Bava Batra 117

תנן המזחילה יש לה חזקה בשלמא למאן דאמר הנך תרתי שפיר

We learnt: THERE IS <i>HAZAKAH</i> FOR A ROOF-GUTTER.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This being a fixture, if the owner of the courtyard does not protest against its overhanging his yard during three years, the owner of the gutter may claim a prescriptive right to keep it there. ');">¹</span>

אלא למאן דאמר שאם רצה לבנות תחתיו בונה מאי נפקא ליה מינה

This fits in with the first two of the views [just adduced]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The views of Samuel and R. Hanina regarding a gutter-pipe. ');">²</span>

הכא במזחילה של בנין עסקינן דאמר ליה לא ניחא לי דתיתרע אשיתאי

but on the view that [the Statement that 'there is no <i>hazakah</i> for a gutterpipe' means that] if the owner of the courtyard wants to build under it he may do so, what does it matter to him [the owner of the gutter]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For why should the owner of the gutter have hazakah to the extent that he should be able to object to the owner of the courtyard building under it, and why in any case should he raise such an objection? ');">³</span>

אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל צינור המקלח מים לחצר חברו ובא בעל הגג לסותמו בעל החצר מעכב עליו דאמר ליה כי היכי דאת קנית לך חצר דידי למשדא ביה מיא לדידי נמי קני לי מיא דאיגרך

— We are dealing here with a gutter of stone, the owner of which can say, I do not want my stonework to be weakened [by building carried on underneath].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But as a gutter-pipe is usually made of wood, there is no ground for a similar complaint if building is carried on under it. ');">⁴</span>

איתמר רבי אושעיא אמר מעכב ר' חמא אמר אינו מעכב אזל שייליה לרבי ביסא אמר להו מעכב קרי עליה רמי בר חמא (קהלת ד, יב) והחוט המשולש לא במהרה ינתק זה רבי אושעיא בנו של רבי חמא בנו של רבי ביסא:

Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel: If a man has a pipe [on his roof] from which water drips into his neighbour's courtyard and he wants to stop it up the owner of the courtyard can prevent him, saying, Just as you have property in the courtyard for pouring your water into It, so I have property in the water that comes from your roof.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For providing water for his cattle. ');">⁵</span>

סולם המצרי אין לו חזקה: היכי דמי סולם המצרי אמרי דבי ר' ינאי כל שאין לו ארבעה חווקין:

It has been stated: R. Oshaia said that the owner of the courtyard may prevent him, but R. Hama<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Father of R. Oshaia. ');">⁶</span>

חלון המצרית אין לה חזקה כו': מאי שנא גבי סולם דלא מפרש ומאי שנא גבי חלון דמפרש משום דקא בעי איפלוגי רבי יהודה בסיפא

said he may not. They<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So in some texts. ');">⁷</span>

אמר רבי זירא למטה מד' אמות יש לו חזקה ויכול למחות למעלה מארבע אמות אין לו חזקה ואינו יכול למחות ורבי אילעא אמר אפילו למעלה מארבע אמות אין לו חזקה ויכול למחות

went and asked R. Bisa,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Father of R. Hama. ');">⁸</span>

לימא בכופין על מדת סדום קא מיפלגי דמר סבר כופין ומר סבר אין כופין

who replied that he can prevent him. Rami b. Hama applied to him [R. Oshaia] the verse, A threefold cord is not easily broken.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Eccl. IV, 12. ');">⁹</span>

לא דכולי עלמא כופין ושאני הכא דאמר ליה זימנין דמותבת שרשיפא תותך וקיימת וקא חזית ההוא דאתא לקמיה דר' אמי שדריה לקמיה דרבי אבא בר ממל אמר ליה עביד ליה כרבי אילעא

This [he said], is exemplified in R. Oshaia the son of R. Hama who is the son of R. Bisa.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosaf. points out that examples were not rare of three generations of scholars in the same family, but the peculiarity of this case was that all three were alive at the same time. ');">¹⁰</span>

אמר שמואל ולאורה אפי' כל שהוא יש לו חזקה:

THERE IS NO <i>HAZAKAH</i> FOR AN EGYPTIAN LADDER.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the fact that it has been allowed to remain in the neighbour's courtyard three years confers no right to keep it there permanently. ');">¹¹</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> הזיז עד טפח יש לו חזקה

How is an Egyptian ladder to be defined? — The school of R Jannai defined it as one which has not four rungs. THERE IS NO <i>HAZAKAH</i> FOR AN EGYPTIAN WINDOW.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because, as it is too small to see much out of, the owner of the courtyard does not trouble to protest. ');">¹²</span> Why should a definition be given [in the Mishnah] of an Egyptian window and not of an Egyptian ladder? — Because [in regard to the size of the window] the dissentient opinion of R. Judah was to be recorded in the next clause. R. Zera said: There is <i>hazakah</i> [for a Tyrian window] if it comes lower than four cubits [from the floor of the room],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because then the owner of the room can look through it and see what is going on in his neighbour's courtyard. Hence if the latter does not protest, the former acquires hazakah. ');">¹³</span> and the owner of the courtyard can prevent [one from being made in the first instance];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To save himself from the danger of being overlooked. ');">¹⁴</span> but if it is more than four cubits from the floor, there is no <i>hazakah</i> for it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because, as it does not enable him to be overlooked, the owner of the courtyard does not trouble to protest. ');">¹⁵</span> and the owner of the courtyard cannot prevent [it from being made]. R. Elai, however, said that even if it is more than four cubits from the floor there is no <i>hazakah</i> for it, and [yet] the owner of the courtyard can prevent it from being made.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the reason given below, that the other may stand on a stool and look through. ');">¹⁶</span> May we say that the point at issue between them [R. Zera and R. Elai] is whether or not we force a man to abandon a dog-in-the manger attitude,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the characteristic of Sodom': doing something which vexes his neighbour without benefiting himself. V. supra 12b. ');">¹⁷</span> one [R. Zera] holding that we do and the other that we do not? — No. Both are agreed that we do, and here [R. Elai] makes a difference because the [owner of the courtyard] can say to the other, You might at times place a stool under yourself and stand on it and see [into my courtyard].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence we cannot say that the owner of the courtyard derives no benefit from preventing the other from making his window four cubits above the floor, and therefore he is at liberty to prevent him. ');">¹⁸</span> A certain man appealed to R. Ammi. The latter sent him to R. Abba b. Memel, telling him, Decide according to the opinion of R. Elai.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which shows that this is the law (Rashb.). ');">¹⁹</span> Samuel said: If [a window is necessary] to let in light, however small it is there is <i>hazakah</i> for it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And if the owner of the courtyard does not protest in time, it may be kept there permanently. ');">²⁰</span> <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. FOR A SPAR<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A spar projecting from the roof of a house over a neighbour's courtyard. ');">²¹</span> [WHICH PROJECTS NOT LESS THAN] A HAND BREADTH THERE IS <i>HAZAKAH</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that the owner of the courtyard cannot remove it after a certain time. ');">²²</span>