משנה: גֵּט פָּשׁוּט עֵדָיו מִתּוֹכוֹ וּמְקוּשָּׁר עֵדָיו מֵאֲחוֹרָיו. פָּשׁוּט שֶׁכָּֽתְבוּ עֵדָיו מֵאֲחוֹרָיו וּמְקוּשָּׁר שֶׁכָּֽתְבוּ עֵדָיו מִתּוֹכוֹ שְׁנֵיהֶן פְּסוּלִין. רִבִּי חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר מְקוּשָּׁר שֶׁכָּֽתְבוּ עֵדָיו מִתּוֹכוֹ כָּשֵׁר מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ פָשׁוּט. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר הַכֹּל כְּמִנְהַג הַמְּדִינָה. MISHNAH: The witnesses to an simple document1A normal document whose witnesses sign below the text. sign inside, to a knotted2A knotted document is signed on the verso, between the folds. According to Rashbam (Commentary to Bava batra 10:1), the document was written with wide spaces between the lines, then was folded and sewn so that the document text was hidden and a witness signed the fold on the back. The number of witnesses must equal the number of folds. But the text below indicates that the text was written before it was folded and sealed. A valid document must be folded at least three times.
The basic use for “knotted” documents was for real estate transactions, probably to hide the financial data from public knowledge. Such a document was certainly impossible in Egypt, where all real estate transactions had to be filed with the State registrar. Its validity in rabbinic tradition is given a biblical basis. It seems from the discussion in Babli Bava batra 10 that the use of “knotted” documents among Jews was mainly a Palestinian peculiarity (such documents have been found in the Judean desert.) In fact, it was a typically Greek form of document (cf. S. Lieberman, יװנית ויװנות בארץ ישראל Jerusalem 1962, p. 20 ff.) one on its back. A simple document whose witnesses signed on its back3In order to eliminate fraud, witnesses on an open document must start to sign below the text, leaving exactly one line free. and a knotted one whose witnesses signed on its interior both are invalid. Rebbi Ḥananiah ben Gamliel says, a knotted one whose witnesses signed inside4Following the rules of open documents. is valid since one can turn it into a simple one. Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says, everything follows local custom.
הלכה: גֵּט פָּשׁוּט עֵידָיו מִתּוֹכוֹ כול׳. וּמְנַיִין לְגֵט הַמְקוּשָּׁר. אָמַר רִבִּי אִימִּי. וָאֶקַּח אֶת סֵפֶר הַמִּקְנָה. וְאֶת הֶחָתוּם. זֶה הַמְקוּשָּׁר. וְאֶת הַגָּלוּי. זֶה הַפָּשׁוּט שֶׁבַּמְקוּשָּׁר. וְאֶת הַמִּצְוָה וְאֶת הַחֻקִּים. שֶׁבֵּין זֶה לָזֶה. אֶלָּא שֶׁזֶּה בִשְׁנַיִם וְזֶה בִשְׁלֹשָׁה. זֶה מִתּוֹכוֹ וְזֶה מֵאֲחוֹרָיו. HALAKHAH: “The witnesses to an open document are inside,” etc. 5A similar text is in Gittin 8:10:2" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Gittin.8.10.2">Giṭṭin 8:12, Notes 107–112. From where that a document can be knotted? Rebbi Immi said: “I took the sale document and the sealed6Jeremiah.32.11">Jer. 32:11: “I took the document of acquisition, the sealed one, the orders and rules, and the public one.” The verse clearly states that a sealed document is the main object, accompanied by a public document. The same argument is stated in the Babli, 160b.”, that is the knotted [document]. “And the open,” that is the simple, part of the knotted7The text of the document, whose formulation is identical whether sealed or public.. “And the orders and the rules”; orders and rules differ between these, for one is with two [witnesses], the other with three8A public document needs two witnesses, a sealed (knotted) one at least three.; one in it, the other on its back9A simple document is signed by the witnesses on the recto of the sheet, starting exactly one line after the end of the text. A knotted document is signed on the verso, between the folds..
