Bava Basra - Daf 169
- A replacement שטר for a sale must be written without אחריות to prevent double compensation
A Baraisa teaches that if a purchaser claims to have lost his שטר, we write a replacement שטר for him, חוץ מאחריות שבו – except for its guarantee for compensation if the field is taken from him. Rav Safra explains: לפי שאין כותבין שני שטרות על שדה אחת – because we do not write two שטרות (with אחריות) for one field. The Gemara explains that the seller’s creditor may collect the field from him, and the buyer will use the replacement שטר to collect compensation from later purchasers. He will then tell the creditor to allow him to repossess the field for several years, and the creditor will then collect it from him again, allowing the buyer to use his original שטר (if it was not truly lost) to collect compensation a second time, defrauding the purchasers. The Gemara asks that the creditor cannot collect his debt a second time, because his שטר is torn up upon collection!? Therefore, the concern is slightly adjusted: דקאתי מכח אבהתיה – [someone] may come based on his father’s right to the field, i.e., with testimony that his father owned the field, and the “seller” never owned it. He can repossess the land twice, allowing for the above scheme.
- How the replacement שטר is written “without אחריות” (אחריות טעות סופר)
The Baraisa taught that the replacement שטר must be written without אחריות. Rav Nachman explains that they write, “This שטר is not for collecting compensation, neither from משועבדים (sold properties) or from בני חורין (unsold properties); it is only so the land will remain in the buyer’s possession.” Rafram said: זאת אומרת אחריות טעות סופר הוא – this ruling of Rav Nachman teaches that a guarantee which is missing from a שטר is assumed to be an error of the scribe, and the שטר is considered to have אחריות unless it is specifically excluded, as Rav Nachman said. Rav Ashi says אחריות לאו טעות סופר הוא, so if אחריות is missing from the שטר, it cannot be used to collect compensation. Thus, the Baraisa simply means דלא כתיב ביה אחריות – that a guarantee is not written into [the replacement שטר]. A woman once gave money to a man to buy a property for her, and he bought it without אחריות. Rav Nachman told him that she can say, “I sent you for my benefit; not to harm me!” and he must buy the property from the seller without אחריות, and then sell it to the woman with אחריות, taking responsibility himself.
- If returning a שטר מתנה returns the gift (אותיות נקנות במסירה)
In the Baraisa, Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said we do not replace sale documents, because we are concerned that the buyer may have returned the שטר to the seller, thereby returning the sold property to him. Similarly, Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says that if one gives a gift to someone, and the recipient returns the gift document, חזרה מתנתו – the gift returns to the giver. The Chochomim say the gift remains with the original recipient. Rav Assi initially explains that Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel holds that it is as if the giver said: שדה זו נתונה לך כל זמן שהשטר בידך – “This field is given to you as long as the שטר is in your hand.” Once the שטר is returned, the gift reverts to its first owner. Rabbah objects that if so, even if the שטר was stolen or lost, the gift should be reversed, since he no longer has the שטר!? Therefore, Rabbah explains that Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel holds: אותיות נקנות במסירה – “letters” (i.e., a שטר) can be acquired through handing over to another person, so returning the שטר returns the gift. The Rabbonon hold אין אותיות נקנות במסירה.
