Bava Batra 159

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> הלוקח פירות שובך מחבירו מפריח בריכה ראשונה פירות כוורת נוטל ג' נחילים ומסרס חלות דבש מניח שתי חלות זיתים לקוץ מניח שתי גרופיות:

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. ONE WHO BUYS OF ANOTHER THE [ANNUAL] ISSUE OF A DOVE-COTE MUST ALLOW THE FIRST BROOD<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The first pair of young doves born after the sale. ');">¹</span> TO FLY [WITH THEIR DAM].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., to remain in the cote; because sellers do not include in sales the first brood which is required to serve as an attraction for their dam which, in the absence of its young, might altogether quit the cote. ');">²</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> והתניא בריכה ראשונה ושניה אמר רב כהנא לא קשיא הא לה הא לאמה

[IF HE BUYS THE ANNUAL] ISSUE OF A BEEHIVE, HE TAKES [THE FIRST] THREE SWARMS; AND [THE SELLER MAY THEN] EMASCULATE [THOSE REMAINING].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To prevent them from any further breeding, and thus to enable them to give themselves up entirely to the production of honey. ');">³</span> [IF HE BUYS] HONEY-COMBS, HE MUST LEAVE TWO COMBS.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To provide nourishment for the remaining bees during their hibernation. ');">⁴</span>

מאי שנא אמה דמיצטוותא אברתא ואזוגא דשבקינן לה איהי נמי תיצטוותא אאמה ואזוגא דשבקינן לה אמה אברתא מיצטוותא ברתא אאמה לא מיצטוותא:

[IF HE BUYS] OLIVE-TREES FOR FELLING, HE MUST LEAVE TWO SHOOTS.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To provide for the future propagation of the olives. ');">⁵</span> <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Has it not been taught [that the buyer must leave the] first, and the second brood?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why then is it stated in our Mishnah that the first brood only is to be left? ');">⁶</span>

פירות כוורת נוטל ג' נחילין ומסרס: במה מסרסן אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל בחרדל אמרי במערבא משמיה דר' יוסי בר חנינא לא חרדל מסרסן אלא מתוך שפיהן חד חוזרות ואוכלות את דובשנן

— R. Kahana replied: One for itself [the first brood]. one for the dam.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The first brood is left as company for the dam. The second brood, viz. the first pair of young doves bred by the first brood, must be left as company for the first brood. R. Kahana explains that the Baraitha speaks of the two broods, the Mishnah of the first only. ');">⁷</span> But if [it is assumed that the] mother dove will be attached to the daughter dove and to the mate left with it, [let it equally be assumed that] the daughter dove also will be attached to its mother dove and to the mate left with it!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why then is it required to leave a pair of the second issue as company for the first? ');">⁸</span>

ר' יוחנן אמר נוטל שלשה נחילין בסירוס במתניתא תנא נוטל ג' נחילין בזה אחר זה מכאן ואילך נוטל אחת ומניח אחת:

— A mother is [always] attached to a daughter, but not so a daughter to a mother. [IF HE BUYS] THE [ANNUAL] ISSUE OF A BEEHIVE, HE TAKES [THE FIRST] THREE SWARMS; AND [THE SELLER MAY THEN] EMASCULATE [THOSE REMAINING]. Wherewith does he emasculate them? — Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel: With mustard. In Palestine it has been stated, in the name of R. Jose b. Hanina: It is not the mustard that emasculates them but the excessive quantities of honey, which the bitterness in their mouths [caused by the mustard], makes them consume.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The surfeit deprives them of the power of propagation and consequently their entire energies are centred on the production of honey. ');">⁹</span>

חלות דבש מניח שתי חלות וכו': אמר רב כהנא דבש בכוורת אינו יוצא מידי מאכל לעולם אלמא קסבר לא בעי מחשבה

R. Johanan said: [The buyer] takes the three swarms alternately.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The first, third and fifth. The others belong to the seller. The yearly swarms deteriorate as the year advances and by this arrangement the respective shares of buyer and seller are equitably distributed. ');">¹⁰</span> In a Baraitha it has been taught: [The buyer] takes three swarms consecutively and after that he takes them alternately.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'he takes one and leaves one'. ');">¹¹</span>

מיתיבי דבש בכוורת אינו לא אוכל ולא משקה אמר אביי לא צריכא אלא לאותן שתי חלות רבא אמר רבי אליעזר היא

[IF HE BUYS] HONEY-COMBS, HE MUST LEAVE TWO COMBS etc. R. Kahana said: Honey in a beehive never loses the designation of 'food'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As regards its subjection to the laws of Levitical defilement (v. Lev. XI, 34). The quantities equal to the contents of one and a half and one egg are Prescribed as minimums for 'food' and 'drink' respectively to transfer levitical impurity [v. Maim. Yad. Tum'ath Oklin, IV, 1-3]. ');">¹²</span> This proves that he is of the opinion that no intention<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., whether the owner intended the honey to be used as food or has not thought about it at all, it is always regarded as 'food'. ');">¹³</span> is required. An objection was raised: [It has been taught]: Honey in a beehive is neither [regarded<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra n. 2. ');">¹⁴</span> as] 'food' nor [as] 'drink'! — Abaye replied: This<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Baraitha. ');">¹⁵</span> referred only to those two combs.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which are left in the beehive to nourish the bees during the winter. They therefore are not considered human 'food'. ');">¹⁶</span> Raba said: This<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Baraitha. ');">¹⁵</span> is [in accordance with] R. Eliezer.