## Bava Kamma Daf 112b

###### Bava Kamma 112b:1
[Bava Kamma 112b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:1)

שֶׁלֹּא בִּפְנֵי בַּעַל דִּין?! וְלָא? וְהָא קָתָנֵי: בֵּין גְּדוֹלִים בֵּין קְטַנִּים, חַיָּיבִין! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הֲרֵי מַחְלוֹקֶת סוֹמְכוֹס בְּצִידָּךְ. אֲמַר: אִיכְּפַל כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא וְקָאֵי כְּסוֹמְכוֹס – לְאַפְקוֹעַן לְדִידִי?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
who testify **in the absence of a litigant?** Since the defendant is a minor his presence is not legally recognized, and the court does not accept testimony against him. Rabbi Yirmeya questioned this assertion: **And** is it so that the court does **not** accept such testimony? **But isn’t it taught** that if a robber leaves stolen goods to his children, **whether they are adults or minors, they are obligated** to pay the owner? If the court obligates minors to pay, it must accept testimony about them. Rabbi Avin **said to** Rabbi Yirmeya: **Sumakhos’s dispute is at your side,** i.e., Sumakhos disagrees with this ruling and holds that the minors are exempt from paying. Rabbi Yirmeya **said** to him: **Did the whole world go to the effort to hold in accordance with** the opinion of **Sumakhos** in order **to seize what is mine?**


###### Bava Kamma 112b:2
[Bava Kamma 112b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:2)

אַדְּהָכִי אִיגַּלְגַּל מִילְּתָא, אֲתָא וּמְטָא לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי אֲבָהוּ. אָמַר: לָא שְׁמִיעַ לְכוּ הָא דְּרַב יוֹסֵף בַּר חָמָא אָמַר רַבִּי אוֹשַׁעְיָא? דְּאָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף בַּר חָמָא אָמַר רַבִּי אוֹשַׁעְיָא: תִּינוֹק שֶׁתָּקַף בַּעֲבָדָיו, וְיָרַד לְתוֹךְ שָׂדֶה שֶׁל חֲבֵירוֹ וְאָמַר ״שֶׁלִּי הוּא״, אֵין אוֹמְרִים: נַמְתִּין עַד שֶׁיַּגְדִּיל; אֶלָּא מוֹצִיאִין מִיָּדוֹ מִיָּד, וְלִכְשֶׁיַּגְדִּיל יָבִיא עֵדִים וְנִרְאֶה!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**In the meantime, the matter circulated and** eventually **came before Rabbi Abbahu,** who **said: Did you not hear that which Rav Yosef bar Ḥama says** that **Rabbi Oshaya** says? **As Rav Yosef bar Ḥama says** that **Rabbi Oshaya says:** With regard to **a child who took his slaves and descended into the field of another and said: It is mine,** the court **does not say: Let us wait until he matures** before we assess his claims. **Rather,** the court **removes it from his possession immediately, and when he matures he may bring witnesses** to attest to his claim **and we will see** how to judge the case. Similarly, Rabbi Yirmeya should be awarded the disputed property until his minor brother-in-law may litigate in court.


###### Bava Kamma 112b:3
[Bava Kamma 112b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:3)

מִי דָּמֵי? הָתָם הוּא דְּמַפְּקִינַן מִינֵּיהּ – דְּלָא קָיְימָא לֵיהּ אַחֲזָקָה דַּאֲבוּהּ; אֲבָל הֵיכָא דְּאִית לֵיהּ חֲזָקָה דַּאֲבוּהּ, לָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara rejects Rabbi Abbahu’s assertion: **Is** the case that Rav Yosef bar Ḥama discusses **comparable** to the case of Rabbi Yirmeya? **It is there,** in Rav Yosef bar Ḥama’s case, **that we seize** the property **from him, because there is no presumption** of ownership **from his father; but where he does have a presumption** of ownership **from his father, no,** we do not seize his property. Since Rabbi Yirmeya’s brother-in-law has a presumption of ownership due to the fact that the property belonged to his father, he retains control of the property.


