משנה: דִּינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה. זֶה בּוֹרֵר לוֹ אֶחָד וְזֶה בּוֹרֵר לוֹ אֶחָד וּשְׁנֵיהֶן בּוֹרְרִין לָהֶן עוֹד אֶחָד דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים שְׁנֵי הַדַּייָּנִים בּוֹרְרִין לָהֶן עוֹד אֶחָד. MISHNAH: Money matters by three [judges]. Each party selects one judge and both together select a third, the words of Rebbi Meïr1The “court” is a panel of arbitration. The parties have the option to go before the permanent court of the community but are not required to do so.. But the Sages say, the two judges together select a third.
הלכה: דִּינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה כול׳. אָמַר רִבִּי זֵירָא. שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ שֶׁבֵּירְרוֹ מְרַדֵּף זְכוּתוֹ. מַאי טַעֲמָא דְרִבִּי מֵאִיר. כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְבָּֽרְרוּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּן מִדַּעַת אַחַת. וּמַאי טַעֲמוֹן דְּרַבָּנִן. לָאו כּוּלָּא מִינָּךְ מִיבְחַר וּמֵיסַב מַה דְאַתְּ בָּעֵי אֶלָּא אֲנָא וְאַתְּ מְבַחֲרִין וּמֵסַבִּין מַה דְּנָן בְּעָייָן. וְקַשְׁיָא עַל דְּרַבָּנִן. מֵת אֶחָד לֹא נִמְצְאוּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּן מִתְבָּֽרְרִין מִדַּעַת אַחַת. HALAKHAH: “Money matters by three,” etc. Rebbi Zeˋira said, because he selected him, he will take care of his interests2The arbitration judgment will be acceptable to all parties since each party expects his point of view to be forcefully represented. The Babli, 23a, holds that the judgment will be just since each party is represented in the panel of arbitrators.. What is Rebbi Meïr’s reason? So that all three should be chosen unanimously. What is the rabbis’ reason? “I do not trust you to select and let me sit with whom you want, but I and you shall select and empanel whom we want.3The judges cannot be forced to sit with a third judge who is not agreeable to them.” It is difficult for the rabbis: If one of them4If one of the original judges dies after the third has been chosen, his replacement who is chosen by one party only and is forced upon the two judges already empaneled. The situation preferred by Rebbi Meïr may develop also if the rabbis are followed. dies, will not all three have been chosen through the choice of one person?