וְרַבָּנִן דְּקַיְסָרִין אָֽמְרִין. וָאֶקַּח אֶת סֵפֶר הַמִּקְנָה. זֶה הַפָּשׁוּט. וְאֶת הֶחָתוּם. זֶה הַמְקוּשָּׁר. וְאֶת הַגָּלוּי. זֶה הַפָּשׁוּט שֶׁבַּמְקוּשָּׁר. וְאֶת הַמִּצְוָה וְאֶת הַחֻקִּים. שֶׁבֵּין זֶה לָזֶה. אֶלָּא שֶׁזֶּה בִשְׁנַיִם וְזֶה בִשְׁלֹשָׁה. וְזֶה מִתּוֹכוֹ וְזֶה מֵאֲחוֹרָיו. But the rabbis of Caesarea say, “I took the sale document”, that is the simple one. “And the sealed”, that is the knotted [document]. “And the open,” that is the simple, part of the knotted. “And the orders and the rules”; orders and rules differ between these, for one is with two [witnesses], the other with three; one in it, the other on its back.
רִבִּי אִידִי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה. הִלְכַת מְקוּשָּׁר כָּךְ הוּא. כּוֹתֵב שֵׁם הַמַּלְוֶה וְשֵׁם הַלּוֹוֶה וְשֵם הָעֵדִים וּזְמַן. וּמְקַשְּׁרוֹ וְחוֹזֵר וְכוֹתֵב כֵּן מִלְּמַטָּה. חָשׁ לוֹמַר שֶׁמָּא זִיֵּיף. אָמַר רַב הוּנָא. לְעוֹלָם אֵין הָעַדִים חוֹתְמִין מִלְּמַטָּן עַד שֶׁיִּקְרְאוּ בוֹ מִלְּמַעֲלָן. אֲנִי פְלוֹנִי בֶּן פְלוֹנִי מְקוּבָּל עָלַי כָּל־הַכָּתוּב לְמַעֲלָן. Rebbi Idi in the name of Rebbi Jeremiah. The practice for a knotted one is the following. One writes the lender’s name, and the borrower’s name, the witnesses’ names, and the time. Then one knots it and repeats the text below10In fact, one folds the document and writes the main text a second time on the outside, followed by the witnesses’ signatures, and ties the document. The document is valid only if the texts inside and outside coincide and the names of the witnesses are confirmed by the inside text.. But should one not be afraid that maybe he falsifies11How can the witnesses be sure that the writer of the document will not falsify the document after they affixed their signatures? For a simple document there is no problem since anything following the signatures has to be disregarded. For a sealed document with signatures at a right angle there is no problem since any text not covered by the signatures at the back has to be disregarded. But if the signatures are affixed while the document is being written, where are the guarantees?? Rav Huna said, witnesses never sign below unless they first read in the text above: “I X son of Y accept everything written above.”
רִבִּי בָּא בְשֵׁם רַב יִרְמְיָה. צְרִיכִין הָעֵדִים לִהְיוֹת רְחוֹקִים מִן הַכְּתָב מְקוֹם שְׁתֵּי שִׁיטִּין. רִבִּי אִידִי בְשֵׁם רַב יִרְמְיָה. מְקוּשָּׁר שֶׁכָּֽתְבוּ עֵדָיו לְאָרְכּוֹ. פָּשׁוּט שֶׁכָּֽתְבוּ עֵדָיו לְרָחְבּוֹ. אָהֵן מִלְּגֵיו וְאָהֵן מִלְּבַּר. אֵיכִי עֲבִיד. אָמַר רִבִּי מָנָא. כֵּיצַד הָעֵדִים חוֹתְמִין בַּגֵּט הַמְקוּשָּׁר. אָמַר רַב חוּנָה. בֵּין קֶשֶׁר לַקֶּשֶׁר. אָמַר רִבִּי אִידִי. וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא בֵּין עֵדִים לַשְּׁטָר מְקוֹם ב̇ שִׁיטִּין. Rebbi Abba in the name of Rav Jeremiah: The signatures of the witnesses must be two blank lines away from the text13The following discussion shows that one must read: “The signatures of the witnesses may not be two empty lines away from the text.
