For the source text click/tap here: Bava Batra 39
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We have learned that someone working or living on land for three years has a ḥazaka (presumptive ownership) – he can claim to have purchased the land without having to produce proof – since if he had not obtained the land legally, the true owner should have objected during those three years.
Our Gemara offers a number of different approaches to this argument, the first of which suggests that the question is whether Rabba bar Rav Huna’s rule about lashon ha-ra – libelous statements – is accepted.
According to Rabba bar Rav Huna, once a statement is made in front of three people it is assumed to be known and widespread, so a statement that is made in front of three people can be repeated without concern for the laws prohibiting lashon ha-ra.
We explore the parameters of “lishna bisha” and its far reaching application in the age of technology.