Bava Batra 199

רב אשי אמר כל מן הצד דרך עקלתון היא קרובה לזה ורחוקה לזה

R. Ashi said: Any<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Our Mishnah does not refer to a particular case where a crooked path had been substituted (as R. Mesharsheya suggested), nor is the provision in our Mishnah a case of preventive measures (as R. Zebid maintained), but any path, however good, cannot be placed along the side of a field as a substitute for one which runs through the midst of it. ');">¹</span> path [that runs] along the side [of a field] is crooked, [for] it is near to one and far from another.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Any one living on the farther side of the field. And since a number of people, to whom the substituted path will cause hardship, will object to the change, the abolition of the old path would constitute a robbery of the public, and is therefore prohibited. ');">²</span>

ולימא להו שקלו דידכו והבו לי דידי הא מני רבי אליעזר היא דתניא ר' יהודה אומר משום רבי אליעזר רבים שבררו דרך לעצמם מה שבררו בררו

But let him say to them, 'Take yours and give me back mine'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why, then, does the Mishnah state that both the old path and the new become public property? ');">³</span> — This [law of our Mishnah] is in accordance with [the view of] R. Eliezer; for it has been taught: R. Judah said in the name of R. Eliezer, [if] the public chose a path<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even if it runs through private property, and even if the landowner's permission has not been obtained. ');">⁴</span>

לרבי אליעזר רבים גזלנים נינהו אמר רב גידל אמר רב כגון שאבדה להן דרך באותה שדה

for themselves, that which they have chosen is theirs.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'chosen' ('Er. 94a); and the owner of the land cannot raise any objection to their use of the path. ');">⁵</span> [May, then], the public, according to R. Eliezer, act as robbers? — R. Giddal replied in the name of Rab: [R. Eliezer speaks of] a case where their path had been lost in that field.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' While an individual could not in a similar case make the choice without the consent of the landowner or without the authority of the court, the public have a right to choose the path they like. ');">⁶</span>

אי הכי אמאי אמר רבה בר רב הונא אמר רב אין הלכה כר"א מאן דמתני הא לא מתני הא

If so,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That, according to Rab, the case dealt with by R. Eliezer is that of recovering a lost path. ');">⁷</span> why did Rabbah, son of R. Huna, state in the name of Rab [that] the <i>halachah</i> is not according to R. Eliezer?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Surely, the public are entitled to reclaim what they have lost. How, then, are the two statements made in the name of Rab to be reconciled? ');">⁸</span>

וטעמא מאי משום דרב יהודה דאמר רב יהודה מצר שהחזיקו בו רבים אסור לקלקלו

The reporter of the one statement is not the reporter of the other.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Giddal, who taught in the name of Rab that R. Eliezer deals with the case where a public path had been lost in the field, has not accepted the statement made in the name of Rab by Rabbah that the law is not in accordance with R. Eliezer. In the opinion of the former the law is in agreement with the view of R. Eliezer. Rabbah, on the other hand, who stated in the name of Rab that the law is not in agreement with R. Eliezer's view, has not accepted R. Giddal's statement. In the opinion of Rabbah, R. Eliezer speaks of all cases, even of that where no path had been lost in the field and, for this reason, the law is against him. ');">⁹</span> What, then,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since our Mishnah is not according to R. Eliezer. ');">¹⁰</span>

ור' אליעזר רבים במאי קנו ליה בהילוכא דתניא הלך בה לארכה ולרחבה קנה מקום הילוכו דברי ר' אליעזר וחכמים אומרים אין הילוך מועיל כלום עד שיחזיק

is the reason [for the law of our Mishnah]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why should not the owner of the field be entitled to say to the public, 'Take yours and give me back mine'? ');">¹¹</span> — [The reason is derived] from that of Rab Judah; for Rab Judah said: A path of which the public has taken possession<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By levelling, and making it fit for walking. (Rashb.) ');">¹²</span>

