Study Bava Metzia folio 3A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
ואיכא למימר כולה למר, ואיכא למימר כולה למר, אמר סומכוס: ממון המוטל בספק חולקין בלא שבועה, הכא, דליכא דררא דממונא, דאיכא למימר דתרוייהו היא, לא כל שכן!
and there is room to say that it belongs entirely to one of them, and there is also room to say that it belongs entirely to the other one, and nevertheless Sumakhos says that since it is property of uncertain ownership they divide it without taking an oath, then here, where the litigants have no financial association with the item, as there is room to say that it belongs to both of them, all the more so is it not clear that they should divide it without taking an oath?
אפילו תימא סומכוס, שבועה זו מדרבנן היא כדרבי יוחנן. דאמר רבי יוחנן: שבועה זו תקנת חכמים היא, שלא יהא כל אחד ואחד הולך ותוקף בטליתו של חבירו ואומר: שלי הוא.
The Talmud answers: You may even say that the Mishnah is in accordance with the opinion of Sumakhos: This oath is instituted by rabbinic law in accordance with the statement of R' Yoḥanan. As R' Yoḥanan says: This oath, administered in the case of two people holding a garment, is an ordinance instituted by the rabbis so that everyone will not go and seize the garment of another and say: It is mine.
לימא מתניתין דלא כרבי יוסי, דאי כרבי יוסי – הא אמר: אם כן מה הפסיד רמאי? אלא הכל יהא מונח עד שיבא אליהו.
§ The Talmud suggests: Let us say that the Mishnah is not in accordance with the opinion of R' Yosei. As, if you say that the ruling is in accordance with the opinion of R' Yosei, doesn’t he say that a case cannot be decided in a manner in which there is no deterrent for one taking a false claim to court (37a)? He says this with regard to a case where two people deposited money with the same person. One deposited 100 dinars and one deposited 200, and the bailee forgot which of them deposited the larger sum. Subsequently, each claimed ownership of the larger sum and was prepared to take an oath to that effect. The Rabbis say that each should receive the smaller sum and the remainder should be held until Elijah the prophet prophetically resolves the uncertainty. R' Yosei says: If so, what did the swindler lose? Rather, the entire deposit will be placed in a safe place until Elijah comes.