Bava Batra 166b — the Talmud in English

And bird-offerings stood on that day at quarter-dinars.

Each pair of birds was [sold] for a quarter of a silver dinar.

Here it comes to establish that “dinarei” means a gold dinar, whereas “dinarin” means silver dinars.

We learned in the Mishna:

If it is written above

one maneh, and below two hundred; above two hundred and below one maneh—the whole matter follows the lower [amount]. If so, why do they write the upper one? So that if one letter is erased from the lower one, it may be learned from the upper one.

The Sages taught: The lower one may be learned from the upper one [when there is] one letter,

only if one letter alone is missing at the end of the document when the matter is repeated, in which case it is learned from the beginning of the document,

but not with two letters.

If two letters are missing below in relation to the upper one, it is not learned from the upper one; rather, one follows only the lower one.

And the beraita explains:

For example, Hanan from Hanani, and Anan from Anani.

If the name of the lender was written below as “Hanan,” while above it was written that his name was “Hanani,” or below it was written “Anan” and above “Anani,” then we say that it is the same name, except that the scribe omitted one letter. But if below it was written “Hen” or “En,” we do not say that it is the same name and that the scribe omitted two letters. Rather, we give the money to the one who is called only by the lower name.

And the Gemara discusses:

What is different about two letters, that [one may] not [learn from the upper one],

for we are concerned

lest it happen to be a four-letter name

perhaps a four-letter name will be written above, and if we say that it is possible that two letters are missing below, we will judge it as one name together with the upper one. It follows

that it is half of the name,

for below only half the name is written, and presumably the scribe would not omit so much as to write only half the name below; rather, it is certainly another name?

If so,

even when only

one letter

is missing below,

also

let us be concerned

lest it happen

above

to be a two-letter name

such as “Dan” or “Noah,”

and it is half of the name,

so that below only half the name is written?

And the Gemara answers:

Rather, this is the reason for two letters

that we do not learn from the upper one:

lest it happen to be a three-letter name,

and if two letters are missing below, it follows

that it is most of the name.

Most of the name is missing below, and the scribe certainly did not omit so much. But it is possible that he omitted half the name; therefore, with one letter, when it is never possible for most of the name to be missing, we learn from the upper one.

Rav Pappa said: It is obvious to me,

that if it was written in a document of deposit

“sefel”

above,

for it was written above in the document that so-and-so deposited with so-and-so a sefel,

and “

kefel”

below,

it was written below that he deposited with him a kefel, namely, garments fit to be folded,

the whole matter follows the lower one,

and one must give him a kefel.

Rav Pappa asked:

if it was written

“kefel”

above, and

“sefel”

below, what is [the law]?

Are we concerned about a fly,

do we in this case follow the upper one, because presumably “kefel” was also written below, except that a fly came and erased part of the leg of the qof until it became a samekh?

Or not.

Or we are not concerned about a fly, and here too we follow the lower one, and he must give him a sefel?

And we conclude:

Teyku!

That

document

in which it was written

that so-and-so owed so-and-so

“six hundred and a zuz,”

six hundred plus a zuz [a dinar], and it was not written of what currency the six hundred was.

Rav Sheravya sent [the following question] before Abaye

this question: Is the intention

to six hundred istirei,

sela coins,

and a zuz? Or perhaps,

the intention is

to six hundred perutei,

perutot,

and a zuz?

He said to him,

Abaye:

Exclude perutot;

there is no need to consider perutot,

for they are not written in documents.

For perutot are not written at all in documents,

for they are liable to melt them down.