[28a - 45 lines; 28b - 43 lines]
1a)[line 9]שלשה אחין, וא' מצטרף עמהןSHELOSHAH ACHIN V'ECHAD MITZTAREF IMAHEN - three brothers and one other person who combines with [each of] them, [one brother and the non-relative testifying for each year of the Chezkas Shalosh Shanim] (CHAZAKAH: CHEZKAS SHALOSH SHANIM)
(a)A person who claims to have bought a house, a field, an olive press, etc. from another person, but has no proof of purchase may, nevertheless, support his claim with a "Chazakah." A Chezkas Shalosh Shanim (a "Chazakah of three years") means that he has proof (witnesses) that he has been living in the house or working on the land for three years as an owner normally would, and his opponent has no witnesses to attest to the fact that he voiced any Mecha'ah (objection) during those three years. This Chazakah serves as proof to the claim that he bought the house or land.
(b)A Chezkas Shalosh Shanim works only if he makes a claim along with it. For example, he must claim when he appears in court that he inherited the house or that he bought the field and lost any documents attesting to his ownership. Once he makes the claim, the witnesses who attest to his Chezkas Shalosh Shanim are effective to uphold his possession of the field.
b)[line 10]הרי אלו ג' עדיותHAREI ELU SHALOSH EDUYOS- these are considered three separate testimonies and are not disqualified because the brothers are related to each other
c)[line 10]והן עדות אחת להזמהV'HEN EDUS ACHAS L'HAZAMAH- and they are considered to be one testimony with regard to Hazamah. That is, in order to punish them as Edim Zomemim (see Background to Sanhedrin 27:1), all of them together must be found to be Edim Zomemim, since the testimony of each pair of witnesses is effective (in granting ownership of the land through a Chezkas Shalosh Shanim) only when all three testimonies are combined.
2)[line 23]משפט השוה לכםMISHPAT HA'SHAVEH LACHEM- the law which is uniform to you. That is, the Torah says, "מִשְׁפַּט אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לָכֶם" "Mishpat Echad Yiheyeh Lachem" - "There shall be one law for all of you" (Vayikra 24:22), from which the Gemara derives that certain elements of the implementation of the law in Dinei Nefashos (monetary cases) and in Dinei Nefashos (cases of corporal punishment) should be uniform.
3a)[line 23]אחי אבא לא יעיד לי, הוא ובנו וחתנוACHI ABA LO YA'ID LI, HU U'VENO VA'CHASANO- my father's brother may not testify for me, he nor his son nor his son-in-law
b)[line 24]אף אני לא אעיד לו, אני ובני וחתניAF ANI LO A'ID LO, ANI U'VENI VA'CHASANI- so, too, I may not testify for him (my father's brother), I nor my son nor my son-in-law
4)[line 25]הוה ליה שלישי בראשוןHAVAH LEI SHELISHI B'RISHON- it is a third generation (my son) testifying for a first generation (my father's brother)
5a)[line 26]שני בשניSHENI B'SHENI- a second generation may not testify for a second generation (e.g. I may not testify for the son of my father's brother (my first cousin))
b)[line 26]שני בראשוןSHENI B'RISHON- a second generation may not testify for a first generation (e.g. I may not testify for my father's brother (my uncle))
6)[line 42]ותנא תונאTANA TUNA- the Tana of our Mishnah also taught
7)[last line]רב איקלע למזבן גויליRAV IKLA L'MIZBAN GEVILEI- (a) Rav traveled to buy parchment (RASHI); (b) Rav traveled to [a town called] Mizban Gevilei (Yerushalmi, cited by MARGOLIYOS HA'YAM; presumably the town was named as such because of a parchment market there)
8)[line 9]לאחי האחACHI HA'ACH- the [half brother of one's [half] brother (this refers to one's step-brother with whom he shares no common parent)
9)[line 15]כי אכלא לדנאKI ACHLA L'DANA- like the covering of a barrel (which has no semblance to the barrel (RASHI), or which is not attached to the barrel but which is merely placed on top (ARUCH); i.e. they are not considered to be related at all
10)[line 16]לאשתו ארוסהISHTO ARUSAH- his wife, who is only betrothed to him (through Eirusin); see Background to Kidushin 2:1
11a)[line 17]לְאַפּוּקֵי מִינהּL'APUKEI MINAH- to take away [money] from her [in the court case and give it to the claimant]
b)[line 17]לעיולי להL'AYULEI LAH- to give [money] to her [in the court case]
12)[line 19]לא אונןLO ONEN - he does not become an Onen [the Halachic status of a mourner immediately after a close relative's death - for her if she dies] (ANINUS)
(a)A person is called an Onen mid'Oraisa on the day of death of one of his seven closest relatives for whom he is required to arrange for burial (i.e. father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, and wife). Chazal (Zevachim 101a) learn the Halachah of Aninus from the verse, "וְאָכַלְתִּי חַטָּאת הַיּוֹם, הַיִּיטַב בְּעֵינֵי ה'" "v'Achalti Chatas ha'Yom, ha'Yitav b'Einei HaSh-m?" (Vayikra 10:19). Among the Halachos that apply to an Onen is that a Kohen Onen is prohibited from doing the Avodah in the Beis ha'Mikdash unless he is the Kohen Gadol (Vayikra 10:7, 21:1-4). Moreover, an Onen (even the Kohen Gadol) may not eat Kodshim, Bikurim, or Ma'aser Sheni.
(b)For additional laws of Aninus, see Background to Bava Kama 110:7.
(c)Our Gemara teaches that a Kohen does not become an Onen when his Arusah dies (see above, entry #10), and thus he may still eat Kodshim.
