Study Bava Batra folio 151A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
כותבין שטר למוכר ואף על פי שאין לוקח עמו; כיון שהחזיק זה בקרקע – נקנה שטר כל מקום שהוא. וזו היא ששנינו: נכסים שאין להן אחריות, נקנין עם הנכסים שיש להן אחריות – בכסף ובשטר ובחזקה.
A scribe may write a deed of sale for the seller of property at the seller’s request, even if the buyer is not with him when he presents his request, as the deed obligates only the seller. In this case, once this one, the buyer, has taken possession of the land, the deed is acquired, wherever it is. And this is as it is stated in the Mishnah that we learned (Kiddushin 26a): Property that does not serve as a guarantee can be acquired together with the property that serves as a guarantee by means of money, by means of a deed, or by taking possession of it. One can learn from this that a deed is included in the term: Property that does not serve as a guarantee.
בהמה איקרי ״נכסי״, דתנן: המקדיש נכסיו והיתה בהן בהמה ראויה לגבי מזבח; זכרים – עולות, ונקבות – ימכרו לצרכי זבחי שלמים. עופות איקרי ״נכסי״, דתנן: המקדיש נכסיו והיו בהן דברים הראויין לגבי מזבח – יינות, שמנים ועופות.
An animal is called property, as we learned in a Mishnah (Shekalim 12a): In a case of one who consecrated his property, and on the property there were animals fit to be sacrificed upon the altar, male animals are sacrificed as burnt-offerings, and female animals are sold for the purpose of being sacrificed as peace-offerings. Birds are called property, as we learned in a Mishnah (Shekalim 12a): In a case of one who consecrated his property, and on the property there were items that were fit to be sacrificed upon the altar, e.g., wines, oils, and birds, R' Eliezer says: They are sold for the needs of that kind of item, i.e., to individuals who will use them as such.
תפלין איקרי ״נכסי״, דתנן: המקדיש נכסיו, מעלין לו תפלין. איבעיא להו: ספר תורה מאי? כיון דלא מזדבן – דאסור לזבוניה – לאו נכסי הוא; או דלמא, כיון דמזדבן ללמוד תורה ולישא אשה – נכסי הוא? תיקו.
tefillin are called property, as we learned in a Mishnah (Arakhin 23b): With regard to one who consecrates his property, the value of his tefillin is assessed for him and he redeems them by paying their value to the Temple treasury. A dilemma was raised before the rabbis: With regard to a Torah scroll, what is the halakha? Is it considered property or not? Does one say that since it is not sold, as it is prohibited to sell a Torah scroll, it is therefore not considered property? Or perhaps one says that since it may be sold in order to enable one to study Torah or to marry a woman, it is considered property. The Talmud concludes: The dilemma should stand unresolved.