Bava Batra 14

מר ינוקא ומר קשישא בריה דרב חסדא לרב אשי נהרדעי לטעמייהו דאמר ר"נ אמר שמואל האחין שחלקו אין להן לא דרך זה על זה

Mar Yanuka and Mar Kashisha the sons of R. Hisda said to R. Ashi: The Nehardeans<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Hama was from Nehardea, v. Sanh. 17b. ');">¹</span> in this are applying their own principle; for R. Nahman said in the name of Samuel:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who was also from Nehardea. ');">²</span>

ולא חלונות זה על זה ולא סולמות זה על זה ולא אמת המים זה על זה והזהרו בהן שהלכות קבועות הן ורבא אמר יש להן:

If brothers divide [property which they have inherited], neither has the right of way against the other,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., across the other's field to his own field. ');">³</span> nor the right of 'windows'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The right to stop the other from taking away his light. ');">⁴</span>

ההוא שטרא דיתמי דנפיק עליה תברא אמר רב חמא אגבויי לא מגבינן ליה ומיקרע לא קרעינן ליה אגבויי לא מגבינן ליה דנפק תברא עליה מיקרע לא קרעינן ליה דכי גדלי יתמי דילמא מייתו ראיה ומרעי ליה

against the other, nor the right of 'ladders'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The right to rest a ladder in the other's courtyard in order to climb to his own room, or even to place the ladder in his own courtyard and let it rest against the other's room (v. Tosaf.). ');">⁵</span> against the other, nor the right of a watercourse<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The right to carry water from the river to his own field through the other's; all this notwithstanding the fact that the father was accustomed to do these things. ');">⁶</span>

אמר ליה רב אחא בריה דרבא לרבינא הלכתא מאי אמר ליה בכולהו הלכתא כרב חמא לבר מתברא דסהדי בשקרי לא מחזקינן

against the other; and take good heed of these rulings, because they are firmly established. Raba, however, said that each has these rights against the other. There was a bond [inherited] by orphans [from their father] against which a receipt was produced [by the borrower]. R. Hama said: We neither enforce payment on the strength of the bond, nor do we tear it up. 'We neither enforce payment', because a receipt is produced against it, 'nor do we tear it up', because it is possible that when the orphans grow up they will bring evidence invalidating the receipt. Said R. Aha the son of Raba to Rabina: What is the accepted ruling in such a case? — He replied: In all [the above-mentioned cases] the law follows R. Hama, save only in the matter of the receipt, the reason being that we do not presume the witnesses [who have signed the receipt] to have been guilty of a falsehood. Mar Zutra the son of R. Mari, however, said that in this also the law follows R. Hama, since if the receipt were genuine the defendant ought to have produced it in the lifetime of the father, and since he did not do so, the inference is that it was forged.

מר זוטרא בריה דרב מרי אמר בהא נמי הלכתא כרב חמא דאם איתא דתברא מעליא הוא איבעי ליה לאפוקי בחיי אבוהון ומדלא אפקיה שמע מינה זיופי זייפיה:

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. HE [A RESIDENT OF A COURTYARD] MAY BE COMPELLED [BY THE REST] TO [CONTRIBUTE TO] THE BUILDING OF A PORTER'S LODGE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a gate house'. ');">⁷</span> AND A DOOR<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the main gate. ');">⁸</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> כופין אותו לבנות בית שער ודלת לחצר רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר לא כל החצרות ראויות לבית שער כופין אותו לבנות לעיר חומה ודלתים ובריח רשב"ג אומר לא כל העיירות ראויות לחומה

FOR THE COURTYARD. RABBAN SIMEON B. GAMALIEL, HOWEVER, SAYS THAT NOT ALL COURTYARDS REQUIRE A PORTER'S LODGE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Gemara discusses which are meant. ');">⁹</span> HE [A RESIDENT OF A CITY] MAY BE COMPELLED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE BUILDING OF A WALL, FOLDING DOORS AND A CROSS BAR. RABBAN SIMEON B. GAMALIEL SAYS THAT NOT ALL TOWNS REQUIRE A WALL. HOW LONG MUST A MAN RESIDE IN A TOWN TO BE COUNTED AS ONE OF THE TOWNSMEN?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And become liable to these imposts. ');">¹⁰</span>

כמה יהא בעיר ויהא כאנשי העיר י"ב חדש קנה בה בית דירה הרי הוא כאנשי העיר מיד:

TWELVE MONTHS. IF, HOWEVER, HE BUYS A HOUSE THERE, HE IS AT ONCE RECKONED AS ONE OF THE TOWNSMEN. <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. [TO THE BUILDING OF A PORTER'S LODGE.] This would seem to show that a porter's lodge is an improvement: yet how can this be, seeing that there was a certain pious man<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Wherever an incident is related of a 'pious man', either Judah b. Baba or Judah b. Ila'i is meant. (Tem. 16b).] ');">¹¹</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> למימרא דבית שער מעליותא היא והא ההוא חסידא דהוה רגיל אליהו דהוה משתעי בהדיה עבד בית שער ותו לא משתעי בהדיה לא קשיא הא מגואי הא מבראי

with whom Elijah used to converse until he made a porter's lodge, after which he did not converse with him any more?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because the lodge prevented the cries of poor men from being heard within the courtyard. ');">¹²</span> — There is no contradiction; in the one case we suppose the lodge to be inside [the courtyard], in the other outside.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the lodge is outside, the poor man can get behind it and it does not prevent his voice from being heard. ');">¹³</span>