###### Bava Kamma 112b:4
[Bava Kamma 112b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:4)

אָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי אָמַר רַבִּי שַׁבְּתַאי: מְקַבְּלִין עֵדִים שֶׁלֹּא בִּפְנֵי בַּעַל דִּין. תָּהֵי בַּהּ רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, וְכִי מְקַבְּלִין עֵדִים שֶׁלֹּא בִּפְנֵי בַּעַל דִּין?!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ Having mentioned the issue of testimony in the absence of a litigant, the Gemara discusses this matter in greater detail. **Rav Ashi said** that **Rabbi Shabbtai says:** The court **accepts witnesses** even **in the absence of a litigant. Rabbi Yoḥanan wondered at this** statement of Rav Ashi, and said: **Does** the court in fact **accept witnesses in the absence of a litigant?**


###### Bava Kamma 112b:5
[Bava Kamma 112b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:5)

קַיבְּלַהּ מִינֵּיהּ רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר חֲנִינָא: כְּגוֹן שֶׁהָיָה הוּא חוֹלֶה אוֹ עֵדָיו חוֹלִים, אוֹ שֶׁהָיוּ עֵדָיו מְבַקְּשִׁין לֵילֵךְ לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם, וְשָׁלְחוּ לוֹ וְלֹא בָּא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina received** the following guideline **from** Rabbi Yoḥanan: The court accepts testimony in the absence of the defendant only in a case **where** the plaintiff **was ill, or his witnesses were ill, or his witnesses wished to travel overseas and** the judges **sent** for the defendant **and he did not come.** Since there is a concern that the plaintiff will not be able to present his claims at a later date, the testimony is accepted even in the absence of the defendant.


###### Bava Kamma 112b:6
[Bava Kamma 112b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:6)

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: מְקַבְּלִין עֵדִים שֶׁלֹּא בִּפְנֵי בַּעַל דִּין. אָמַר מָר עוּקְבָא, לְדִידִי מִיפָּרְשָׁא לִי מִינֵּיהּ דִּשְׁמוּאֵל: כְּגוֹן דִּפְתַחוּ לֵיהּ בְּדִינֵיהּ, וּשְׁלַחוּ לֵיהּ וְלָא אֲתָא. אֲבָל לָא פְּתַחוּ לֵיהּ בְּדִינָא, מָצֵי אָמַר לֵיהּ: אֲנָא לְבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל אָזֵילְנָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Yehuda says** that **Shmuel says:** The court **accepts witnesses in the absence of a litigant. Mar Ukva said:** This statement **was explained to me** personally **by Shmuel himself,** and he said that it applies in a case **where** the court **opened his case and sent for him, but he did not appear. But** if it **did not** yet **open the case for him, he may say to** the plaintiff: **I am going to the High Court** to resolve this case and will not appear in the local court.


###### Bava Kamma 112b:7
[Bava Kamma 112b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:7)

אִי הָכִי, כִּי פָתְחוּ לֵיהּ נָמֵי, מָצֵי אָמַר לֵיהּ: לְבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל אָזֵילְנָא! אָמַר רָבִינָא: כְּגוֹן דְּנָקֵט דִּיסְקָא מִבֵּית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **If so,** then even **when** the court already **opened** the case **for him, he** should **also** be **able** to **say to them: I am going to the High Court** to resolve this case. The Gemara answers that **Ravina said:** The defendant may not defer an opened case to the High Court if, **for example,** the local court **obtained a license from the High Court** authorizing it to adjudicate the case.


