Bava Batra 126

למאי הלכתא רב זביד אמר שאם רצה להוציא בה זיזין מוציא רב פפא אמר שאם רצה לבנות עלייה על גבה בונה

For what purpose is the new rule laid down by Resh Lakish?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' We already know this from the Mishnah which says that if a man sells a house, he does not sell with it the roof. V. supra 61a. ');">¹</span> — [In order to tell us] that if the vendor desires to let out projecting spars from the roof, he is at liberty to do so.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., even if he parts with the courtyard, he still retains the right to make the same use of the roof as when the courtyard below belonged to him. This right, however, is retained by him only in virtue of his stipulation which otherwise would have been an idle one. ');">²</span>

בשלמא לרב זביד היינו דקתני זאת אומרת אלא לרב פפא מאי זאת אומרת קשיא:

R. Papa says: [In order to tell us] that if he desires to build an upper chamber over the apartment, he is at liberty to do so.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is explained by the commentators to mean that if the parapet (or the upper storey) falls in, he is at liberty to rebuild it. [R. Gershom's explanation that he may build an upper chamber over the diaita, accords, however, better with our text. cf. n. 4.] ');">³</span> Accepting R. Zebid's view, we understand why Resh Lakish used the expression 'this shows'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because the act of the vendor here in reserving to himself, in virtue of his stipulation, a part of the space over the courtyard is analogous to the act of the Levite in reserving to himself a part of the field. ');">⁴</span>

אמר רב דימי מנהרדעא האי מאן דמזבין ליה ביתא לחבריה אף על גב דכתב ליה עומקא ורומא צריך למכתב ליה קני לך מתהום ארעא ועד רום רקיעא מאי טעמא דעומקא ורומא בסתמא לא קני אהני עומקא ורומא למיקנא עומקא ורומא ואהני מתהום ארעא ועד רום רקיעא למיקנא בור ודות ומחילות

But on the view of R. Papa, why should he have said, 'this shows'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because there is no special analogy between reserving part of the field which has been sold and reserving the right to rebuild the roof which has not been included in the sale, and if Resh Lakish had meant the latter, he should have stated it independently and not derived it from the former. ');">⁵</span> — This is really a difficulty.

לימא מסייע ליה ולא את הבור ולא את הדות אף על פי שכתב לו עומקא ורומא ואי סלקא דעתך בסתמא קני עומקא ורומא ליהני עומקא ורומא למיקנא בור ודות ומחילות דלא כתב ליה

R. Dimi of Nehardea said: If a man sells an apartment to another,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With the intention of transferring to him at the same time the well or cistern in the courtyard. ');">⁶</span> even though he inserts in the deed of sale the words, '[I sell you] the depth and the height',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., all the space below and above. ');">⁷</span>

והא אע"פ שכתב לו קתני הכי קאמר אע"פ שלא כתב לו כמי שכתב דמי למיקנא עומקא ורומא למיקנא בור ודות ומחילות אי כתב ליה עומקא ורומא קני ואי לא כתב לא קני

he must further insert the words, 'Acquire for thyself possession from the depth of the earth to the height of heaven,' because the space below and above is not transferred automatically.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., along with the house itself without specific mention. For the exact significance of 'depth and height' v. infra. ');">⁸</span> Hence the words 'depth and height' avail to transfer the space below and above, while the words 'from the depth of the earth to the height of heaven' avail to transfer a well, a cistern and cavities.

תא שמע ולא את הגג בזמן שיש לו מעקה גבוה עשרה טפחים

Shall we say [that the following Mishnah] supports R. Dimi: The vendor does not transfer the well and the cistern even though he inserts the words 'depth and height'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Infra 64a. ');">⁹</span> Now if you should assume that the space below and above is transferred automatically, then the insertion of the words 'depth and height' should avail to transfer well, cistern and cavities [should they not]? — [We suppose the Mishnah to refer to the case] where these words were not inserted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And if they are, they avail to effect the transfer of well and cistern. ');">¹⁰</span> But the Mishnah distinctly says, 'although he inserts the words [depth and height']? — We must explain the Mishnah thus: Even if these words are not actually inserted they are regarded as being inserted for the purpose of transferring the space below and above; and as regards a well and a cistern, if the words 'depth and height' are inserted, these are transferred, but otherwise not.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And we do not require the words, 'from the depth of the earth to the height of heaven'. ');">¹¹</span> Come and hear:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is a further argument in support of R. Dimi's view, ');">¹²</span> NOR THE ROOF SO LONG AS IT HAS A PARAPET TEN HANDBREADTHS HIGH.