its witnesses. And if it is written in** this ratification document also: **We engaged in** the investigation of **the testimony of the witnesses and their testimony has been found** to be **congruent,** the creditor can **collect** his debt on the basis of this ratification document, **and he does not need to bring** further **proof. But if** this formula is **not** written, the creditor **needs to bring** further **proof** of the loan in order to collect it.


###### Bava Batra 168b:3
[Bava Batra 168b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/168b:3)

נִקְרַע – פָּסוּל, נִתְקָרַע – כָּשֵׁר. נִמְחַק אוֹ נִטַּשְׁטֵשׁ – אִם רִישּׁוּמוֹ נִיכָּר, כָּשֵׁר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The *baraita* continues with its discussion of damaged documents: If a promissory note was **torn** intentionally it is **not valid,** but if it **became torn** accidentally it is **valid.** In a case where it **was erased or smudged, if its imprint is recognizable,** i.e., if the words are still legible, though barely, it is **valid.**


###### Bava Batra 168b:4
[Bava Batra 168b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/168b:4)

הֵיכִי דָּמֵי נִקְרַע, הֵיכִי דָּמֵי נִתְקָרַע? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: נִקְרַע – קֶרַע שֶׁל בֵּית דִּין, נִתְקָרַע – קֶרַע שֶׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁל בֵּית דִּין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara seeks to clarify the terms in the second part of the *baraita*: **What are the circumstances,** i.e., what are the defining characteristics, of a document that was **torn,** and **what are the circumstances** of a document that **became torn? Rav Yehuda says:** A document that was **torn** means that it had **a tear** created **by the court,** because they wished to render it not valid due to payment of the loan or some other circumstance. A document that **became torn** means it had **a tear that** was **not** created **by the court.**


###### Bava Batra 168b:5
[Bava Batra 168b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/168b:5)

הֵיכִי דָּמֵי קֶרַע שֶׁל בֵּית דִּין? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: מְקוֹם עֵדִים וּמְקוֹם הַזְּמַן וּמְקוֹם הַתּוֹרֶף. אַבָּיֵי אָמַר: שְׁתִי וָעֵרֶב.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara seeks further clarification: **What are the circumstances,** i.e., what are the signs, of a document that had **a tear** created **by the court? Rav Yehuda says:** The document has a tear that ruins **the place of the witnesses’** signatures **and the place of the date and the place of the essential part** of a document. **Abaye says:** It has **a tear** that goes both **lengthwise and widthwise.**


###### Bava Batra 168b:6
[Bava Batra 168b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/168b:6)

הָנְהוּ עַרְבָאֵי דַּאֲתוֹ לְפוּמְבְּדִיתָא, דַּהֲווֹ קָא אָנְסִי אַרְעָתָא דְאִינָשֵׁי. אֲתוֹ מָרָווֹתַיְהוּ לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּאַבָּיֵי, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: לִיחְזֵי מָר שְׁטָרִין, וְלִכְתּוֹב לַן מָר שְׁטָרָא אַחֲרִינָא עֲלֵיהּ, דְּאִי מִיתְּנִיס חַד – נְקִיטִינַן חַד בִּידַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The Gemara relates: There was once **a certain** group of **Arabs who came to Pumbedita** and **who would rob people’s land** and force the victims to surrender the deeds to their property to prevent subsequent legal action. **The owners of** land who had not yet fallen victim to these Arabs **came before Abaye** and **said to him: Let the Master look at our deeds** to our property **and let the Master write us another deed for it,** so **that if one** of the deeds **is robbed we will have** the other **one in our possession.**