All talmudic sources require that on a simple document there be exactly one line between the concluding formula of a document and the witnesses’ signatures. This is Hellenistic practice, cf. Taubenschlag (loc. cit. Bava meṣia‘ 1, Note 84) p. 36.. Rebbi Idi in the name of Rav Jeremiah: On a knotted document the witnesses sign lengthwise14He follows up on his earlier statement that the names of the witnesses must be mentioned in the text of the document. Then the document is folded after completion and the witnesses sign lengthwise on the outside.; on a simple document the witnesses sign across15Below the text, as explained later in the following.. The first one on the outside, the latter one on the inside. Rebbi Mana said, [ ]16R. Mana’s statement is missing. It is found in Gittin 9:7:2" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Gittin.9.7.2">Giṭṭin 9:8 (Note 108): “R. Mana said, if he started at the end of the second line and ended at the fourth line, it is valid.” If the first witness starts to sign towards the end of the second line after the text and the second witness then finishes on the fourth line, the document is valid since exactly one line is empty after the final clause; the document cannot be falsified by additions.. How do the witnesses sign on a knotted document? Rav Huna said, between two knots17Since before opening the document one must verify that it has the required number of signatures, it must be folded in such a way that the signatures can be read when it is still tied.. Rebbi Idi said, but between witnesses’ signatures and the document there may not be space for two lines18Cf. Note 13..
שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר װָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. חָלָק מְקוֹם שְׁנֵי שִׁיטִּין לְעִנְייָן אֶחָד אֲפִילוּ כָּל־שֶׁהוּא. אָמַר רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר רַב יִצְחָק. מַתְנִיתָא אָֽמְרָה כֵן. עֵד אֶחָד עִבְרִי וְעֵד אֶחָד יְװָנִי. וְעִבְרִי גַּבֵּי יְװָנִי לֹא בְעִינן אֶחָד הוּא. כַּמָּה יְהוּ הָעֵדִים רְחוֹקִים מִן הַכְּתָב. כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהוּ מַקְרִים עִמּוֹ. דִּבְרֵי רִבִּי. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר. מְלֹא שִׁיטָּה. רִבִּי דּוֹסִתַּא בֶּן יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר. מְלֹא חֲתִימַת יְדֵי הָעֵדִים. רַב יִרְמְיָה בְשֵׁם רַב אָמַר. מְשַׁעֲרִין אוֹתוֹ עַד כְּדֵי לך ולך. בְּאֵי זֶה כְתַב מְשַׁעֲרִין אוֹתוֹ. רִבִי יָסָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי שׁוּבְתַּי. מְלֹא חֲתִימַת יְדֵי הָעֵדִים. 19This essentially is a text from Gittin 9:7:2" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Gittin.9.7.2">Giṭṭin 9:8, Notes 105–115. Simeon bar Abba in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: An empty space of two lines in a text about one subject in any case [invalidates]20Since text may be inserted in the document after the witnesses signed.. Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac said: The Mishnah says so21Gittin 9:7:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Gittin.9.7.1">Mishnah Giṭṭin 9:8, explained there Note 102.: “One Hebrew- and one Greek-writing witness …” Is not Hebrew combined with Greek one item? 22Tosephta Giṭṭin 7:11–12.“How far from the text should the witnesses sign? That they can be read with it23The signatures can be read with a text if the first signature be exactly one line away from the text., the words of Rebbi. Rebbi Simeon ben Eleazar says, one full line. Rebbi Dositheos ben Jehudah says, the width of the witnesses’ handwriting.” Rav Jeremiah said in the name of Rav: One estimates לך ולך24The line must accomodate letters extending both above and below the usual writing space; Babli 163a.. Rebbi Yasa in the name of Rebbi Sabbatai: the width of the witnesses’ handwriting.
חִזְקִיָה אָמַר. וּבִלְבַד לְקוּלָּא. שֶׁאִם הָיָה חוֹתָם יְדֵי הָעֵדִים דַּק וְהַכְּתָב גַּס הוֹלְכִין אַחַר הַגַּס. חוֹתָם יְדֵי הָעֵדִים גַּס וְהַכְּתָב דַּק הוֹלְכִין אַחַר הַדַּק. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק אִין הֲוָה כְגוֹן יוֹסֵי בֶּן יַנַּאי מְשַׁעֲרִין כְּדֵי מֶלֶךְ וּבֶן מֶלֶךְ. Ḥizqiah said, only for leniency25The larger of the handwritings of the scribe and the first witness is the measure of the width of “one line” in the Tosephta; Babli 162b.. If the witnesses’ handwriting was small and the text large, one follows the large. If the witnesses’ handwriting was large and the text small, one follows the small26For practical purposes, the scribe prepares lines on parchment or papyrus before writing the document; his lines determine everything.. Rebbi Isaac says: If his name was, e. g., Yose ben Yannai one estimates as if it were Melekh ben Melekh27This is a repetition of the argument of Bava Batra 10:1:6" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Bava_Batra.10.1.6">Note 23; in Giṭṭin it is the answer to a question by R. Jeremiah. The statement is that יוסי נ׳ ינאי will get as much space above and below as מלך בן מלך..
