10מִי שֶׁהוּא בַּמְּדִינָה וְהָלַךְ שָׁלִיחַ בֵּית דִּין וְלֹא מְצָאוֹ אֵין קוֹבְעִין לוֹ זְמַן עַד שֶׁיִּמְצָא אוֹתוֹ הַשָּׁלִיחַ וְיֹאמַר לוֹ. הָיָה בִּכְפָר חוּץ לַמְּדִינָה אִם דַּרְכּוֹ לָבוֹא בְּאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם אוֹמֵר הַשָּׁלִיחַ אֲפִלּוּ לְאֶחָד מִן הַשְּׁכֵנִים אֲפִלּוּ לְאִשָּׁה אִם יָבוֹא פְּלוֹנִי הוֹדִיעוּהוּ שֶׁבֵּית דִּין קָבְעוּ לוֹ זְמַן שֶׁיָּבוֹא לְבֵית דִּין. וְאִם לֹא בָּא מְנַדִּין אוֹתוֹ לָעֶרֶב. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים כְּשֶׁאֵין הַדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁדַּרְכּוֹ לֵילֵךְ בָּהּ עַל מְקוֹם בֵּית דִּין אֲבָל אִם דַּרְכּוֹ עֲלֵיהֶן אֵין מְנַדִּין אוֹתוֹ עַד שֶׁיּוֹדִיעוֹ הַשָּׁלִיחַ בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁמָּא לֹא אָמְרוּ לוֹ הַשְּׁכֵנִים. שֶׁהֲרֵי הֵם אוֹמְרִין דַּרְכּוֹ עַל פֶּתַח בֵּית דִּין וּכְבָר הָלַךְ אֲלֵיהֶם וְנִפְטַר. וְכֵן אִם לֹא בָּא בַּמְּדִינָה עַד לְמָחָר אֵין סוֹמְכִין עַל הַשְּׁכֵנִים שֶׁמָּא שָׁכְחוּ וְלֹא אָמְרוּ לוֹ:
When a person was located in a city and the agent of the court went to summon him, but could not find him, a court date is not set until the agent finds him and conveys this information. Different rules apply if he lives in a village outside the city. If he is accustomed to coming on that day, the agent may tell one of his neighbors, even a woman: "If so-and-so comes, inform him that the court summoned him to appear at this time." If he does not come that day, he is placed under a ban of ostracism that evening. When does the above apply? When the way which he is wont to follow does not pass the place of the court. If, however, his path passes the court, he is not placed under a ban of ostracism until the agent notifies him himself. For perhaps the neighbors will not notify him. For they will rationalize: "His path passes past the entrance to the court. Certainly, he visited them and was released." Similarly, if he will not come into the city until the following day, we do not rely on the neighbors, for perhaps they will forget and fail to notify him.