13)[line 19]ולא מטמא להV'LO MITAMEI LAH
(a)The Torah (Vayikra 21:1-4) forbids Kohanim from coming into contact with corpses, while concurrently commanding them to handle the burial of certain relatives. Those relatives are the Kohen's mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister from his father (if she is an unmarried virgin), and wife (if the wife is permitted to be married to him).
(b)Our Gemara teaches that a Kohen may not handle the burial of his Arusah (see above, entry #10).
(c)If a Kohen is married to a woman with Kidushin mid'Rabanan (e.g. if she married him as a minor after her father died), her husband is allowed and required to handle her burial. (The Gemara concludes that the Kohen is actually permitted to bury her mid'Oraisa, even though she is only married to him with a Kidushin mid'Rabanan. Since the Kohen inherits her, nobody else will handle her burial, and therefore she is like a Mes Mitzvah - see Insights to Yevamos 89b.)
(d)The prohibition to come into contact with a corpse applies only to male Kohanim who are not Chalalim. (However, immediately before, and during, the three pilgrimage holidays (Pesach, Shavuos, and Sukos), every Jew, male or female, is commanded to be Tahor - RASHI, Yevamos 29b DH v'Lo Mitames.) The positive command to handle the burial of the seven relatives mentioned above (a) applies not only to Kohanim, but to all Jews.
14)[line 19]ולא מטמאה לוV'LO MITAM'AH LO- she is not required to become Tamei by handling his burial (see previous entry; RASHI explains that this is Lav Davka, as a female Kohen (the daughter of a Kohen) is not prohibited from becoming Tamei)
15)[line 20]מתה, אינו יורשהMESAH, EINO YORSHAH - if she dies, he does not inherit her (YERUSHAH: HA'BA'AL YORESH ES ISHTO NESU'AH V'LO ARUSAH)
(a)A husband is entitled to inherit his wife's estate upon her death. The Tana'im argue as to whether the inheritance of a wife's estate by her husband is mid'Oraisa or mid'Rabanan. According to those who rule that it is mid'Rabanan, the Torah law dictates that her estate go to her sons, her father, or to her closest blood relative. The Rabanan gave her inheritance to her husband using the power of "Hefker Beis Din Hefker" (see Background to Gitin 36:29).
(b)According to the Tana'im who rule that the inheritance of the husband is mid'Oraisa, it is learned from the verse, "[וְאִם אֵין אַחִים לְאָבִיו, וּנְתַתֶּם אֶת נַחֲלָתוֹ] לִשְׁאֵרוֹ הַקָּרֹב אֵלָיו מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ, וְיָרַשׁ אֹתָהּ..." "... li'She'ero ha'Karov Eilav mi'Mishpachto, v'Yarash Osah" - "[And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance] to his next of kin from his family, and he shall possess it..." (Bamidbar 27:11). Chazal interpret the words "v'Yarash Osah" as applying to his wife, "and he shall inherit her." For this purpose, one of the Amora'im rearranges the verse to read, "l'Karov Eilav mi'Mishpachto, She'ero v'Yarash Osah" - "[then you shall give his inheritance] to his next of kin from his family; and his wife, he shall inherit her" (Bava Basra 111b).
(c)A man does not inherit his wife who is only an Arusah (see above, entry #10).
16)[line 20]מת הוא, גּוֹבָה כתובתהMES HU, GOVAH KESUVASAH- if he dies, she collects her Kesuvah
17)[line 20]בשארו תלה רחמנאBI'"SHE'ERO" TALAH RACHMANA- the Torah made it (the laws of Tum'ah (for a Kohen) and Yerushah) dependent upon her being "She'ero," his close relative
18)[line 35]זיל קניה בעדי מסירה, כרבי אלעזרZIL KANYEI B'EDEI MESIRAH, K'REBBI ELAZAR - go and acquire it (the gift) through Edei Mesirah (witnesses who testify that the Shtar was given to you in front of them), in accordance with the view of Rebbi Elazar (EDEI MESIRAH KARSEI / EDEI CHASIMAH KARSEI)
(a)Rebbi Meir and Rebbi Elazar argue with regard to which witnesses make a Shtar take effect. Rebbi Elazar maintains that Edei Mesirah Karsei, the witnesses who watch the Shtar being given are the main part of the Shtar, i.e. the ones who make the Shtar take effect. Rebbi Meir maintains that Edei Chasimah Karsei, meaning that the witnesses who sign the Shtar are the main part of the Shtar and are the ones who make the Shtar take effect.
(b)According to Rebbi Elazar, who rules Edei Mesirah Karsei, witnesses sign a Shtar because of "Tikun ha'Olam" - "for the well-being of the world." Although the Shtar is valid without the signatures of the witnesses, it was instituted that the witnesses sign the Shtar for the sake of all those who receive such legal documents, so that in case the witnesses who testified to the event have died, their signatures (which are recognized by other witnesses) will remain as testimony to the event.
(c)Since this argument has its source in the laws of divorce, the literal meaning of the words is that Edei Chasimah or Mesirah cut. That is, Edei Chasimah or Mesirah are responsible for making a Get (a bill of divorce) take effect, giving it the status of a "Sefer Kerisus" (a document that cuts [the bond between the married couple] - Devarim 24:1) (RASHI to Kidushin 48a).
19)[line 36]במזויף מתוכוMEZUYAF MI'TOCHO- a legal document that is invalidated by something within the document itself (such as, in our case, the signature of witnesses who are related to each other through their marriage to sisters)
20)[line 37]זיל, לא שבקי לי דאותביניה לךZIL, LO SHAVKEI LI D'OSVINEI LACH- [Rav Yosef said to the claimant holding the Shtar with the signature of two brothers-in-law,] "go, for they do not allow me to give it to you"