Bava Batra 160a — the Talmud in English

Mishna:

1.

A plain get,

its witnesses

sign it

from within,

at the end of the document. Whereas a

linked get, its witnesses are behind it.

The witnesses sign it on the back of the document, as will be explained in the Gemara.

A get

plain whose witnesses signed behind it,

meaning that the witnesses signed behind the document and not inside it, or a get

linked whose witnesses signed inside it,

meaning that the witnesses signed on the document from within, behold

both are invalid,

since they were not made according to the institution of the Sages. Therefore, if it was a loan document, he cannot collect with it from liened property in the possession of purchasers. And if it is a get, she is not divorced through it.

Rabbi Hanina ben Gamliel says: A linked document whose witnesses signed inside it is valid, because he can

make it plain.

For he can undo the stitches, and it will be a plain get, which is valid with its witnesses inside it. And even though, if he undoes it, there will be spaces between the lines, this is of no consequence.

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: Everything is according to the custom

of the country.

And his words will be explained in the Gemara.

2.

A plain get —

its witnesses are two.

He need have only two witnesses sign it.

And a linked document —

with three.

A linked document requires three witnesses to sign it, because this is what the Sages instituted.

A get

plain in which one witness was written, and a linked document in which two witnesses were written, both are invalid.

Gemara:

The Gemara discusses:

From where are these matters,

from where have we learned from the verses that there are two types of documents, "plain" and "linked," and that they differ in their form and in the number of witnesses who sign them?

And the Gemara answers:

Rabbi Hanina said: For the verse says [Jeremiah 32:44] "

"Fields shall be purchased for money, and it shall be written in a document, and sealed, and witnesses shall testify."

And we expound: