Bava Batra

Surely. the date of the one  [deed] is not like that of the other;  [for in the case of] a Plain [deed], the first completed year of a king's reign  is counted as his first,  [and] the second completed year  as his second;  [while in the case of] a folded [one], the first year of a king's reign  is counted as his second,  the second as his third;  and sometimes [it may happen] that [a person] might borrow money from another  on a folded [deed] and, in the meantime,  he might obtain funds and repay him, but [when] requesting the return of his deed,  [the creditor] might reply to him, 'I lost it', and would write out for him [instead], a receipt; and when the time of its payment  arrived, he  might convert it [into] a plain [deed] and say to him, 'You borrowed from me now'!  — He holds the view that a receipt is not written. Was Rabbi, however, familiar with [the dating of] a folded [deed]? Surely, once a certain folded [deed] was brought  before Rabbi who remarked, 'This is post-dated',  and Zonin said to him, 'Such is the practice of this nation: [If a king] reigned a [full] year they count it as his second year;  [if] two [years], they count them as his third  [year]'!  — After he heard it from Zonin he knew it. In a certain [plain] deed there occurred the [following] date:  'In the year  of the archon  X'. Said R. Hanina: Let enquiry be made when [that] archon assumed office.  Might he [not on that date] have been in office for some years?  — R. Hoshaia replied, 'Such is the practice of this nation: [In the] first year they call him, "archon", [in the] second they call him, digon.'  Is it not possible that he was deposed and re-appointed?  — R. Jeremiah replied: [In] such [a case] he is designated, 'archon-digon'. Our Rabbis taught: [In the case where a person said.] 'I am to be a nazarite',  Symmachus said, [if he added], hena  [he must observe] one [term];  [if he added], digon [he must observe] two terms;  trigon,  three [terms];  tetragon,  four [terms]; pentagon,  five [terms]. Our Rabbis taught: A circular, two cornered, three cornered, and five cornered  house is not subject to uncleanness from [house] plagues;  a four-cornered house is subject to uncleanness from [such] plagues. Whence is this inferred?  — for our Rabbis taught: Above it is said, [instead of] 'wall', walls,  [signifying] two;  below  [also]. [instead of] 'wall', it is said, walls,  [which similarly signifies] two, thus making a total of  four [walls]. A folded [deed] was once brought before Rabbi who remarked, 'There is no date on this [deed]'. [Thereupon], R. Simeon son of Rabbi said to Rabbi, 'It might be hidden between its folds'. [On] ripping [the seams] open he saw it.  Rabbi turned round [and] looked at him with displeasure.  'I did not write it', [said the other]. 'R. Judah Hayyata  wrote it'. Keep away from talebearing',  [Rabbi] called to him. Once he  was sitting in his  presence when he finished a section of the Book of Psalms.  'How correct is this writing'? said Rabbi. 'I did not write it', replied the other, 'Judah Hayyata wrote it'. 'Keep away from tale-bearing'. [Rabbi] called to him. In the first case  one can well understand [Rabbi's exhortation, since] there was slander; what tale-bearing, however, was there here?  — Owing to [the teaching] of R. Dimi; for R. Dimi, brother of R. Safra, taught: A man should never speak in praise  of his friend, because by praise of him he brings about  his blame. R. Amram said in the name of Rab: [There are] three transgressions which no man escapes for a single  day: Sinful thought,  calculation on [the results of] prayer,  and slander.  'Slander'? [How] could one imagine [such a thing]!