###### Bava Kamma 112b:8
[Bava Kamma 112b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:8)

אָמַר רַב: מְקַיְּימִין אֶת הַשְּׁטָר שֶׁלֹּא בִּפְנֵי בַּעַל דִּין. וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר: אֵין מְקַיְּימִין אֶת הַשְּׁטָר שֶׁלֹּא בִּפְנֵי בַּעַל דִּין. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב שֵׁשֶׁת לְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר אֲבָהוּ: אַסְבְּרַהּ לָךְ טַעְמֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן – אָמַר קְרָא: ״וְהוּעַד בִּבְעָלָיו וְלֹא יִשְׁמְרֶנּוּ״, אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה: יָבֹא בַּעַל הַשּׁוֹר, וְיַעֲמוֹד עַל שׁוֹרוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ Having discussed testimony in the absence of a litigant, the Gemara addresses a similar matter. **Rav says:** The court **ratifies a document in the absence of a litigant. And Rabbi Yoḥanan says:** The court **does not ratify a document in the absence of a litigant. Rav Sheshet said to Rabbi Yosei bar Abbahu: I will explain Rabbi Yoḥanan’s reasoning to you. The verse states** with regard to an ox that gored: **“And warning has been given to its owner and he has not secured it”** (Exodus 21:29). **The Torah** means to **say:** Let **the owner of the ox come and stand by his ox** when the testimony about the ox is provided. Similarly, a document may be ratified only in the presence of the individual it implicates.


###### Bava Kamma 112b:9
[Bava Kamma 112b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:9)

אָמַר רָבָא, הִלְכְתָא: מְקַיְּימִין אֶת הַשְּׁטָר שֶׁלֹּא בִּפְנֵי בַּעַל דִּין, וַאֲפִילּוּ עוֹמֵד וְצוֹוֵחַ. וְאִי אָמַר: נְקִיטוּ לִי זִימְנָא עַד דְּמַיְיתֵינָא סָהֲדִי וּמַרַעְנָא לֵיהּ לִשְׁטָרָא – נָקְטִינַן לֵיהּ. אִי אֲתָא – אֲתָא, אִי לָא אֲתָא – נָטְרִינַן לֵיהּ שֵׁנִי וַחֲמִישִׁי וְשֵׁנִי;

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rava said:** The ***halakha*** is that the court **ratifies a document in the absence of a litigant, and** this is the case **even** if the other litigant **stands and screams** in protest that the document is a forgery. **And if he said: Give me time until I bring witnesses and disqualify the document, we give him** time before forcing him to pay. **If he has come** with witnesses within the time allotted to him, **he has come,** and the court reviews the case accordingly. **If he does not come** within the time allotted to him, **we give him** an additional three days on which to bring witnesses, when the court is in session: **Monday, Thursday, and Monday.**


###### Bava Kamma 112b:10
[Bava Kamma 112b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:10)

אִי לָא אֲתָא – כָּתְבִינַן פְּתִיחָא עִלָּוֵיהּ תִּשְׁעִין יוֹמִין. תְּלָתִין קַמָּאֵי לָא נָחֲתִינַן לְנִכְסֵיהּ, דְּאָמְרִינַן: קָא טָרַח בְּזוּזֵי וְנֵיזוֹף. מְצִיעָאֵי נָמֵי לָא נָחֲתִינַן לֵיהּ לְנִכְסֵיהּ, דְּאָמַר: דִּלְמָא לָא אַשְׁכַּח לְמֵיזַף, וְקָא טָרַח וּמְזַבֵּין. בָּתְרָאֵי נָמֵי לָא נָחֲתִינַן לְנִכְסֵיהּ, דְּאָמַר: לוֹקֵחַ גּוּפֵיהּ קָא טָרַח בְּזוּזֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**If he** still **has not come, we write a document of ostracism against him** for **ninety days.** During **the first thirty** days **we do not descend to his property** to collect his debt, **as** the court **says:** Perhaps **he is occupied** with **borrowing money** to pay his debt. During **the middle** period of thirty days **as well, we do not descend to his property, as** the court **says: Perhaps he did not find** someone **to borrow** from and **he is** now **occupied with selling** his property in order to pay his debt. During the **final** thirty days **as well, we do not descend to his property, as** the court **says:** Perhaps the debtor has found a purchaser and **the purchaser himself is occupied with** obtaining the **money** so that he can pay the debtor for the sale, and the debtor will then pay his debt.


