## Bava Batra Daf 51a

###### Bava Batra 51a:1
[Bava Batra 51a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/51a:1)

וְדַיָּינֵי גוֹלָה אָמְרוּ: מַחְזִיקִין. אָמַר רַב: הֲלָכָה כְּדַיָּינֵי גוֹלָה. אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ רַב כָּהֲנָא וְרַב אַסִּי לְרַב: הֲדַר בֵּיהּ מָר מִשְּׁמַעְתֵּיהּ? אֲמַר לְהוּ: מִסְתַּבְּרָא אֲמַרִי – כִּדְרַב יוֹסֵף.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**but the judges of** the **exile said** that **one can establish** the **presumption** of ownership. **Rav says:** The ***halakha* is in accordance with** the opinion of the **judges of** the **exile. Rav Kahana and Rav Asi said to Rav:** Has the **Master retracted his *halakha*** that one cannot establish the presumption of ownership with regard to the property of a married woman? Rav **said to them: I said** that the opinion of the judges of the exile **is reasonable,** as the presumption of ownership can be established with regard the property of a married woman under certain circumstances. The Gemara comments: This is **like** that ruling **of Rav Yosef** with regard to one who possesses the land for three years after the death of the husband.


###### Bava Batra 51a:2
[Bava Batra 51a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/51a:2)

וְלֹא לְאִשָּׁה בְּנִכְסֵי בַעְלָהּ וְכוּ׳. פְּשִׁיטָא – כֵּיוָן דְּאִית לַהּ מְזוֹנֵי, מְזוֹנֵי הוּא דְּקָא אָכְלָה! לָא צְרִיכָא, דְּיַחֵד לַהּ אַרְעָא אַחֲרִיתִי לִמְזוֹנַהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The mishna teaches: **And a wife does not have** the ability to establish the presumption of ownership **with regard to her husband’s property.** The Gemara asks: Isn’t that **obvious? Since she has** the right to **sustenance** from her husband’s property, **she is enjoying** the profits as payment of her **sustenance,** so her use of the property does not establish the presumption of ownership. The Gemara responds: **No,** it is **necessary** to state this *halakha* in the event **that he designated another** parcel of **land for her sustenance.** The mishna teaches that even if she enjoys the profits of a second field for three years, she does not establish the presumption of ownership of that field.


###### Bava Batra 51a:3
[Bava Batra 51a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/51a:3)

הָא רְאָיָה – יֵשׁ? לֵימָא לְגַלּוֹיֵי זוּזֵי הוּא דְּבָעֵי!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: By inference, the wife **has** the ability to bring **proof** of her ownership and take possession of her husband’s field. Why is this proof valid? **Let** him **say that he desires to expose** her concealed **money.** If he offers to sell the field to her and she agrees, it will be discovered that she has money of which he had been unaware. His intention was never to sell the property, but to claim money to which he is entitled.


###### Bava Batra 51a:4
[Bava Batra 51a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/51a:4)

שָׁמְעַתְּ מִינַּהּ, הַמּוֹכֵר שָׂדֶה לְאִשְׁתּוֹ – קָנְתָה, וְלָא אָמְרִינַן: לְגַלּוֹיֵי זוּזֵי הוּא דְּבָעֵי?! לָא; אֵימָא: הָא רְאָיָה יֵשׁ – בִּשְׁטַר מַתָּנָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Can one **conclude from this** mishna that in the case of **one who sells a field to his wife, she has acquired** it, **and we do not say** that **he desires to expose** her concealed **money?** The Gemara answers: **No,** as one may **say** that the inference from the mishna **that** if she **has proof** then she has ownership rights is the *halakha* only **with regard to a deed of gift,** as, if her husband gave her the field as a gift, he cannot claim that he did so in order to expose her concealed money.


###### Bava Batra 51a:5
[Bava Batra 51a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/51a:5)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב נַחְמָן לְרַב הוּנָא: לָא הֲוָה מָר גַּבָּן בְּאוּרְתָּא בִּתְחוּמָא, דְּאָמְרִינַן מִילֵּי מְעַלְּיָיתָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי מִילֵּי מְעַלְּיָיתָא אָמְרִיתוּ? הַמּוֹכֵר שָׂדֶה לְאִשְׁתּוֹ – קָנְתָה, וְלָא אָמְרִינַן לְגַלּוֹיֵי זוּזֵי הוּא דְּבָעֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara relates: **Rav Naḥman said to Rav Huna:** The **Master was not with us in the evening** in the study hall that is **within the boundaries** of the town, **where we said a superior matter.** Rav Huna **said to him: What superior matter did you say?** Rav Naḥman responded: In the case of **one who sells a field to his wife, she has acquired** it, **and we do not say** that **he desires to expose** her concealed **money.**


###### Bava Batra 51a:6
[Bava Batra 51a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/51a:6)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: פְּשִׁיטָא, דַּל זוּזֵי מֵהָכָא – וְתִיקְנֵי בִּשְׁטָרָא! מִי לָא תְּנַן: נְכָסִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶן אַחְרָיוּת נִקְנִין בְּכֶסֶף וּבִשְׁטָר וּבַחֲזָקָה?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rav Huna **said to him:** That is **obvious; remove** the **money from here and she will acquire** the property **by means of the bill** of sale, as, even if she has not yet given him the money, she acquires the land by means of the bill of sale. **Didn’t we learn** in a mishna (*Kiddushin* 26a): **Property that serves as a guarantee,** i.e., land, **can be acquired by** means of giving **money, by** means of giving **a document, or by** means of **taking possession** of it?


