Mishnayos Bava Basra Perek 10 Mishnah 6
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בבא בתרא פרק י׳ משנה ו׳
In the case of a creditor whose promissory note has become erased, he should produce witnesses who remember the details of the document to testify about it. And they come before the court, and they ratify his promissory note for him, stating: The promissory note of so-and-so was erased, and it stated that a loan for such and such an amount took place on such and such a date, and so-and-so and so-and-so were its witnesses. The ratification document is signed, and it may be used as a replacement for the erased document. In the case of a debtor who repaid part of his debt, Rabbi Yehuda says: The creditor should exchange the promissory note for a new one stating the current balance and tear up the first promissory note. Rabbi Yosei says: The creditor may keep the original promissory note, and he should write a receipt for the payment he has received and give it to the debtor as proof of his partial payment of the sum recorded in the old note. Rabbi Yehuda said with regard to this arrangement: It is found that this debtor must now guard his receipt against being destroyed by mice, as if he no longer has the receipt, he will have to pay the entire sum recorded in the promissory note. Rabbi Yosei said to him: This situation is fitting for him; it is better that this procedure be followed, and the strength of the claim of this creditor not be weakened.
מִי שֶׁנִּמְחַק שְׁטַר חוֹבוֹ, מְעִידִין עָלָיו עֵדִים, וּבָא לִפְנֵי בֵית דִּין וְעוֹשִׂין לוֹ קִיּוּם, אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי בֶן פְּלוֹנִי נִמְחַק שְׁטָרוֹ בְּיוֹם פְּלוֹנִי, וּפְלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי עֵדָיו. מִי שֶׁפָּרַע מִקְצָת חוֹבוֹ, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, יַחֲלִיף. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, יִכְתּוֹב שׁוֹבֵר. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, נִמְצָא זֶה צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת שׁוֹמֵר שׁוֹבְרוֹ מִן הָעַכְבָּרִים. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, כָּךְ יָפֶה לוֹ, וְלֹא יוּרַע כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל זֶה:
Bartenura
מי שנמחק שטר חובו. ויש עדים שראו כשנמחק מעצמו או נטשטש על ידי מים:
מעמיד עליו עדים. שיודעים מאימתי נכתב ומה היה כתוב בו, והן עושין לו קיום בפני בית דין וכותבין לו כל מה שהיה כתוב באותו שטר:
יחליף. יקרע אותו שטר ויכתבו לו אחר כפי החשבון הנשאר:
נמצא זה. הלוה צריך לשמור שוברו מן העכברים, שאם יאבד יגבה המלוה את כל חובו:
אמר רבי יוסי וכן יפה לו. למלוה, שיהא הלוה צריך לשמור שוברו וימהר לפרוע לו, ולא ירע כחו של מלוה לכתוב שטר אחר, שהיה זמן חובו מוקדם וישוב עתה מאוחר ולא יוכל לטרוף לקוחות אלא מזמן השטר השני. והלכה כרבי יוסי שכותבין שובר:
מי שנמחק שטרו – and there were witnesses who saw when it was blotted out on its own, or smudged by water.
מעמיד עליו עדים – that know from when it was written and what was written in it, and they make for him an attestation before a Jewish court and they write for him everything that had been written in that document.
יחליף – he should tear the document and write another according to the remaining balance.
נמצא זה – the borrower needs to guard his receipt from the mice, for if he loses it, the creditor will collect all of his liability.
אמר רבי יוסי וכן יפה לו – to the creditor, for the borrower must guard his receipt and hurry to pay him back, and no harm will come to the creditor to write another document that had an advanced time for the liability [to be paid off] and that he returns now and he would not be able to seize the sold property unlawfully other than from the time of the second document. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yosi that we write a receipt.