###### Bava Kamma 112b:11
[Bava Kamma 112b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:11)

לָא אֲתָא – כָּתְבִינַן אַדְרַכְתָּא אַנִּיכְסֵיהּ. וְהָנֵי מִילֵּי דַּאֲמַר ״אָתֵינָא״, אֲבָל אָמַר ״לָא אָתֵינָא״ – לְאַלְתַּר כָּתְבִינַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
If the debtor still **did not come** to pay his debt after ninety days, **we write** a document of **authorization [*adrakhta*]** allowing the creditor to collect his due from any **property** belonging to the debtor. **And this statement** applies only in a case **where** the debtor **said: I am coming** to pay and then he does not actually make an appearance. **But** if **he said: I am not coming, we immediately write** a document of authorization without waiting for ninety days to pass.


###### Bava Kamma 112b:12
[Bava Kamma 112b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:12)

וְהָנֵי מִילֵּי בְּמִלְוֶה, אֲבָל בְּפִקָּדוֹן – לְאַלְתַּר כָּתְבִינַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Furthermore, **this matter** of a ninety-day waiting period applies only **with regard to a loan,** as the debtor requires time in order to obtain the money to pay it back. **But with regard to a deposit** that the owner demands back from a bailee, **we write** a document of authorization **immediately.** Since a bailee should have immediate access to the deposit, there is no reason to grant him an extension.


###### Bava Kamma 112b:13
[Bava Kamma 112b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:13)

וְכִי כָּתְבִינַן – אַמְּקַרְקְעֵי, אֲבָל אַמִּטַּלְטְלִי – לָא; דִּלְמָא שָׁמֵיט וְאָכֵיל לְהוּ מַלְוֶה לְמִטַּלְטְלֵי, וְכִי אָתֵי לֹוֶה וּמַיְיתֵי סָהֲדִי וּמַרַע לֵיהּ לִשְׁטָרָא – לָא מַשְׁכַּח מִידֵּי לְמִיגְבֵּה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara adds: **When we write** a document of authorization, the document applies only **to** the borrower’s **land, but** with regard **to movable property,** the court does **not** draft such a document. The reason for this is that **perhaps the creditor will seize and consume** the borrower’s **movable property, and when the borrower** later **comes and brings witnesses and** thereby **invalidates the** creditor’s **document, he will not find anything to collect** in order to retrieve his money.


###### Bava Kamma 112b:14
[Bava Kamma 112b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:14)

וְאִי אִית לֵיהּ מְקַרְקְעֵי לְמַלְוֶה – כָּתְבִינַן. וְלָא הִיא; אַדְרַכְתָּא אַמִּטַּלְטְלִי לָא כָּתְבִינַן, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִית לֵיהּ מְקַרְקְעֵי; חָיְישִׁינַן שֶׁמָּא תַּכְסִיף.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And if the creditor** owns **land, we write** a document authorizing the creditor to collect from any property that belongs to the borrower, including movable property. Since the creditor owns land, there is no concern that if the borrower manages to overturn the ruling he will have nothing from which to collect. The Gemara comments: **And** that **is not so.** The court **does not draft** a document of **authorization with regard to movable property even if** the creditor **has land.** This is because **we are concerned lest** the creditor’s land **depreciate** in value and the borrower will be unable to retrieve his money.


###### Bava Kamma 112b:15
[Bava Kamma 112b:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:15)

וְכִי כָּתְבִינַן אַדְרַכְתָּא – מוֹדְעִינַן לֵיהּ. וְהָנֵי מִילֵּי דִּמְיקָרַב, אֲבָל מְרַחַק – לָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara teaches another *halakha* with regard to this matter: **When we write** the document of **authorization, we inform** the party that is liable to pay, as a final warning before authorizing a creditor to locate and take possession of his property in repayment of the debt. **And this matter** applies only **when he is nearby, but** if he is **distant,** the court does **not** notify him before authorizing the creditor.