אמר ר' אלעזר מ"ט דר' אליעזר דכתיב (בראשית יג, יז) קום התהלך בארץ לארכה ולרחבה כי לך אתננה ורבנן התם משום חביבותא דאברהם הוא דקאמר ליה הכי כדי שיהא נוח לכבוש לפני בניו

must not be destroyed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' B.K. 28a; supra 12a; 26b; 60b. If the owner of the land had raised no objection at the time possession was taken by the public. How much less may the path be abolished when, as in our Mishnah, the public had taken possession with the owner's full consent ');">¹³</span> Whereby does the public acquire possession [of the path, according to] R. Eliezer?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since R. Eliezer does not speak of taking possession', but of 'choosing'. ');">¹⁴</span>

א"ר יוסי בר' חנינא מודים חכמים לר"א בשביל של כרמים הואיל ונעשה להילוך נקנה בהילוך

By walking; for it has been taught: If he walked in it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the field which he bought.' ');">¹⁵</span> through the length of it and through the breadth of it, he has acquired the place where he walked — these are the words of R. Eliezer. And the Sages say: Walking is of no avail unless he has taken possession.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the land, by performing some act such as levelling, breaking. etc, cf. supra 52b ff. ');">¹⁶</span>

כי אתו לקמיה דרב יצחק בר אמי אמר להו הבו ליה כי היכי דדרי טונא דשבישתא והדר ולא אמרן אלא דמסיימין מחיצתא אבל לא מסיימין מחיצתא כי היכי דשקיל כרעא ומנח כרעא:

R. Eleazar said: What is the reason of R. Eliezer? — For it is written, Arise walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it,' for I will give it unto thee.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XIII, 17. ');">¹⁷</span> And the Rabbis?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why, in the face of the Biblical verse, do they maintain that by walking alone possession cannot be acquired? ');">¹⁸</span>

דרך היחיד ד' אמות: תנא אחרים אומרים כדי שיעבור חמור במשאו אמר רב הונא הלכה כאחרים (ותניא אידך) דייני גולה (אומרים) שני גמדים ומחצה ואמר רב הונא הלכה כדייני גולה והאמר רב הונא הלכה כאחרים אידי ואידי חד שיעורא הוא:

— There, He said to him thus<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., to acquire possession by walking. ');">¹⁹</span> only because of [His] love for Abraham, that his children may easily conquer [the land].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That they may enter it as heirs and not as robbers. ');">²⁰</span>

דרך הרבים שש עשרה אמה: תנו רבנן דרך היחיד ארבע אמות דרך מעיר לעיר שמונה אמות

R. Jose, son of R. Hanina, said: The Sages agree with R. Eleazar in [the case of] a path of vineyards. Since it was made [only] for walking it is acquired by walking. When they came before R. Isaac b. Ammi [with the case of one who sold to another a path in vineyards], he said unto them: Give him [a path so wide] that he may carry [through it] a load of twigs and [be able to] turn round.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Without touching the fences of the path. ');">²¹</span> This, [however], has been said only [in the case] where [the path] is marked out by walls, but when it is not marked out by walls [the width of the path need be only] so much as [to allow him] to lift up one foot and put down the other.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since there are no walls, one can carry a load conveniently, however narrow the path may be. ');">²²</span> A PRIVATE PATH&nbsp;… FOUR CUBITS. A Tanna taught: Others say [that the path must be of such a width] as an ass with its load may be able to pass. R. Huna said: The <i>halachah</i> is according to the Others. The Judges of the Exile<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Samuel and Karna. ');">²³</span> say: [The width is to be] two cubits<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gomed; V, however p. 279, n. 6. Others consider the gomed to be shorter than the cubit by a hand's length and to represent the distance between the elbow and the fingers. ');">²⁴</span> and a half; and R. Huna said [that] the <i>halachah</i> is according to the Judges of the Exile. Did not R. Huna say [that] the <i>halachah</i> is according to the Others? — Both measurements are identical.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'this and this are the same size.' ');">²⁵</span> A PUBLIC ROAD … SIXTEEN CUBITS. Our Rabbis taught: A private path<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For one person into his own field. ');">²⁶</span> [is of the width of] four cubits; a path from one town to another<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Reserved for the sole use of the inhabitants of the two towns. ');">²⁷</span> [is to have a width of] eight cubits;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To allow two wagons to pass each other. ');">²⁸</span>