###### Bava Batra 51a:7
[Bava Batra 51a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/51a:7)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: וְלָאו אִיתְּמַר עֲלַהּ, אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא בִּשְׁטַר מַתָּנָה, אֲבָל בִּשְׁטַר מֶכֶר – לֹא קָנָה עַד שֶׁיִּתֵּן לוֹ דָּמֶיהָ? וְלָאו מוֹתֵיב רַב הַמְנוּנָא: בִּשְׁטָר – כֵּיצַד? כָּתַב לוֹ עַל הַנְּיָיר אוֹ עַל הַחֶרֶס – אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ שָׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה: ״שָׂדִי מְכוּרָה לָךְ״, ״שָׂדִי קְנוּיָה לָךְ״ – הֲרֵי זוֹ מְכוּרָה וּנְתוּנָה?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rav Naḥman **said to him: But wasn’t it stated with regard to this** that **Shmuel says: They taught** that the document alone suffices **only** if the transaction is **with a deed of gift, but** if the transaction is **with a bill of sale,** the buyer **does not acquire** the property **until he gives him its money?** Rav Huna responded: **But didn’t Rav Hamnuna raise an objection** to this, based on this following *baraita*: **How** is acquisition **by** means of giving **a document** performed? If he **wrote** it **for him on paper or earthenware,** then **even though** the paper or the earthenware **is not worth** even **one *peruta*,** if he writes: **My field is sold to you,** or: **My field is acquired by you** as a gift, **it is thereby sold or given.** This indicates that a document suffices to complete an acquisition both in the case of a sale and a gift.


###### Bava Batra 51a:8
[Bava Batra 51a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/51a:8)

וְלָאו הוּא מוֹתֵיב לַהּ וְהוּא מְפָרֵק לַהּ – בְּמוֹכֵר שָׂדֵהוּ מִפְּנֵי רָעָתָהּ?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rav Naḥman responded: **But is it not** so that **he,** Rav Hamnuna, **raises the objection and he** himself **resolves it?** The *baraita* states its ruling **with regard to** one who **sells his field due to its poor** quality. The seller wants to be rid of his field due to its low value, and would like to transfer ownership of it as quickly as possible. In this case, writing a document suffices to complete the acquisition. By contrast, in standard cases it does not. Since the acquisition of a field requires monetary payment in addition to a bill of sale, Rav Naḥman’s statement, that if one sells a field to his wife the sale is valid and we do not say that he desires to expose her concealed money, is a novelty.


###### Bava Batra 51a:9
[Bava Batra 51a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/51a:9)

(רַב בִּיבִי מְסַיֵּים בַּהּ מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַב נַחְמָן) וְרַב אָשֵׁי אָמַר: בְּמַתָּנָה בִּקֵּשׁ לִיתְּנָהּ לוֹ, וְלָמָּה כָּתַב לוֹ בִּלְשׁוֹן מֶכֶר? כְּדֵי לְיַפּוֹת כֹּחוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara notes that in interpreting this *baraita*, **Rav Beivai** would **conclude in the name of Rav Naḥman, or,** according to another version, **Rav Ashi says:** Why does a document suffice for him to acquire the land? It is because it is assumed that **he wanted to give it to him as a gift. And why did he write** the document **for him** employing the **terminology of a sale?** It was **in order to enhance** the **power** of the one acquiring the land, since with regard to a property guarantee, i.e., a document that states that if the property is seized by the seller’s creditor, the seller will reimburse the buyer for his loss, a bill of sale is superior to a deed of gift.


###### Bava Batra 51a:10
[Bava Batra 51a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/51a:10)

מֵיתִיבִי: לָוָה מִן הָעֶבֶד, וְשִׁחְרְרוֹ; מִן הָאִשָּׁה, וְגֵרְשָׁהּ – אֵין לָהֶן עָלָיו כְּלוּם. מַאי טַעְמָא? לָאו מִשּׁוּם דְּאָמְרִינַן: לְגַלּוֹיֵי זוּזֵי הוּא דְּבָעֵי?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara **raises an objection** to the ruling of Rav Naḥman, that we do not say that he desires to expose her concealed money, from a *baraita*: If one **borrowed** money **from** his own **slave and** then **frees him,** or if one borrowed money **from his wife and** then **divorces her, they do not have any** claim **on him,** and he need not repay them. **What is the reason** for this? Is it **not because we say** that **he desires to expose** their concealed **money,** and his taking of the loan was a mere artifice to claim money to which he was entitled?


###### Bava Batra 51a:11
[Bava Batra 51a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/51a:11)

שָׁאנֵי הָתָם, דְּלָא נִיחָא לֵיהּ לְשַׁוּוֹיֵיהּ נַפְשֵׁיהּ ״עֶבֶד לֹוֶה לְאִישׁ מַלְוֶה״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: It **is different there,** because there is an additional reason to think it was an artifice, **as** it is **uncomfortable for him to make** applicable to **himself** the verse: “The rich rules over the poor, and **the borrower is servant to the lender”** (Proverbs 22:7). It is therefore reasonable to posit that his intention was not to borrow money, but to expose the concealed money that was in the possession of his slave or wife. This concern does not apply to one who sells property to his wife, and therefore the sale is valid.


###### Bava Batra 51a:12
[Bava Batra 51a:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/51a:12)

שְׁלַח רַב הוּנָא בַּר אָבִין: הַמּוֹכֵר שָׂדֶה לְאִשְׁתּוֹ – קָנְתָה,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara relates that **Rav Huna bar Avin sent** a ruling to those in the study hall: In the case of **one who sells a field to his wife, she has acquired** it,