Bava Metzia 234:1

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> אמר ר' יוחנן בשלשה מקומות שנה לנו רבי יהודה אסור לאדם שיהנה מממון חבירו חדא הא דתנן

<b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. R. Johanan said: In three places has R. Judah taught us that one may not benefit from his neighbour's property. One, what we learnt [in the Mishnah]. What is the second? — We learnt: If one gives a dyer wool to be dyed red, but he dyed it black, or to dye it black and he dyed it red; R. Meir said: He [the dyer] must pay him for the wool.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the wool becomes the dyer's, and he must pay the original owner for it. ');">¹</span>

אידך מה היא דתנן הנותן צמר לצבע לצבוע לו אדום וצבעו שחור שחור וצבעו אדום ר' מאיר אומר נותן לו דמי צמרו רבי יהודה אומר אם השבח יותר על ההוצאה נותן לו היציאה ואם ההוצאה יתירה על השבח נותן לו את השבח

R. Judah said: If the increased value exceeds the cost [of dyeing], he [the wool owner] must pay him the cost; if the cost exceeds the increased value, he must pay him for the latter.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For if the dyer should retain the wool, as R. Meir rules, he profits in that the wool-owner has brought him wool, thus saving him the labour of procuring it himself; V.B.K. 100b. ');">²</span>

ואידך מאי היא דתנן מי שפרע מקצת חובו והשליש את שטרו ואמר לו אם אין אני נותן לך מכאן ועד זמן פלוני תן לו שטרו הגיע זמן ולא נתן רבי יוסי אומר יתן רבי יהודה אומר לא יתן

And what is the third? — That which we learnt: If a man repaid a portion of his debt, and then placed the bond in the hands of a third party, declaring. 'If I do not repay the balance within thirty days, return the note to the creditor:'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who will thus be enabled to demand the full amount. ');">³</span>

אמאי דלמא עד כאן לא קאמר רבי יהודה הכא אלא משום דאיכא שחרוריתא

and the time arrived, and he did not repay. R. Jose maintained: The third party must surrender [the bond to the creditor]. R. Judah ruled: He must not return it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And it is assumed that the reason is because the creditor thereby derives benefit from the debtor's money, which is forbidden (v. B.B. 168a). ');">⁴</span>

אי נמי לצבוע לו אדום וצבעו שחור משום דקא משנה והתנן כל המשנה ידו על התחתונה

But whence [does it follow]? Maybe R. Judah states his ruling here,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the upper tenant would have to pay rent. ');">⁵</span>

ומי שפרע מקצת חובו נמי הוי אסמכתא ושמעינן ליה לר' יהודה דאמר לא קני

only because there is blackening [of the walls].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., it loses its newness through his dwelling therein, hence the house-owner actually sustains a loss, and therefore the other must pay him rent. ');">⁶</span>

אמר רב אחא בר אדא משמיה דעולא תחתון הבא לשנות בגויל שומעין לו בגזית אין שומעין לו

Or, [in the second case] 'to be dyed red, but he dyed it black,' the reason is that he did otherwise [than he was instructed], and we learnt: He who alters [the contract] is at a disadvantage. Again, in the case of one who repaid a portion of his debt, it [the order to the third party] is an <i>asmakta</i>,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' v. Glos. ');">⁷</span>

בכפיסין שומעין לו בלבנים אין שומעין לו לסכך בארזים שומעין לו בשקמים אין שומעין לו

and we thus learn that R. Judah holds that an <i>asmakta</i> gives no title.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But all three do not prove that normally one may derive no benefit from his neighbour's property where the latter suffers no loss thereby. ');">⁸</span>

למעט בחלונות שומעין לו להרבות בחלונות אין שומעין לו להגביה אין שומעין לו למעט שומעין לו

R. Aha b. Adda said on 'Ulla's authority: If the owner of the lower storey wishes to alter [the building materials from hewn] to unhewn stones, he is permitted; [from unhewn stones] to hewn stones, he is forbidden;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Unhewn stones are wider by one handbreadth then hewn stones, v. B.B. Mishnah 2a.] ');">⁹</span>

עליון שבא לשנות בגזית שומעין לו בגויל אין שומעין לו

[from whole bricks] to half-bricks,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Between which there was a filling of rubble. This made the wall stronger than if built with whole bricks, which allowed for no filling. v. ibid. ');">¹⁰</span>

בכפיסין אין שומעין לו בלבנים שומעין לו בארזים אין שומעין לו בשקמה שומעין לו לרבות בחלונות שומעין לו למעט בחלונות אין שומעין לו להגביה אין שומעין לו למעט שומעין לו

he is permitted; [from half-bricks] to whole bricks, he is forbidden; to ceil it with cedars,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the place of the former sycamores. ');">¹¹</span>

אין לו לזה ולא לזה מאי תניא אין לו לא לזה ולא לזה אין לו לבעל עלייה בקרקע כלום

he is permitted; with sycamores.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the place of the former cedars. ');">¹²</span>

תניא רבי נתן אומר תחתון נוטל שני חלקים והעליון שליש ואחרים אומרים תחתון נוטל שלשה חלקים והעליון נוטל רביע אמר רבה נקוט דרבי נתן בידך דדיינא הוא ונחית לעומקא דדינא קא סבר כמה מפסיד עלייה בבית תילתא הלכך אית ליה תילתא:

he is forbidden; to diminish the number of windows, he is permitted; to increase them, he is forbidden; to elevate [the storey], he is forbidden; to decrease its height, he is permitted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] and [H], here translated 'he is permitted' and 'he is forbidden' respectively, are literally, 'we hearken to him,' 'we do not hearken to him.' The general principle is: if he wishes to make an alteration which strengthens the lower storey and adds to its weight, so that it can the better bear the burden of the upper portion, he is permitted. But he may not weaken it. ');">¹³</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> וכן בית הבד שהוא בנוי בסלע וגינה אחת על גביו ונפחת הרי בעל הגינה יורד וזורע למטה עד שיעשה לבית בדו כיפין

Whereas if the owner of the upper storey wishes to alter to hewn stones, he is permitted; to unhewn stones, he is not permitted; to half-bricks, he is not permitted; to whole bricks, he is permitted; to ceil it with cedars, he is not permitted; with sycamores, he is permitted; to increase the number of windows, he is permitted; to diminish them, he is not permitted; to elevate the [upper storey], he is not permitted; to decrease its height, he is permitted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He may weaken the upper portion, thereby giving the lower a lesser burden, but not strengthen it through increasing the burden. ');">¹⁴</span>

הכותל והאילן שנפלו לרשות הרבים והזיקו פטור מלשלם נתנו לו זמן לקוץ את האילן ולסתור את הכותל ונפלו בתוך הזמן פטור לאחר הזמן חייב

]

מי שהיה כותלו סמוך לגינת חבירו ונפל ואמר לו פנה אבניך ואמר לו

What if neither possesses [the wherewithal for rebuilding]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that the owner of the lower portion wishes to turn it to agricultural purposes, whilst the owner of the upper storey demands a share in it (Tosaf.). ');">¹⁵</span> (It has been taught: When neither possesses [money for rebuilding]. the garret owner has no claim at all upon the land.)<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashal deletes the whole of the bracketed passage. on the authority of Asheri. Alfasi retains it. ');">¹⁶</span> It has been taught: R. Nathan said: The owner of the lower portion receives two-thirds [of the land], and the owner of the upper, one-third. Others say, The owner of the lower portion receives three-quarters, and that of the upper, one-quarter. Rabbah said: Hold fast to R. Nathan's ruling, because he is a judge, and has penetrated to the depths of civil law. By how much does the loft impair the value of the house [i.e., the lower storey]? — By a third.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The duration of the lower portion is lessened by one-third on account of the weight of the upper. Thus it may be held that the owner of the upper storey has a right to a third of the ground. ');">¹⁷</span> Therefore he is entitled to a third. <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. SIMILARLY, IF AN OLIVE PRESS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Heb. [H], denotes the building in which the olive press, the tank, and all other objects required for pressing olives are housed. ');">¹⁸</span> WAS BUILT IN A ROCK AND ABOVE IT WAS A GARDEN, AND THE ROOF OF THE PRESS WAS BROKEN THROUGH,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus undermining the soil above and rendering it unfit for sowing. ');">¹⁹</span> THE OWNER OF THE GARDEN CAN DESCEND AND SOW BELOW [ON THE FLOOR OF THE PRESS], UNTIL THE PRESS-OWNER REPAIRS THE VAULTING [TO PROVIDE A SUPPORT FOR THE GARDEN ABOVE]. IF A WALL OR A TREE FELL INTO A PUBLIC THOROUGHFARE AND CAUSED DAMAGE, HE [ITS OWNER] IS FREE FROM LIABILITY. BUT IF HE WAS GIVEN A [FIXED] TIME TO CUT DOWN THE TREE OR PULL DOWN THE WALL, AND THEY FELL: IF WITHIN THE PERIOD, HE IS NOT LIABLE; AFTER THAT PERIOD HE IS LIABLE. IF A MAN'S WALL WAS NEAR HIS NEIGHBOUR'S GARDEN AND IT COLLAPSED [INTO THE GARDEN], AND WHEN HE DEMANDED, 'REMOVE YOUR STONES', HE REPLIED,