because of

<<the need of

<<his livelihood.

Rav Huna said in the name of Rav:

<<one who says

<<to his fellow:

<<“a field

<<that I

<<am buying —

<<when I buy it,

<<it is acquired

<<to you

<<from now” —

<<he has acquired.

Rava said:

<<it stands to reason —

<<the statement

<<of Rav —

<<with a field

<<unspecified;

<<but

<<with “this

<<field”

<<no.

<<Who

<<says

<<that he will sell

<<it

<<to him?

But by God!

<<Rav said:

<<even

<<with “this

<<field”;

<<for now,

<<Rav —

<<like whom

<<did he say

<<his teaching?

<<Like Rabbi Meir,

<<who said:

<<a person

<<may convey

<<a thing

<<that has not

<<come

<<into the world.

For it was taught:

<<one who says

<<to a woman:

<<“be betrothed

<<to me

<<after

<<I convert”,

<<“after

<<you convert”,

<<“after

<<I am freed”,

<<“after

<<you are freed”,

<<“after

<<dies

<<your husband”,

<<“after

<<performs chalitzah

<<for you

<<your yavam”,

<<“after

<<dies

<<your sister” —

<<she is not

<<betrothed.

Rabbi Meir

<<says:

<<she is betrothed.

But

<<a woman

<<is like “this

<<field”

<<she is,

<<And Rabbi Meir said:

<<she is betrothed.

Shmuel said:

<<one who finds

<<a document of

<<conveyance

<<in the market

<<must return it

<<to the owners.

<<For if

<<because

<<he wrote it

<<to borrow

<<and did not

<<borrow —

<<indeed

<<he obligated

<<himself;

<<and if

<<because of

<<repayment —

<<we are not

<<concerned

<<for repayment.

<<for if

<<it were

<<that he had repaid it,

<<tearing

<<he would

<<have torn

<<it.

Rav Nachman said:

<<my father

<<of

<<the scribes of

<<the judges

<<of Mar Shmuel

<<was,

<<and I was

<<about

<<six

<<or about

<<seven,

<<and I remember

<<that they would

<<announce

<<and say:

<<these

<<documents of

<<conveyance

<<that are found

<<in the market —

<<let us return them

<<to their owners.

Rav Amram said:

<<even

<<we

<<have learned it:

<<every

<<act of

<<a court —

<<he

<<must return;

<<apparently

<<we are not

<<concerned

<<for repayment.

<<Rabbi Zeira said to him:

<<our Mishnah

<<is with documents of

<<confiscation

<<and seizure,

<<which are not

<<subject to repayment

<<they are.

Rava said:

<<and are these

<<not

<<subject to repayment

<<they?

<<But

<<said

<<the Neharde'ans:

<<an appraisal

<<returns

<<up to

<<twelve

<<months of

<<the year.

<<And Ameimar said:

<<I

<<am from Nehardea

<<I,

<<and I hold

<<that an appraisal

<<returns

<<forever.

Rather,

<<Rava said:

<<there

<<this is the reason:

<<for they say

<<he

<<it is

<<who caused loss

<<to himself,

<<for at the time

<<that he repaid him

<<he should have

<<torn up

<<his document,

<<or also

<<written

<<a document

<<another

<<over it.

For by law

<<the land

<<does not

<<need

<<to return,

<<and because of

<<“and you shall do

<<the right

<<and the good

<<in the eyes of

<<Hashem”

<<it is

<<that said

<<the Rabbis

<<it returns.

<<Therefore,

<<from the outset

<<it is

<<that he

<<is buying;

<<he should have

<<written

<<a document of

<<sale.

Regarding

<<a document of

<<debt

<<what

<<is there

<<to say?

<<If

<<it were

<<that he had repaid it,

<<he should have

<<torn up

<<his document.

<<Say

<<putting him off

<<he is putting off

<<him,

<<for he said

<<to him:

<<tomorrow

<<I will give

<<to you,

<<for now

<<it is not

<<with me;

<<or also

<<for the pennies

<<of the scribe

<<he is pressing

<<him.

Rabbi Abahu said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan:

<<one who finds

<<a document of

<<debt

<<in the market —

<<even though

<<it is written

<<in it

<<an authentication —

<<he may not

<<return it

<<to the owners.

It need not be said

<<where

<<is not

<<written

<<in it

<<an authentication,

<<for one can say

<<he wrote it

<<to borrow

<<and did not

<<borrow;

<<but

<<even

<<written

<<in it

<<an authentication —

<<and what

<<is that?

<<That it is verified —

<<he may not

<<return it,

<<for we are concerned

<<for repayment.

Objected

<<Rabbi Yirmeya

<<to Rabbi Abahu:

<<every

<<act of

<<a court —

<<he

<<must return!

<<He said to him:

<<Yirmeya

<<my son,

<<not

<<all

<<acts of

<<a court

<<are alike;

<<rather,

<<such as

<<where he was established

<<a denier.

Rava said:

<<and because

<<he was established

<<a denier

<<one

<<time,

<<any more

<<he does not

<<repay

<<at all?!

<<Rather,

<<Rava said:

<<our Mishnah

<<is with a document of

<<confiscation

<<and seizure,

<<and like Rabbi Zeira.

And a denier —

<<since

<<it has come

<<to our hand,

<<let us say

<<about it

<<a word.

<<For Rav Yosef bar Minyomi said in the name of Rav Nachman:

<<if they said

<<to him:

<<“go

<<give

<<to him”,