Study Gittin folio 14B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
R' Aḥai said to R' Dostai bar R' Yannai and to R' Yosei bar Keifar: When you come from Neharde’a bring the vessel to me. They went to Neharde’a and the people who were in possession of the vessel gave it to them. After handing over the vessel, those people said to them: Let us perform an act of acq
R' Dostai, son of R' Yannai, said to them: Yes, I am willing to return it. However, R' Yosei bar Keifar said to them: No, as you do not have the right to retract in this situation. They tormented R' Yosei bar Keifar to force him to agree to return the vessel. R' Yosei bar Keifar said to R' Dostai:
When these two agents came before R' Aḥai, R' Yosei bar Keifar said to him: See, my Master, not only did R' Dostai not support me; rather, he even said to them: You are acting well; hit him. R' Aḥai said to R' Dostai: Why did you do this?
R' Dostai said to him: Those people who were in possession of the vessel, they are the size of a cubit, and their hats were a cubit, and they spoke from their midpoints, and their names were frightening: Arda and Arta and Pili Bereish. If one were to say to them: Restrain this person, they would re
R' Aḥai said to him: Are these people close to the government? R' Dostai said to him: Yes. R' Aḥai asked him: Do they have horses and mules that run after them, i.e., do they have servants to perform their bidding? R' Dostai said to them: Yes. R' Aḥai said to him: If so, you acted well, as the