Bava Batra 168B

ופלוני ופלוני עדיו״.

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.

גמ׳ תנו רבנן: איזהו קיומו? ״במותב תלתא הוינא אנו פלוני ופלוני ופלוני, הוציא פלוני בן פלוני שטר מחוק לפנינו ביום פלוני, ופלוני ופלוני עדיו״. ואם כתוב בו: ״הוזקקנו לעדותן של עדים, ונמצאת עדותן מכוונת״⁠ – גובה, ואינו צריך להביא ראיה. ואם לאו, צריך להביא ראיה.

Talmud: A baraita states (Tosefta, Bava Metzia 1:16): What is the text of the ratification document of an erased document? The court writes as follows: We, so-and-so and so-and-so and so-and-so, were sitting as 3 judges, and so-and-so, son of so-and-so, produced an erased document before us, which was written on such and such a date, and so-and-so and so-and-so were its witnesses. And if it is written in this ratification document also: We engaged in the investigation of the testimony of the witnesses and their testimony has been found to be congruent, the creditor can collect his debt on the basis of this ratification document, and he does not need to bring further proof. But if this formula is not written, the creditor needs to bring further proof of the loan in order to collect it.

נקרע ⁠– פסול, נתקרע ⁠– כשר. נמחק או נטשטש ⁠– אם רישומו ניכר, כשר.

The baraita continues with its discussion of damaged documents: If a promissory note was torn intentionally it is not valid, but if it became torn accidentally it is valid. In a case where it was erased or smudged, if its imprint is recognizable, i.e., if the words are still legible, though barely, it is valid.

היכי דמי נקרע, היכי דמי נתקרע? אמר רב יהודה: נקרע ⁠– קרע של בית דין, נתקרע ⁠– קרע שאינו של בית דין.

The Talmud seeks to clarify the terms in the second part of the baraita: What are the circumstances, i.e., what are the defining characteristics, of a document that was torn, and what are the circumstances of a document that became torn? Rav Yehuda says: A document that was torn means that it had a tear created by the court, because they wished to render it not valid due to payment of the loan or some other circumstance. A document that became torn means it had a tear that was not created by the court.