Wenn man Veranlagungsschreiben findet, [nachdem Beth-Din das Vermögen des Schuldners für den Gläubiger auf die Zahlung der Schuld geprüft hat], Vermerksschreiben, [wobei der Ehemann es auf sich nimmt, die Tochter seiner Frau zu ernähren. Eine andere Interpretation: (Schriften, in denen angegeben wird, dass Land des Ehemanns verkauft werden soll, um seine Frau und seine Töchter zu ernähren), Ablehnungsschreiben, [in denen geschrieben steht: "Vor uns weigerten sich dies und diese Frau (verheiratet zu bleiben) dies und dieser Mann, "dies, in einem Fall eines (verwaisten) Minderjährigen, dessen Mutter und Brüder sie verheiratet haben, in welchem Fall sie kein Get benötigt], Auswahlschreiben, [einer (Prozessanwalt) wählt einen (Richter) und der andere wählt einen, um ihren Fall zu beurteilen] und (jede schriftliche) Verordnung von Beth-Din, er gibt sie zurück (an diejenigen, für die sie geschrieben wurden). Wenn er (Rechnungen) in einer Chafisah [einer kleinen] gefunden hat Ledertasche] oder in einem Dluskema [einer Ledertasche, in der ältere Menschen ihre Notwendigkeiten aufbewahren, um nicht nach ihnen suchen zu müssen] oder einer Packung Geldscheine [drei oder mehr, zusammengeklappt] oder einem Bündel Geldscheine [liegend] übereinander, Länge zu Länge], gibt er sie zurück, [dies ist eine Sache, die einen Siman (ein Erkennungszeichen) hat. Denn das Gefäß ist ein Siman, sagt der Besitzer g: "In so und so einem Behälter habe ich sie platziert." Ebenso sind "packen" und "bündeln" ein Siman.] Und wie viele sind ein "Bündel" von Scheinen? Drei zusammengebunden. R. Shimon b. Gamliel sagt: Wenn einer von drei geliehen hat, werden sie an den Schuldner zurückgegeben. [Wenn die drei Rechnungen von einem Schuldner stammen, der von drei verschiedenen Männern geliehen wurde, gibt der Finder sie an den Schuldner zurück, wobei die Rechnungen definitiv von ihm gefallen sind. Denn wenn sie von ihnen (den Gläubigern) gefallen wären, wer hätte sie an einem Ort versammelt? Und das nur mit Rechnungen, die in Beth-Din zertifiziert wurden. Aber mit Rechnungen, die nicht beglaubigt wurden, befürchten wir, dass die drei Gläubiger sie zum Schreiber von Beth-Din gebracht haben könnten, um sie beglaubigen zu lassen, und sie fielen aus der Hand des Schreibers. Es ist jedoch nicht zu befürchten, dass sie dem Schreiber aus der Hand gefallen sind, nachdem er sie beglaubigt hat, denn Männer lassen keine beglaubigten Scheine in der Hand des Schreibers.] Wenn drei von einem geliehen wurden, gibt er sie an den Gläubiger zurück offensichtlich, dass sie von ihm fielen. Und wenn sie alle von der Hand eines Schreibers geschrieben worden wären, befürchten wir, dass sie aus der Hand des Schreibers gefallen sein könnten und dass der Kredit nie vergeben worden wäre, so dass sie nicht zurückgegeben werden.] Wenn er eine Rechnung unter seiner gefunden hätte Rechnungen, und er weiß nicht, was es ist [dh ob der Schuldner es bei ihm oder dem Gläubiger hinterlegt hat oder ob es teilweise bezahlt wurde und es ihm gegeben wurde, als Vermittler zu handeln], es bleibt [in seiner Hand ohne zurückgebracht zu werden], bis Eliyahu ankommt. Wenn er unter ihnen (seinen Rechnungen) eine Quittung findet [geschrieben für eine seiner Rechnungen], tut er, was in der Quittung angegeben ist [und die Rechnung wird als bezahlt angenommen. Und obwohl diese Quittung in der Hand des Schuldners und nicht in der des Gläubigers liegen sollte, gehen wir davon aus, dass der Schuldner dem Gläubiger vertraut und gesagt hat: "Gib es mir morgen", und er hat es vergessen. (Dies, als der Gläubiger die Rechnung fand, für die die Quittung zwischen zerrissenen Rechnungen geschrieben wurde, obwohl sie selbst nicht zerrissen ist)).
