R.Yehuda Hanasi said a ship is acquired by handing over. R. Natan said by pulling.
Abyee and Rava said handing over works in a public domain and pulling works as a mode of acquisition in an alley.
The kind of obvious question David Bronson, my learning partner, would ask is if we would go with R Yehuda then how could you ever acquire a ship in an alley. And if we would be going with R. Natan then how could one ever acquire a ship in a public domain?
Now you have to limit the scope of this question. If the Ri is right that pulling works everywhere then to R Yehuda how could you acquire a ship in an alley?
If R. Tam is right that handing over is more powerful then to R Natan how could you ever acquire a ship in a public domain?
Now to some degree these questions are dealt with. The Rishonim say where one kind of mode is not possible then you do the other kind. But then what is the point of saying how a ship is acquired at all?
Now to some degree these questions are dealt with. The Rishonim say where one kind of mode is not possible then you do the other kind. But then what is the point of saying how a ship is acquired at all?
