## Bava Batra Daf 41a

###### Bava Batra 41a:1
[Bava Batra 41a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/41a:1)

סְתָמָא מַאי? רָבִינָא אָמַר: לָא חָיְישִׁינַן, רַב אָשֵׁי אָמַר: חָיְישִׁינַן. וְהִלְכְתָא: חָיְישִׁינַן:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**What** is the status of a document detailing a gift that is **without specification** as to whether the giver desired that it be publicized? **Ravina says: We are not concerned** that it may be a concealed gift, and **Rav Ashi says: We are concerned. And** the ***halakha*** is that **we are concerned.**


###### Bava Batra 41a:2
[Bava Batra 41a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/41a:2)

**מַתְנִי׳** כׇּל חֲזָקָה שֶׁאֵין עִמָּהּ טַעֲנָה, אֵינָהּ חֲזָקָה. כֵּיצַד? אָמַר לוֹ: ״מָה אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁלִּי?״ וְהוּא אָמַר לוֹ: ״שֶׁלֹּא אָמַר לִי אָדָם דָּבָר מֵעוֹלָם״ – אֵינָהּ חֲזָקָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**MISHNA:** **Any possession that is not accompanied by a claim** explaining how the possessor became the owner **is not** sufficient to establish the **presumption** of ownership. **How so?** If the prior owner **said to** the possessor: **What are you doing in my** land? **And** the possessor **said to him** in response: I am in possession of the land **because no person ever said anything to me** about my being here, i.e., he states no valid claim as to why he would be the owner of the land, his mere use **is not** sufficient to establish the **presumption** of ownership.


###### Bava Batra 41a:3
[Bava Batra 41a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/41a:3)

״שֶׁמָּכַרְתָּ לִי״; ״שֶׁנָּתַתָּ לִי בְּמַתָּנָה״; ״אָבִיךָ מְכָרָה לִי״; ״אָבִיךָ נְתָנָהּ לִי בְּמַתָּנָה״ – הֲרֵי זוֹ חֲזָקָה. וְהַבָּא מִשּׁוּם יְרוּשָּׁה – אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ טַעֲנָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
But if the possessor claimed: I am in possession of the land **because you sold** it **to me,** or: **Because you gave** it **to me as a gift,** or: Because **your father sold it to me,** or: Because **your father gave it to me as a gift,** these are valid claims to ownership. In these cases, his possession **is** sufficient to establish the **presumption** of ownership. **And one who comes** to claim the land **based on inheritance does not need a claim** explaining why his ancestors had a right to the land.


###### Bava Batra 41a:4
[Bava Batra 41a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/41a:4)

**גְּמָ׳** פְּשִׁיטָא!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**GEMARA:** The Gemara asks: Why does the mishna need to say this? Isn’t it **obvious** that one cannot establish the presumption of ownership absent a claim of ownership?


###### Bava Batra 41a:5
[Bava Batra 41a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/41a:5)

מַהוּ דְּתֵימָא: הַאי גַּבְרָא – מִיזְבָּן זְבִנָה לֵיהּ הַאי אַרְעָא, וּשְׁטָרָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ וְאִירְכַס; וְהַאי דְּקָאָמַר הָכִי – סָבַר: אִי אָמֵינָא מִיזְבָּן זְבִנָה לִי הַאי אַרְעָא, אָמְרִי לִי: אַחְוִי שְׁטָרָךְ; הִלְכָּךְ לֵימָא לֵיהּ אֲנַן: דִּלְמָא שְׁטָרָא הֲוָה לָךְ וְאִירְכַס, כְּגוֹן זֶה – ״פְּתַח פִּיךָ לָאִלֵּם״ הוּא; קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: It is necessary for the mishna to state this, **lest you say: That man** had actually **purchased this land** that he possessed, **and he had a bill** of sale, **but it was lost. And the reason that he said** that he is in possession of the land because no person ever said anything to him, is that he **thought: If I say** that the prior owner **sold me this land,** the court will **say to me: Show** us **your bill** of sale. **Therefore,** being that this may be the case, **let us say to him: Perhaps you had a bill** of sale **and** it **was lost.** In a case **such as this,** one would think that **it is** a situation where the court should apply the verse: **“Open your mouth for the mute”** (Proverbs 31:8), meaning the court should advise a litigant of his possible claims, because perhaps he does not state them out of ignorance. Therefore, the mishna **teaches us** that the court does not advance this claim on his behalf, and if he does not make the claim of his own volition, he does not establish the presumption of ownership.


