2יֵשׁ נֻסְחָאוֹת מִן הַגְּמָרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהֶן שֶׁהָאוֹמֵר לַחֲבֵרוֹ אַל תִּפְרָעֵנִי אֶלָּא בְּעֵדִים וְאָמַר לוֹ פְּרַעְתִּיךָ בִּפְנֵי פְּלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי וְהָלְכוּ לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם אֵינוֹ נֶאֱמָן וְטָעוּת סְפָרִים הוּא וּלְפִיכָךְ טָעוּ הַמּוֹרִים עַל פִּי אוֹתָן הַסְּפָרִים וּכְבָר חָקַרְתִּי עַל הַנֻּסְחָאוֹת הַיְשָׁנוֹת וּמָצָאתִי בָּהֶן שֶׁהוּא נֶאֱמָן וְהִגִּיעַ לְיָדִי בְּמִצְרַיִם מִקְצָת גְּמָרָא יְשָׁנָה כָּתוּב עַל הַגְּוִילִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיוּ כּוֹתְבִין קֹדֶם לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה בְּקָרוֹב חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וּשְׁתֵּי נֻסְחָאוֹת מָצָאתִי מִן הַגְּוִילִים בַּהֲלָכָה זוֹ וּבִשְׁתֵּיהֶם כָּתוּב וְאִם אָמַר פָּרַעְתִּי בִּפְנֵי פְּלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי וְהָלְכוּ לָהֶן לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם נֶאֱמָן. וּמִפְּנֵי טָעוּת זוֹ שֶׁאֵרַע לְמִקְצָת הַסְּפָרִים הוֹרוּ מִקְצָת גְּאוֹנִים שֶׁאִם אָמַר לוֹ אַל תִּפְרָעֵנִי אֶלָּא בִּפְנֵי פְּלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי וּפְרָעוֹ בִּפְנֵי אֲחֵרִים שֶׁאֵינוֹ נֶאֱמָן אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵבִיא עֵדִים שֶׁפָּרְעוּ בִּפְנֵיהֶם וְגַם זוֹ טָעוּת גְּדוֹלָה וְהַדִּין הָאֱמֶת שֶׁאִם בָּאוּ עֵדִים שֶׁפָּרְעוּ בִּפְנֵיהֶם נִפְטָר וְאֵין כָּאן מְקוֹם חֲשָׁשׁ. גַּם הַהוֹרָאָה הַזֹּאת עַל פִּי סִפְרֵיהֶן שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהֶן בְּאוֹתוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לַחֲבֵרוֹ פְּרָעֵנִי בִּפְנֵי עֵדִים שֶׁשָּׁנוּ הֲלָכוֹת וְהָלַךְ וּפְרָעוֹ בִּפְנֵי עֵדִים וְטָעוּת סְפָרִים הוּא וּמָצָאתִי בַּגְּוִילִים כָּתוּב אָזַל פַּרְעֵיהּ בֵּינֵיהּ לְבֵין דִּילֵיהּ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַסְּפָרִים מֻגָּהִין כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ כָּךְ יֵרָאֶה מִדִּין הַגְּמָרָא. וְעוֹד דְּבָרִים שֶׁל דַּעַת הֵן וְכִי מֶה הָיָה לוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת אָמַר לוֹ אַל תִּפְרָעֵנִי אֶלָּא בְּעֵדִים פְּרָעוֹ בְּעֵדִים וְכִי יֵשׁ לוֹ לֶאֱסֹר אֶת הָעֵדִים בְּבֵית הַסֹּהַר כָּל יְמֵיהֶם שֶׁלֹּא יֵלְכוּ וְעוֹד אִם מֵתוּ מַה יַּעֲשֶׂה נִמְצָא זֶה פּוֹרֵעַ פַּעַם אַחַר פַּעַם לְעוֹלָם עַד שֶׁיָּבִיא עֵדִים אִם כֵּן נַעֲשֵׂית עֵדוּת זוֹ עֵדוּת בִּשְׁטָר וְנִמְצָא זֶה כֵּיוָן שֶׁאָמַר אַל תִּפְרָעֵנִי אֶלָּא בְּעֵדִים נַעֲשֵׂית מִלְוֶה בִּשְׁטָר וְאֵין מִי שֶׁעָלָה עַל לִבּוֹ זֶה. אֲבָל וַדַּאי אִם אָמַר בִּפְנֵי פְּלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי הוּא הִפְסִיד עַל עַצְמוֹ שֶׁפָּרַע בִּפְנֵי אֲחֵרִים וְהָלְכוּ לָהֶם. אֲבָל אִם בָּאוּ וְהֵעִידוּ שֶׁפְּרָעוֹ אֵין כָּאן בֵּית מֵחוֹשׁ וְכָזֶה רָאוּי לָדוּן וּלְהוֹרוֹת:
There are versions of the Talmud that state that when a person tells a colleague: "Do not repay outside the presence of witnesses," and the borrower claims: "I fulfilled the stipulation and repaid you in the presence of so-and-so and so-and-so, and they journeyed overseas or died," his word is not accepted. This is a scribal error. For this reason, the halachic authorities erred because of those texts. I have researched ancient versions of the text and I found that they state that the borrower's word is accepted. In Egypt, a portion of an ancient text of the Talmud written on parchment, as was the custom in the era approximately 500 years before the present era, came to my possession. I found two versions of this law among those parchments. Both state: "If he claims: 'I fulfilled the stipulation and repaid you in the presence of so-and-so and so-and-so, and they journeyed overseas or died,' his word is accepted." Because of the error that occurred with regard to some texts, there are several Geonim who ruled that if the lender stipulates: "Do not repay me except in the presence of so-and-so and so-and-so," and the borrower repaid him in the presence of others, the borrower's word is not accepted even if he brought witnesses, and they testify that he paid him in their presence. This is also a great mistake. The true law is that if witnesses come and testify that he paid the lender in their presence, the borrower is freed from responsibility; there is no place for suspicion. This ruling also stems from those texts that state with regard to a lender who tells his colleague: " 'Repay me in the presence of witnesses who study Torah law,' and the borrower repaid him in the presence of ordinary witnesses...." This is also a scribal error. In the above-mentioned parchments, I found it written: "And he went and paid him in private." Although these texts have been carefully edited, this appears to be the ruling based on the judgment of the Talmud. Moreover, these concepts make sense: "What should the borrower do? The lender told him: "Do not repay me except in the presence of witnesses," and he repaid him in the presence of witnesses. Should he have locked the witnesses in prison for their entire lives so that they do not depart? Besides, what could he do if they died? Thus, the borrower will be forced to pay the lender time after time until he brings witnesses to court. This makes this testimony equivalent to testimony recorded in a legal document. Thus, by saying: "Do not repay except in the presence of witnesses," the lender endows the loan with the strength of a loan recorded in a promissory note. There is no one who would think that this is correct. Instead, certainly, if the lender stipulated: "Do not repay me except in the presence of so-and-so and so-and-so," the borrower caused himself a loss if he repaid the loan in the presence of other witnesses who departed. If, however, these witnesses come and testify that he repaid the debt, there is no question that the borrower should not be held responsible. This is the manner in which judgment should be rendered and instruction should be given.
