Bava Batra

and tomorrow I am going to sue him,' this is a protest.  Suppose the owner says to those to whom he makes the protest, 'Do not tell the occupier,' is this a valid protest? — R. Zebid says, [It is not, because] he has distinctly told them not to tell. R. Papa, however, says [that it is, because] what he meant was, 'Do not tell the occupier, but you can tell others,' and 'your friend has a friend and your friend's friend has a friend.' If the men to whom he made the protest say, 'We will not tell the occupier,' [is it a protest?]-R. Zebid says [that it is not, because] they distinctly say, 'We will not tell him' — R. Papa, however, says that it is, because what they meant was,'We will not tell the occupier himself but we will tell others,' and 'your friend has a friend and your friend's friend has a friend.' If he said to them, 'Don't say a word about this,' [is it a protest?] — R. Zebid says [it is not, because] he has told them not to say a word. If they say to him, 'We will not say a word about it,' [even] R. Papa says [it is not a protest, because] they tell him distinctly, 'We are not going to say a word.' R. Huna the son of R. Joshua, however, says that [it is a protest, because] if a man has no responsibility in regard to a certain statement, he will blurt it out without thinking. Raba said in the name of R. Nahman: A protest made not in the presence of the occupier is a valid protest — Raba questioned  R. Nahman's ruling [on the ground of the following]: R. JUDAH SAYS THAT THE PERIOD IN WHICH OCCUPATION CONFERS HAZAKAH WAS FIXED AT THREE YEARS IN ORDER THAT IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE FOR A MAN TO BE IN SPAIN DURING THE FIRST YEAR IN WHICH HIS FIELD IS OCCUPIED AND FOR INFORMATION TO BE BROUGHT TO HIM IN THE SECOND YEAR AND FOR HIM TO RETURN HIMSELF IN THE THIRD YEAR. Now if we are to assume, [he said], that a protest made not in the presence of the occupier is a valid protest, why should the man have to come back? Let him stay where he is and make the protest! — There [R. Judah is merely suggesting] as a piece of good advice that he should return and take possession of his land and the produce.  I From the fact that Raba questioned R. Nahman's ruling, it would seem that he was not of opinion that a protest made not in the occupier's presence is valid. [How can this be,] seeing that Raba has laid down that a protest made not in the presence of the occupier is valid?  — He adopted this view after he had learnt it from R. Nahman. R. Jose b. Hanina once came across the disciples of R. Johanan, and inquired of them whether R. Johanan had ever laid down the number of persons in whose presence a protest must be made. R. Hiyya b. Abba [replied] that R. Johanan had laid down that a protest must be made in the presence of two persons; R. Abbahu, that it must be made in the presence of three persons. May we say that the difference in principle [between R. Hiyya b. Abba and R. Abbahu] is in regard to the dictum of Rabbah son of R. Huna, for Rabbah son of R. Huna said that disparaging remarks made in the presence of three persons