Si l'un présente un acte de paiement à son voisin, et que l'autre présente [un acte de vente, daté après l'acte de paiement] à l'effet que le premier lui a vendu son champ, [en disant (en effet): Votre facture (de paiement) est un faux, car si je vous avais été redevable, vous ne m'auriez pas vendu votre champ, mais vous auriez réclamé votre dette] —Admon dit: Le second peut dire: si je vous avais été redevable, vous auriez dû réclamer votre dette lorsque vous m'avez vendu le champ. Et les sages disent: Celui-ci (le premier) était «malin», lui vendant le champ afin de pouvoir le prendre en gage (pour la dette). [Car le second avait dispersé son bien afin que le premier ne puisse pas le prendre comme gage de sa dette, et maintenant il (le premier) pouvait prendre la terre. Dans un endroit où l'acheteur paie puis l'acte de vente est rédigé, tous conviennent que le vendeur aurait dû conserver l'argent qu'il a reçu pour sa dette et ne pas avoir rédigé l'acte. Le fait qu'il l'ait écrit est donc la preuve qu'il ne lui est pas redevable. La différence (entre Admon et les sages) se fait à un endroit où ils écrivent l'acte, puis l'acheteur paie l'argent. Admon soutient que le vendeur doit informer (les autres): "Je ne le lui vends que pour pouvoir le prendre comme gage." Et les sages disent: sa non-information des autres découle de son appréhension de sa sortie et que l'autre n'achète pas le champ. La halakha est conforme aux sages.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Ketubot
והלה הוציא שמכר לו את השדה – the borrower brought out against him the latter bill of sale to the loan document and stats that your document is forged, or it is paid off , for if I had been liable to you, you would not have sold me the field that was yours to collect your lien.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Ketubot
Introduction
In the scenario in this mishnah, Reuven takes out a document that says that Shimon owes him money. Shimon claims that he paid back the debt, but that he lost his receipt. The mishnah then discusses a possible clue that Shimon might bring to prove that he already paid Reuven back. Again, Admon and the Sages disagree.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Ketubot
זה היה פקח שמכר לו את השדה – because this one abandoned his movable property, and he did not have from where he could he could mortgage on his lien and now he takes the property. Bu in a place where the purchaser gives Zuzim/money and afterwards the writing of a bill/document of sale, everyone does not disagree that the seller should have tarried with his lien of the money that received and should not write for him the document and since he wrote it, it proves that he does not have a lien upon him, but they argue in a place where they wrote the document and afterwards the purchaser gives the Zuzim/money. Admon holds that he should have sent a declaration (especially a protest before witnesses against a forced or unduly influenced action): “I will not see you other than in order that I am able to mortgage it.” But the Sages state: the fact that he did not send a declaration because he was afraid lest the matter should become known and he would have been prevented from purchasing the field, and the Halakha is according to the Sages.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Ketubot
If a man produced a debt document against another, and the latter produced [a deed of sale showing] that the former had sold him a field, Admon ruled: [The other] can say, had I owed you [anything] you should have been paid pack when you sold me the field”. But the Sages say: This [seller] was clever, since he may have sold him the land in order to be able to take it from him as a pledge. In this case, Reuven takes out a document which states that Shimon owes him money. In response, Shimon takes out a sale document which shows that Reuven sold him a field. Shimon says the fact that Reuven sold him a field and collected money from him, proves that Reuven didn’t believe that Shimon still owed him money. Had Reuven thought that Shimon owed him money, he should have taken out the debt document then and taken the money and not given him the field. Admon rules that Shimon’s words are accepted and that he does not have to repay the debt. However, the Sages rule that Reuven was clever. He may have sold Shimon the land so that later if Shimon defaulted on the debt, Reuven would be able to collect the land. In other words, the fact that Reuven sold him the land does not mean that Reuven didn't think that Shimon owed him money.