###### Bava Kamma 112b:16
[Bava Kamma 112b:16](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:16)

וְאִי מְרַחַק וְאִיכָּא קְרוֹבִים, אִי נָמֵי אִיכָּא שְׁיָירָתָא דְּאָזְלִי וְאָתוּ הָתָם, מְשַׁהֵינַן לֵיהּ תְּרֵיסַר יַרְחֵי שַׁתָּא עַד דְּאָזְלָא וְאָתֵי שְׁיָירָא. כִּי הָא דְּרָבִינָא שְׁהָא לְמָר אַחָא תְּרֵיסַר יַרְחֵי שַׁתָּא, עַד דְּאָזְלָא וְאָתְיָיא שְׁיָירָא מִבֵּי חוֹזָאֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And if he is distant but there are relatives** of his nearby, **or** if **there are caravans that go** to the borrower’s current location **and return, we delay** issuing **his** document of authorization for the **twelve months** of **the year, until the caravan goes and returns,** so that if he wishes to make a claim, he can do so. This is **like that** incident **where Ravina delayed** for the **twelve months** of **the year** before issuing a document of authorization **for Mar Aḥa, until a caravan went** to **and returned from Bei Ḥozai.**


###### Bava Kamma 112b:17
[Bava Kamma 112b:17](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:17)

וְלָא הִיא; הָתָם – אִינִישׁ אַלִּימָא הֲוָה, אִי הַוְיָא מָטְיָא אַדְרַכְתָּא לִידֵיהּ לָא הֲוָה אֶפְשָׁר לְאַפּוֹקֵי מִינֵּיהּ. אֲבָל הָכָא – לָא נָטְרִינַן לֵיהּ אֶלָּא עַד דְּאָזֵיל שְׁלִיחָא בִּתְלָתָא בְּשַׁבְּתָא וְאָתֵי בְּאַרְבְּעָה בְּשַׁבְּתָא, וּלְחַמְשָׁא בְּשַׁבְּתָא קָאֵי בְּדִינֵיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara comments: **And** that **is not so. There,** Ravina delayed issuing the document because the creditor **was a violent man,** and **if** a document of **authorization would come into his possession, it would not be possible to take it from him** if the borrower would prove that the original document was invalid. **But here,** i.e., in general, **we wait for** the defendant to be informed **only** if he is close enough to be informed within a day. Consequently, if the court decided the issue on Monday, **a messenger** would **go** inform the defendant **on Tuesday, and he** could **come** from his location to the court **on Wednesday and stand trial on Thursday.** If a debtor is more than a day’s travel away, however, the court does not trouble itself to notify him.


###### Bava Kamma 112b:18
[Bava Kamma 112b:18](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:18)

אָמַר רָבִינָא: הַאי שְׁלוּחָא דְרַבָּנַן, מְהֵימְנִינַן לֵיהּ כְּבֵי תְרֵי. וְהָנֵי מִילֵּי לְשַׁמְתָּא, אֲבָל לִפְתִיחָא – כֵּיוָן דְּמָמוֹנָא קָא מְחַסַּר לֵיהּ, דְּקָא בָעֵי לֵיהּ לְמִיתַּב לֵיהּ זוּזֵי לְסָפְרָא – לָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ Apropos the Gemara’s discussion of summoning an individual to court by means of a messenger, the Gemara discusses this issue in a more general manner. **Ravina said: We deem the agent of the Rabbis,** who was sent to summon an individual to court, as **credible as two** witnesses if he says that the defendant refuses to come to court. **And this matter** applies only with regard **to excommunication, but** with regard **to** issuing **a document of ostracism, since it causes** the defendant **loss of money, as he must give money to the scribe** for drafting the document, **no,** the agent is not deemed credible.


###### Bava Kamma 112b:19
[Bava Kamma 112b:19](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Kamma/r/112b:19)

אָמַר רָבִינָא: יָהֲבִינַן זִימְנָא אַפּוּמָּא דְאִיתְּתָא וְאִפּוּמָא דְשִׁיבָבֵי. וְלָא אֲמַרַן אֶלָּא דְּלֵיתֵיהּ בְּמָתָא,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Additionally, **Ravina said: We may give** a defendant a particular **time** to appear in court by informing him of the trial **by** word of **mouth from a woman or from his neighbors,** as these people are trusted to notify the defendant of the court’s summons. The Gemara comments: **And we said** this **only when** the defendant is **not in the city.**