Bava Batra 48

דשפוכאי ישראל נינהו וה"מ ברברבי אבל זוטרי אימור מעוברי דרכים נפול ואי איכא רברבי בהדייהו אימור באברורי הוה מנחי:

wine-bottlers were Jews.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore the flasks were probably left there by Jews. ');">¹</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> מרחיקין את האילן מן העיר עשרים וחמש אמה ובחרוב ובשקמה חמשים אמה אבא שאול אומר כל אילן סרק חמשים אמה ואם העיר קדמה קוצץ ואינו נותן דמים ואם אילן קדם קוצץ ונותן דמים ספק זה קדם וספק זה קדם קוצץ ואינו נותן דמים:

And we only say this if the flasks are big ones,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And so evidently for sale. ');">²</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מאי טעמא אמר עולא משום נויי העיר ותיפוק ליה דאין עושין שדה מגרש ולא מגרש שדה

but if they are small ones, we may argue that passers-by [non-Jews] let them drop. If, however, there are some big ones with them. we can say that the small ones were [merely] used as ballast.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To balance the panniers of the baggage asses. ');">³</span>

לא צריכא לר"א דאמר עושין שדה מגרש ומגרש שדה הכא משום נויי העיר לא עבדינן

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. TREES MUST BE KEPT AT A DISTANCE OF TWENTY-FIVE CUBITS FROM A TOWN; CAROBS AND SYCAMORE TREES<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which are very leafy. ');">⁴</span>

ולרבנן נמי דאמרי אין עושין שדה מגרש ולא מגרש שדה ה"מ זרעים אבל אילנות עבדינן והכא משום נויי העיר לא

FIFTY CUBITS. ABBA SAUL SAYS THAT ALL WILD FRUIT TREES<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., trees not usually planted in orchards. ');">⁵</span>

ומנא תימרא דשאני בין זרעין לאילנות דתניא קרפף יותר מבית סאתים שהוקף לדירה

MUST BE KEPT AT A DISTANCE OF FIFTY CUBITS. IF THE TOWN WAS THERE FIRST, THE TREE IS CUT DOWN<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'He cuts it'. to be taken impersonally, and denoting the townsmen who have to pay the compensation. ');">⁶</span>

נזרע רובו הרי הוא כגינה ואסור ניטע רובו הרי הוא כחצר ומותר:

AND NO COMPENSATION IS GIVEN. IF THE TREE WAS THERE FIRST, IT IS CUT DOWN BUT COMPENSATION MUST BE GIVEN. IF THERE IS A DOUBT WHICH WAS FIRST, IT IS CUT DOWN AND NO COMPENSATION IS GIVEN.

ואם העיר קדמה קוצץ ואינו נותן דמים וכו': מ"ש גבי בור דקתני קוצץ ונותן דמים ומאי שנא הכא דקתני קוצץ ואינו נותן דמים

<b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. [TREES MUST BE KEPT AT A DISTANCE etc.] What is the reason for this regulation? — 'Ulla says. to preserve the amenities of the town.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So as to leave a clear space outside the wall. ');">⁷</span>

אמר רב כהנא קידרא דבי שותפי לא חמימא ולא קרירא

But could we not derive this rule from the regulation<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Ar. 33b. ');">⁸</span>

ומאי קושיא דלמא שאני הזיקא דרבים מהזיקא דיחיד

that suburb<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or 'open space'. Cf. Num. XXXV, 4. ');">⁹</span>

אלא אי איתמר דרב כהנא אסיפא איתמר אם האילן קדם קוצץ ונותן דמים ולימא להו הבו לי ברישא דמי והדר איקוץ אמר רב כהנא קידרא דבי שותפי לא חמימא ולא קרירא:

must not be turned into cultivated field nor cultivated field into suburb? — The rule had to be stated here to meet the view of R. Eleazar, who said that cultivated field may be turned into suburb, and suburb may be turned into cultivated field; even on his view trees must not be planted [close to the town], so as not to spoil the amenities of the town. And the Rabbis too who said that a cultivated field may not be turned into suburb nor suburb into cultivated field, meant this to apply only to the sowing of vegetables but not to the planting of trees; yet here they too would prohibit on account of the amenities of the town. What ground have you for saying that there is a difference [in this respect] between vegetables and trees? — Because it has been taught: 'If an enclosure, big enough to sow more than two se'ahs in, is fenced round for dwelling purposes, then if the greater part of it is sown with vegetables, it is reckoned as a vegetable garden and it is forbidden [to carry in it on Sabbath], but if the greater part of it is planted with trees it is reckoned as a courtyard and it is permissible [to carry in it on Sabbath].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Er. 23b. This shows that vegetables turn ground into a 'field', but trees do not. ');">¹⁰</span>

ספק זה קדם וספק זה קדם קוצץ ואינו נותן דמים: מאי שנא מבור דאמרת לא יקוץ

IF THE TOWN WAS THERE FIRST, THE TREE IS CUT DOWN AND NO COMPENSATION IS GIVEN etc. Why in the analogous case of a pit is it laid down<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra 25b. ');">¹¹</span>

