Study Bava Batra folio 45B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
המפקיד אצל חבירו בעדים – אינו צריך להחזיר לו בעדים? לא סלקא דעתך – אלא המפקיד אצל חבירו בעדים, צריך להחזיר לו בעדים.
in the case of one who deposits an item with another in the presence of witnesses the recipient need not return it to him in the presence of witnesses? If that were to be so, the craftsman could claim that he had returned it to the owner, even though there are no witnesses. That possibility should not enter your mind. Rather, in the case of one who deposits an item with another in the presence of witnesses, the recipient must return it to him in the presence of witnesses. Therefore, the craftsman could not have claimed that he returned it to the owner.
מיתיבי אביי: ראה עבדו ביד אומן, וטליתו ביד כובס, אמר לו: ״מה טיבו אצלך?״ ״אתה מכרתו לי״, ״אתה נתתו לי במתנה״ – לא אמר כלום. ״בפני אמרת לו למוכרו וליתנו לו במתנה״ – דבריו קיימין.
Abaye raises an objection to Rabba’s ruling from a baraita (Tosefta 2:6): There is a case where one saw his slave in the possession of a craftsman, or his cloak in the possession of a launderer, and says to him: What is the nature of its presence in your possession? If the craftsman or launderer replied: You sold me the slave or cloak, or: You gave the slave or cloak to me as a gift, he has not said anything, and must return it, since a craftsman does not establish the presumption of ownership. But if the craftsman or launderer replied: You said in my presence to someone else to sell the slave or cloak to him or to give the slave or cloak to him, i.e., to sell or give the slave or cloak to the craftsman or launderer himself, as a gift, then his statement is valid.