Ketubot 85 - September 29, 4 Tishrei

Today's daf is sponsored by Heather Stone in loving memory of her grandmother, Rose Shivak, Rachel Leah bat Aharon v’Golda on her 37th yahrzeit. "We use her brass candlesticks on Shabbat. May her neshama have an aliyah." More cases are brought that relate to cases where someone seized items that they believed they were owed. One has to do with a woman who had seized documents she had been watching. Since that case had to do with a woman, two other unrelated cases are brought where a disagreement about money was with a woman. The issues brought up in these other cases relate to trust/distrust of particular people, writing a document verifying something before it happens. Another series of cases are brought where one was watching an item and the person watching died without telling his heirs about the ownership of the item he was watching. The heirs wanted to prove it was theirs and the original owner wanted to prove it was his. In each case, they allowed the original owner to claim back their item. On what basis did they rule in his favor? How did they know that he was the actual owner? In a similar situation where different people come forward and claim rights to the item, who takes precedence for receiving the item - a relative, neighbor or Torah scholar? If one sold a promissory note to another and then forgave the debt, is that effective? If a wife brought a promissory note into a marriage, can she forgive the debt?