התם דודאי לאו למיקץ קאי ספיקו נמי לא אמרינן ליה קוץ הכא דודאי למיקץ קאי ספיקו נמי אמרינן ליה קוץ ואי משום דמי אמרינן ליה אייתי ראיה ושקול:

that the owner may cut down the tree but must give compensation, whereas here it is cut down without compensation being given? — R. Kahana said: A pot with two cooks<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'partners'. ');">¹²</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> מרחיקין את גורן קבוע מן העיר חמשים אמה לא יעשה אדם גורן קבוע בתוך שלו אא"כ יש לו חמשים אמה לכל רוח ומרחיק מנטיעותיו של חבירו ומנירו בכדי שלא יזיק:

is neither hot nor cold.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If therefore compensation is to be given. every resident in the town will wait for some other to make the first move, and the eyesore will remain. V. Tosaf. s.v. [H]. ');">¹³</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מ"ש רישא ומאי שנא סיפא אמר אביי סיפא אתאן לגורן שאינו קבוע

But what contradiction is there? perhaps a difference is made between injury to the public and injury to an individual?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The former kind being regarded more seriously. ');">¹⁴</span>

היכי דמי גורן שאינו קבוע א"ר יוסי בר' חנינא כל שאינו זורה ברחת

— [We must therefore say that] if R. Kahana really made this remark, he meant it to apply to the next clause in the Mishnah: IF THE TREE WAS THERE FIRST, IT IS CUT DOWN BUT COMPENSATION MUST BE GIVEN [Regarding this we may ask.] Why cannot the owner of the tree say: Give me the money first and I will then cut it down? And it was in regard to this that R. Kahana answered: A pot with two cooks is neither hot nor cold.

רב אשי אמר מה טעם קאמר מאי טעמא מרחיקין גורן קבוע מן העיר חמשים אמה כדי שלא יזיק

IF THERE IS A DOUBT WHICH WAS FIRST, IT IS CUT DOWN WITHOUT COMPENSATION BEING GIVEN. Why in the analogous case of a pit is it laid down that he should not cut down the tree?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra 25b. ');">¹⁵</span>

מיתיבי מרחיקין גורן קבוע מן העיר חמשים אמה וכשם שמרחיקין מן העיר חמשים אמה כך מרחיקין מדלועיו ומקשואיו ומנטיעותיו ומנירו של חבירו חמשים אמה כדי שלא יזיק בשלמא לרב אשי ניחא אלא לאביי קשיא קשיא

— In the case of the pit where, if the tree was certainly [there first]. it is not to be cut down, then if there is a doubt we also do not say to him 'Cut it down.' But in this case where even if the tree was certainly there first it has to be cut down, then if there is a doubt we also order him to 'Cut it down.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., in each case the rule where there is a doubt is the same as the rule where there is no doubt whether the tree was there first. ');">¹⁶</span>

בשלמא ממקשואיו ומדלועיו דאזיל אבקא ואתי בליביה ומצוי ליה אלא מנירו אמאי א"ר אבא בר זבדא ואיתימא ר' אבא בר זוטרא מפני

And if the question of compensation arises, we say to him: prove that it is yours<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., that your tree was there first. ');">¹⁷</span> and you will be paid. <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. A FIXED THRESHING-FLOOR MUST BE KEPT FIFTY CUBITS FROM A TOWN.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On account of the chaff which flies about. ');">¹⁸</span> A MAN SHOULD NOT FIX A THRESHING-FLOOR ON HIS OWN ESTATE UNLESS THERE IS A CLEAR SPACE ALL ROUND OF FIFTY CUBITS. HE MUST KEEP IT AWAY FROM THE PLANTATION OF HIS NEIGHBOUR AND HIS PLOUGHED FALLOW A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE TO PREVENT DAMAGE BEING CAUSED.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This distance being presumably less than fifty cubits. Hence this rule apparently contradicts the preceding clause. ');">¹⁹</span> <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Why this difference between the beginning and the end [of this Mishnah]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. note I. ');">²⁰</span> — Abaye said: The last clause refers to a threshing-floor which is not fixed. What do you mean by a threshing-floor which is not fixed? — R. Jose said in the name of R. Hanina: One that does not require the use of a winnowing shovel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., where only a small heap is placed which is winnowed by the wind itself without being lifted by a shovel. ');">²¹</span> R. Ashi [however], said: The last clause gives the reason for the first,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the distance required there also is fifty cubits. ');">²²</span> as much as to say: Why is a fixed threshing-floor kept fifty cubits away from a town? — To prevent it doing damage. An objection [to Abaye's opinion] was raised from the following: 'A fixed threshing-floor must be kept fifty cubits away from a town, and as it must be kept fifty cubits from a town, so it must be kept fifty cubits from a neighbour's cucumber and pumpkin fields, from his plantations and his ploughed fallow, to prevent damage being caused.' This squares with the opinion of R. Ashi, but conflicts with that of Abaye<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because it shows that there is no reason to take the last clause of the Mishnah, despite the phrase to prevent damage being caused', as referring to a threshing-floor which is not fixed (v. Tosaf.). ');">²³</span> [does it not]? — [This indeed] is a difficulty. We can understand [why the threshing-floor must be kept away] from the cucumber and pumpkin fields, because the dust goes and penetrates into them and dries them up but [why should it be kept away] from the ploughed fallow? — R. Abba b. Zebid [or it may be R. Abba b. Zutra] replied: