Jerusalem Talmud Bava Batra 10:2

משנה: גֵּט פָּשׁוּט עֵדָיו שְׁנַיִם וּמְקוּשָּׁר עֵדָיו שְׁלֹשָׁה. פָּשׁוּט שֶׁכָּתַב בּוֹ עֵד אֶחָד וּמְקוּשָּׁר שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ שְׁנַיִם שְׁנֵיהֶן פְּסוּלִין. כָּתוּב בּוֹ זוּזִין מְאָה דִי הִימּוֹ סִלְעִין עֶשְׂרִין אֵין לוֹ אֶלֶּא עֶשְׂרִים. זוּזִין מְאָה דִי הִימּוֹ סִלְעִין תְּלָתִין אֵין לוֹ אֶלָּא מְנָה. כְּסַף זוּזִין דִּי אִינּוּן וְנִמְחַק אֵין פָּחוּת מִשְּׁנַיִם. כְּסַף סִלְעִין דִּי אִינּוּן וְנִמְחֲקוּ אֵין פָּחוּת מִשְּׁנַיִם. דַּרְכּוֹנוֹת דִּי אִינּוּן וְנִמְחַק אֵין פָּחוּת מִשְּׁנַיִם. MISHNAH: A simple document has two witnesses and a knotted one three. A simple [document] in which one [witness] signed or a knotted one where two signed are both invalid. If there is written in it “100 zuz which are 20 tetradrachmas,” he only has 20⁴⁵If a document contains two different amounts, the smaller one is operative. Since 100 zuz (denars) equal 25 tetradrachmas, the contract only calls for payment of 20 tetradrachmas.. “100 zuz which are 30 tetradrachmas,” he only has a mina⁴⁶100 drachmas (denars).. “Silver zuzim which are” and the rest is erased, is for no less than two⁴⁷Any indefinite plural has to be interpreted as 2, the smallest integer >1.. “Silver tetradrachmas which are” and the rest is erased, is for no less than two. “Dareikos⁴⁸A Persian gold coin. The Yerushalmi in Šeqalim 2:3 identifies the Δαρεικός with the Roman gold denar. which are” and the rest is erased, is for no less than two.

הלכה: גֵּט פָּשׁוּט עֵדָיו שְׁנַיִם כול׳. תַּנֵּי. זוּזִין דִּינוּן וְנִמְחֲקוּ. חֲמִשָּׁה. וַהֲלָהּ אוֹמֵר. אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא שְׁנַיִם. תַּמָּן אָֽמְרֵי. בֶּן עַזַּאי וְרִבִּי עֲקִיבָה. חַד אָמַר. נוֹתֵן שְׁנַיִם וְנִשְׁבַּע עַל הַשְּׁאָר. וְחַד אָמַר. כֵּיוָן שֶׁאִילּוּ לֹא הוֹדָה לוֹ כָּל־עִיקָּר לֹא הָיָה לוֹ אֶלָּא שְׁנַיִם אֵינוֹ נִשְׁבַּע אֶלָּא עַל מַה שֶׁהוֹדָה. HALAKHAH: “A simple document has two witnesses,” etc. It was stated: “Zuzin which are” and the rest was erased⁴⁹A document where it is clear that the amount is written in the plural; therefore the IOU is worth at least two. The amount is illegible.. Five⁵⁰The amount claimed by the creditor., but the other says, they were only two. There⁵¹In Babylonia., they say, Ben Azzai and Rebbi Aqiba. One of them said, he pays two and swears about the remainder⁵²Following the principle that in the absence of proof the debtor has to swear that he does not owe more than he admitted. The debtor has to swear only if either the creditor can prove that the debtor owes him something or the debtor admits to part of the creditor’s claim (cf. Bava meṣia‘ 1:1, Note 9).. But the other said, since if this one had not agreed to anything, the other could only have collected two, he should only have to swear on what he conceded⁵³Since the Mishnah grants the creditor the right to collect two zuzim, the debtor did not confess to owing anything for which the creditor does not have documentary proof. Therefore, he should not have to swear. From the Babli, Bava meṣia‘ 4b, it seems that in its tradition this latter opinion is R. Aqiba’s..