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
אגרות שום – that the Jewish court estimated the [value of the] property of the borrower to the creditor in his loan document
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If a man found letters of evaluation, or letters of sustenance, or documents of halitzah or refusal, or documents of arbitration or any document drawn out by the court he should return them. The documents listed in this section are all executed by a court. In such a case we need not fear that the court wrote the document and then did not fulfill what was stated in it, as we feared with regards to the documents mentioned in the previous mishnah. Therefore they can be returned to those named in the documents. A “letter of evaluation” is an evaluation of a person’s property should it need to be sold to pay off his debts. A “letter of sustenance” is permission given to a wife to sell her husband’s property should he not properly provide her with food (or other financial obligations). “Documents of halitzah” are documents that testify to a man’s having declared that he will not perform the levirate marriage (see Deuteronomy 25:5-10). “Documents of refusal” are documents that testify that a woman whose mother or brother (but not father) arranged her marriage when she was a minor refused the marriage when she became an adult. In such a case the woman does not need a regular divorce document, a get. “Documents of arbitration” are documents that state the litigants choices for judges.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ואגרות מזון – that he accepted upon himself to feed the daughter of his wife. Another explanation: that they would sell from the landed property of the husband to support the wife and the daughters.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If he found documents in a satchel or bag, or a bundle of documents he should return them. How many count as a bundle of documents? Three tied up together. If a person finds documents in an identifiable bag he should return them to the person who can identify the bag. In the upcoming chapter we will learn about identifying lost objects.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ומיאונין – that they would write in the document: “In our presence, so-and-so has refused this particular gentleman as her husband.” And this is regarding when a minor whose mother and/or brothers married her off, she does not require a Jewish bill of divorce.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel says: [If one found three documents in which] one borrowed from three others, they should be returned to the borrower. But if [one found three documents in which] one loaned to three, they should be returned to the lender. A set of three documents found together and all containing one name, was in all likelihood lost by that named person. Therefore if three documents state that one person borrowed from three others, it is reasonable that they belonged to the borrower. If the three documents all contain the name of the same creditor who loaned to three different debtors, it is reasonable that the documents belonged to the creditor.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
שטרי בירורין – this one chooses one [judge] and the other party chooses one [judge] who will adjudicate for them.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If a man found a document among his documents and he does not know what is its nature, it must be left until Elijah comes. If a person finds a document amongst his documents that contains the name of a creditor and a debtor, but he doesn’t know who gave him the document, and therefore he doesn’t know if it was paid off, he should hold the document until Elijah comes. In other words he shouldn’t get rid of the document but neither is he permitted to give it to either the creditor or the debtor.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
מצא – [he found] documents.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If there were postscripts amongst them, he should do what is stated in the postscript. If he finds amongst his documents torn or unreadable documents which have with them postscripts which state what needs to be done with the document, he should do what is in the postscript, even though the document itself is torn or unreadable.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
בחפיסה – a small leather bag
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Questions for Further Thought: Mishnah eight, section two: Why in this case is the finder supposed to return the lost documents? Why don’t we worry that they were lost by the writer who changed his mind after writing them and before giving them?
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ודלוסקמא – a leather utensil/box that the elderly hide their utensils so that they don’t have to search after them.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ותכריך של שטרות – three documents or more which are wrapped up one with the other.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ואגודה – that are lying one on top of the other, the length of this one on the length of that one.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
הרי זה יחזיר – since it is something that has a sign; for the utensil is sign when the owners say, “in this particular utensil you found them.”
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
אחד הלוה משלשה – if there are three [loan] documents of one borrower who borrowed from three [different] people, the finder [of these lost documents] should be returned to the borrower, since they had surely fallen from his hand, for if they had fallen from their hands (i.e., the three lenders), who gathered them to one place? And specifically when the documents were authenticated by the Jewish court. But if they were not authenticated, we suspect that perhaps, in order to authenticate them, the three lenders brought them to the scribe of the judges and they fell from the hand of the scribe. And we should not suspect lest after they had been authenticated, they fell from the hand of the scribe, for a person does not delay their confirmation in the hand of the scribe. And if they (i.e., the loan documents) are from three [different] borrowers, who borrowed from one individual, the finder should return them to the lender for the matter is known that they fell from him. And if all three of them were in the writing of one scribe, we suspect lest they fell from the hand of the scribe and they were not [ever] loaned. And therefore, we do not return them.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
מצא שטר בין שטרותיו ואינו יודע מה טיבו – with him – if the borrower deposited it with him or the lender, or lest it was partially paid-off, and they delivered it to him to be the intermediary between them (i.e., the lender and the borrower).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
יהא מונח – in his hand, and he should not return it to either this one or the other one.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ואם יש עמהן סמפון – [codicil]. The one who finds it amongst his documents a receipt that was written on one of his documents.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
יעשה מה שבסמפון – And the [loan] document was under the presumption of having been paid-off, and even though it would have been appropriate for this receipt to have been placed in the hand of the borrower and not in the hand of the lender/creditor, we say that the borrower trusted the lender and said: “tomorrow give it [the receipt] to me,” and he forgot. And this is the case of when a lender found this document upon which was written the receipt, between his torn documents even though it was not torn.