###### Bava Batra 168b:7
[Bava Batra 168b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/168b:7)

אֲמַר לְהוּ: מַאי אֶעֱבֵיד לְכוּ? דְּאָמַר רַב סָפְרָא: אֵין כּוֹתְבִין שְׁנֵי שְׁטָרוֹת עַל שָׂדֶה אַחַת, דִּלְמָא טָרֵיף וַהֲדַר טָרֵיף.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Abaye **said to them: What can I do for you?** I cannot comply with your request, **as Rav Safra says:** One may **not write two deeds** of ownership **for one field, lest** the owner of that land **repossess property** once **and** then **go back and repossess** it once again. Generally, whenever real estate is sold there is a guarantee given to the purchaser in the event that the land is repossessed by the seller’s creditor or by someone else who proves that the land rightfully belongs to him. If the seller of the repossessed land has no money to honor the guarantee, the purchaser can repossess property from others who had purchased property from the same seller subsequent to the sale of the repossessed land. In order to do so, he would have to produce the bill of sale proving that he had purchased the repossessed property. If he has two such deeds, he would be able to collect payment twice. To eliminate this possibility, duplicate property deeds are not written.


###### Bava Batra 168b:8
[Bava Batra 168b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/168b:8)

הֲווֹ קָא טָרְדִי לֵיהּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ לְסָפְרֵיהּ: זִיל כְּתוֹב לְהוּ הוּא עַל הַמְּחָק וְעֵדָיו עַל הַנְּיָיר, דְּפָסוּל.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The landowners **kept badgering** Abaye to write the duplicate documents, until, in order to be rid of them, **he said to his scribe: Go write** the document **for them,** but first write on paper and then erase it, and then write the desired document over the erased text, so that the text of the document will be written **over an erasure, and** the signatures of **its witnesses** will be **on** a part of **the paper** where the writing had not been erased, a situation in **which** the document is **not valid.**


###### Bava Batra 168b:9
[Bava Batra 168b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/168b:9)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב אַחָא בַּר מִנְיוֹמֵי לְאַבָּיֵי: וְדִלְמָא רִישּׁוּמוֹ נִיכָּר, וְתַנְיָא: נִמְחַק אוֹ נִטַּשְׁטֵשׁ – אִם רִישּׁוּמוֹ נִיכָּר, כָּשֵׁר! אָמַר לֵיהּ: מִי קָאָמֵינָא שְׁטָרָא מְעַלְּיָא? ״אָלֶף בֵּית״ בְּעָלְמָא קָאָמֵינָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Aḥa bar Minyumi said to Abaye: But perhaps** the first writing on the paper was not erased thoroughly, so **its imprint is recognizable, and it is taught** in the *baraita* that in a case where the writing on a document **was erased or smudged, if its imprint is recognizable,** the document is **valid.** Abaye **said to him: Did I say** that he should write **a proper document** and then erase it? **I said,** i.e., I intended, that he should **merely** write letters of the **alphabet [*alef beit*],** not actual words.


###### Bava Batra 168b:10
[Bava Batra 168b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/168b:10)

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: הֲרֵי שֶׁבָּא וְאָמַר ״אָבַד שְׁטַר חוֹבִי״, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמְרוּ עֵדִים ״אָנוּ כָּתַבְנוּ וְחָתַמְנוּ וְנָתַנְנוּ לוֹ״ – אֵין כּוֹתְבִין לוֹ אֶת הַשְּׁטָר. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים – בְּשִׁטְרֵי הַלְוָאָה, אֲבָל שִׁטְרֵי מִקָּח וּמִמְכָּר – כּוֹתְבִין, חוּץ מִן הָאַחְרָיוּת שֶׁבּוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **The Sages taught** in a *baraita*: In a case where one **came** to court **and said: My promissory note was lost, even if witnesses said: We wrote and signed** such a promissory note **and gave** it **to** this man, the court may **not write** a new **document for him.** The Gemara asks: **In what** case **is this statement said? In** the case of **documents** detailing **loans. But** in a case of **deeds of buying and selling** land, the court may **write** a replacement document, **excluding the** standard **guarantee that** was **in** the first document, which states that if the field is repossessed the seller will compensate the purchaser for his loss.