###### Bava Batra 41a:6
[Bava Batra 41a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/41a:6)

(עֵנָב סִימָן)

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The Gemara presents **a mnemonic** for the discussion that follows: ***Ayin*, *nun*, *bet*.**


###### Bava Batra 41a:7
[Bava Batra 41a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/41a:7)

רַב עָנָן שְׁקַל בִּידְקָא בְּאַרְעֵיהּ. אֲזַל הַדַּר גּוּדָא בְּאַרְעֵיהּ דְּחַבְרֵיהּ. אֲתָא לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּרַב נַחְמָן, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: זִיל הַדַּר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara tells of a related incident: **A torrent [*bideka*]** of water **swept** through **Rav Anan’s land,** removing the wall which marked the boundary between his land and that of his neighbor. Rav Anan **went back** and rebuilt **the wall,** inadvertently placing it **in his neighbor’s land.** Rav Anan **came before Rav Naḥman** to ask him what he should do about it. Rav Naḥman **said to him: Go return** the boundary to its prior position.


###### Bava Batra 41a:8
[Bava Batra 41a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/41a:8)

וְהָא אַחְזֵיקִי לִי! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: כְּמַאן – כְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל, דְּאָמְרִי: כֹּל בְּפָנָיו – לְאַלְתַּר הָוֵי חֲזָקָה? לֵית הִלְכְתָא כְּווֹתַיְיהוּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rav Anan replied: Why should I return the boundary? **But didn’t I** already **establish** the **presumption** of ownership of this land? Rav Naḥman **said to him: In accordance with whose** opinion are you claiming a right to the land? Is it **in accordance with** the opinion of **Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yishmael, who say: Any** taking of possession that is done **in the presence of** the prior owner **is** sufficient to establish the **presumption** of ownership **immediately?** If so, your claim is not accepted since **the *halakha* is not in accordance with their** opinion.


###### Bava Batra 41a:9
[Bava Batra 41a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/41a:9)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: וְהָא אַחֵיל – דַּאֲתָא וְסַיַּיע בְּגוּדָא בַּהֲדַאי! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מְחִילָה בְּטָעוּת הִיא. אַתְּ גּוּפָךְ – אִי הֲוָה יָדְעַתְּ לָא עֲבַדְתְּ; כִּי הֵיכִי דְּאַתְּ לָא הֲוָה יָדְעַתְּ, הוּא נָמֵי לָא הֲוָה יָדַע.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rav Anan **said to** Rav Naḥman: **But didn’t** the neighbor **waive** his ownership of this land, **as** he **came and assisted in** the building of **the wall with me?** Rav Naḥman **said to** Rav Anan: **It** is **an erroneous waiving,** since **you yourself would not** have placed the wall there **if you had known** that it was the wrong location for it. **Just as you did not know** that you were building it in the wrong location, **so too, he did not know.** Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that he did not knowingly waive his ownership of his property.


###### Bava Batra 41a:10
[Bava Batra 41a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/41a:10)

רַב כָּהֲנָא שְׁקַל בִּידְקָא בְּאַרְעֵיהּ. אֲזַל הַדַּר גּוּדָא בְּאַרְעָא דְּלָא דִּידֵיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara relates a similar incident: **A torrent** of water **swept** through **Rav Kahana’s field,** removing the wall that marked the boundary between his land and that of his neighbor. Rav Kahana **went back** and rebuilt the **wall,** inadvertently placing it **in land that was not his.**