רִבִּי אִידִי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה. צָרִיךְ לְהַרְחִיק מִן הַמַּחַק מְקוֹם שְׁתֵּי שִׁיטִּין. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק. וְאֲפִילוּ פָשׁוּט. רַב אָמַר. מַחַק אוֹ תְלוּת שֶׁבִּכְתָב הַזֶּה זֶהוּ קִיּוּמוֹ. רַב אָמַר. זֶהוּ קִיּוּמוֹ. רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יִצְחָק בֶּן חֲקוּלָא. כָּל־מַה שֶׁאַתְּ יָכוֹל לִתְלוֹת בְּמַחַק תְּלֵה. מָהוּ כָּל־מַה שֶׁאַתְּ יָכוֹל לִתְלוֹת בְּמַחַק תְּלֵה. רִבִּי יָסָא קוֹצֵירָה חַתְנֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי יוֹסֵה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹסֵה. סִמְפוֹן כָּתוּב מִלְּעֵיל וְסִימְפוֹן מְחִיק מִלְּרַע. אֲנִי אוֹמֵר. גָּמְּרוּ לַעֲשׂוֹתָן קִידּוּשִׁין גְּמוּרִין. בְּגִין דְלָא מֵיצָר בֵּינֵיה גֵט מָֽחְקֵיהּ. וְרַבָּנִן חָשְׁשִׁין דְּלָא מֵיצָר בֵּינֵיה גֵט. Rebbi Idi in the name of Rebbi Jeremiah: One has to expand two lines from an erasure28After an erasure, the text has to continue for at least another two lines.. Rebbi Isaac said, even for a simple document29Even for a simple document, the text has to continue for two lines since the last line simply contains the formula stating the validity of the preceding text, which cannot serve as a confirmation.. Rav said, an erasure or an insertion must be confirmed in writing30Both an erasure and an insertion by writing between lines must be referred to in the continuing text.. Rav said, “this is its confirmation”31Rav prescribes the formula: “this is confirmation of [erasure/insertion] x”. The same is required in the Babli, 161b, in the name of R. Joḥanan.. Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Isaac ben Haqula: Any erasure has to be given a maximal interpretation. What means, any erasure has to be given a maximal interpretation? Rebbi Yasa the fuller, son-in-law to Rebbi Yose, in the name of Rebbi Yose: “Contract”32Cf. Gittin 7:6:3" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Gittin.7.6.3">Giṭṭin 7:6, Notes 133–139. The name of “contract”, τὸ σύμφωνον, is given to the contract stating a conditional preliminary marriage. If the groom satisfies the condition within a certain time frame, the preliminary marriage is valid from the moment of signing the contract. If he fails to satisfy the condition in the pre-established time frame, the woman is not preliminarily married and may marry any other man. is written on top, “contract” erased below. I am saying, they decided to make it an unconditional preliminary marriage. They erased it in order not to make an insertion in the document33Since they already had formulated all the financial terms of the marriage, they preferred to erase the mention of symphon in the final summary, which automatically made the symphon clause unenforceable, instead of inserting between the lines a note annulling the symphon clause., because the rabbis are suspicious of insertions in documents34The insertion would have required another lengthening of the document by a text confirming the insertion..
שְׁטָר נְפַק רִבִּי חוּנָה לְרִבִּי שַׁמַּי. אוֹגְדוֵֹי מְחִיק קוֹנְטָא לָא מְחִיק. אֲמַר רִבִּי חוּנָה לְרִבִּי שַׁמַּי. פּוּק חֲמִי עַד הַהֵן אָהֵן קוֹנְטָא מְשַׁמֵּשׁ. נְפַק וָמַר. עִם טְרִייָא קוֹנְטָא. מִי נְפַק אֲמַר. הָדָא מִיבַּעֵי מִיתְגָּרֵה תְלַת' אַפְסַדְתְּ עֶשְׂרִ'. Rebbi Huna35As a born Babylonian, he knew no Greek. handed a document to Rebbi Shammai. Ὸγδοή- was on an erasure, -κοντα was not on an erasure. Rebbi Ḥuna told Rebbi Shammai, find out what is the minimum with which -κοντα is used36Since the amount of the debt stated in the document, ὀγδοήκοντα (80) was partially written on an erasure and the number was not confirmed later in the text, one had to assume that the document was falsified after it had been witnessed. But since κοντα was clearly readable as original text, the document was good to collect τριάκοντα (30), the smallest multiple of 10 whose name is formed with -κοντα.. He went out and said, τριάκοντα. After they left, he said, this one wanted to gain 30 and lost 2037Rebbi Ḥuna had the impression that the original document was for πεντήκοντα (50); instead of an intended gain of 30 the forgery resulted in a loss of 20 (H. M. Pineles). One has to read תלת׳ (i. e., תלתין) instead of תלת, and עשר׳ (i. e. עשרין) instead of עשר..
חשיב רִבִּי לְקַייֵם דִּבְרֵי רִבִּי חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל. גּוּפוֹ שֶׁלְּגֵט מוֹכִיחַ עָלָיו אִם פָּשׁוּט הוּא אִם אֵינוֹ פָשׁוּט. מָהוּ גוּפוֹ שֶׁלְּגֵט. אָמַר רִבִּי בָּא. מִדָּמַר רַב הוּנָא. לְעוֹלָם אֵין הָעֵדִים חוֹתְמִין מִלְּמַטָּה עַד שֶׁיִּקְרְאוּ בוֹ מִלְּמַעֲלָן. אֲנִי פְלוֹנִי בֶּן פְּלוֹנִי מְקוּבַּל אֲנִי עָלַי כָּל־מַה שֶׁכָּתוּב לְמַעֲלָן. וְהָתַנֵּי. טוֹפֶס שְׁטָרוֹת כֵּן הוּא. אָמַר רִבִּי מָנִי. טוֹפֶס שְׁטָרוֹת מְקוּשָּׁרוֹת כֵּן הוּא. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבִּין. וַאֲפִילוּ תֵימַר. הוּא פָשׁוּט הוּא מְקוּשָּׁר. בְּפָשׁוּט מְעַכֵּב בִּמְקוּשָּׁר אֵינוֹ מְעַכֵּב. רִבִּי יוּדָה אוֹמֵר. בְּמוֹסִיף עַל הַהֲלָכָה. פָּשׁוּט בִּשְׁנַיִם מְקוּשָּׁר בִּשְׁלשָׁה. וְהֵן עוֹשִׂין אוֹתוֹ בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה. פָּשׁוּט מִתּוֹכוֹ מְקוּשָּׁר מֵאַחֲרָיו. וְהֵן עוֹשִׂין אוֹתוֹ מִתּוֹכוֹ וּמֵאֲחֲרָיו. “Rebbi answered to confirm the words of Rebbi Ḥananiah ben Gamliel: The main text of the document proves whether it is simple or not simple.39In Tosephta 11:1 and Babli 164 a/b, Rebbi is reported to disprove R. Ḥananiah ben Gamliel’s statement since the regnal year dating conventions for both kinds of documents are different. Also in the statement here, confirm somehow means disprove.
The Babli’s argument would not apply to the Roman Empire under the Principate when years were still characterized by the names of the Consuls.” What is the main text of a document? Rebbi Abba said, as Rav Huna said: witnesses never sign below unless they first read before them: “I X son of Y accept everything written above.” And did we not state: this is the formula for documents of indebtedness40Of all kinds.? Rebbi Mani said, this is the formula for knotted documents of indebtedness41But it only has to appear on the second (outer) text.. Rebbi Abbin said, even if you say, it is the same for simple and knotted, for a simple document it is indispensable, for a knotted one it is not indispensable42Since the witnesses have to be enumerated by name in the inner text.. Rebbi Jehudah43He is R. Yudan. says, if one adds to the practice44While the rules for simple and knotted documents are different, it is easy to write a document in compliance with both sets of rules. Therefore, R. Ḥananiah’s statement can be confirmed (at least in most cases.) In contrast to the Babli, this presupposes that the same naming conventions apply to both kinds of contracts.. A simple document has two [winesses], a knotted one three, but they do it with three. A simple document inside, a knotted one on its back, but they do it inside and on its back.