ואי בעית אימא הא והא מבראי ולא קשיא הא דאית ליה דלת הא דלית ליה דלת אי בעית אימא הא והא דאית ליה דלת ולא קשיא הא דאית ליה פותחת הא דלית ליה פותחת אי בעית אימא הא והא דאית ליה פותחת ולא קשיא הא דפותחת דידיה מגואי הא דפותחת דידיה מבראי:

Or if you like I can say that in both cases we suppose the lodge to be outside, and still there is no difficulty, because in the one case there is a door and in the other there is no door.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If there is a door to the lodge, the poor man cannot go through it, and it prevents him from being heard. ');">¹⁴</span> Or again we may suppose that in both cases there is a door, and still there is no difficulty, because in the one case there is a latch<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By means of which the poor man can open it and enter. ');">¹⁵</span>

כופין אותו לבנות בית שער ודלת לחצר: תניא רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר לא כל חצרות ראויות לבית שער אלא חצר הסמוכה לרשות הרבים ראויה לבית שער ושאינה סמוכה לרשות הרבים אינה ראויה לבית שער ורבנן זימנין דדחקי בני רשות הרבים ועיילו ואתו:

and the other there is no latch. Or again I may say that in both cases there is a latch and still there is no difficulty, because in the one case the latch is inside and in the other outside.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the latch is inside the poor man cannot open the door with it, and so cannot make his voice heard. ');">¹⁶</span> HE MAY BE COMPELLED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE COST OF A PORTER'S LODGE AND A DOOR. It has been taught: Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel Says: Not all courtyards require a porter's lodge; a courtyard which abuts on the public thoroughfare requires a lodge, but one which does not abut on the public thoroughfare<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Being somewhat drawn back into private ground. ');">¹⁷</span>

כופין אותו לבנות לעיר כו': (ת"ר כופין אותו לעשות לעיר דלתים ובריח) ורבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר לא כל העיירות ראויות לחומה אלא עיר הסמוכה לספר ראויה לחומה ושאינה סמוכה לספר אינה ראויה לחומה ורבנן זימנין דמקרו ואתי גייסא

does not require such a lodge. The Rabbis, however, hold that [it does, because] sometimes in a crowd people force their way in. HE MAY BE COMPELLED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE BUILDING OF A WALL etc. It was taught:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' (V. Rashal a.l. and D.S.) ');">¹⁸</span>

בעא מיניה רבי אלעזר מרבי יוחנן כשהן גובין לפי נפשות גובין או דילמא לפי שבח ממון גובין אמר ליה לפי ממון גובין ואלעזר בני קבע בה מסמרות

Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel says that not all cities require a wall; a town adjoining the frontier requires a wall, but a town which does not adjoin the frontier does not require a wall. And the Rabbis?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The representatives of the anonymous opinion cited in the Mishnah. Why do they make no such distinction? ');">¹⁹</span> — [They hold that it does, because] it may happen to be attacked by a roving band.

איכא דאמרי בעא מיניה רבי אלעזר מרבי יוחנן כשהן גובין לפי קירוב בתים הן גובין או דילמא לפי ממון גובין אמר ליה לפי קירוב בתים הן גובין ואלעזר בני קבע בה מסמרות

R. Eleazar inquired of R. Johanan: Is the impost [for the wall] levied as a poll tax or according to means? He replied: It is levied according to means; and do you, Eleazar my son, fix this ruling firmly in your mind.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'Fix nails in it'. ');">²⁰</span> According to another version, R. Eleazar asked R. Johanan whether the impost was levied in proportion to the proximity of the resident's house to the wall or to his means. He replied: In proportion to the proximity of his house to the wall:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to Tosaf., this means that the poor man at a distance from the wall paid less than the poor man near the wall, and so with the rich, but the rich man at a distance from the wall still paid more than the poor man near. ');">²¹</span>

רבי יהודה נשיאה רמא דשורא אדרבנן אמר ריש לקיש רבנן לא צריכי נטירותא דכתיב (תהלים קלט, יח) אספרם מחול ירבון אספרם למאן אילימא לצדיקים דנפישי מחלא השתא כולהו ישראל כתיב בה (בראשית כב, יז) כחול אשר על שפת הים צדיקים עצמם מחול ירבון

and do you, Eleazar my son, fix this ruling firmly in your mind. R. Judah the Prince<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Judah III, v. Halevy, Doroth, II, 336.] ');">²²</span>

אלא הכי קאמר אספרם למעשיהם של צדיקים מחול ירבון וקל וחומר ומה חול שמועט מגין על הים מעשיהם של צדיקים שהם מרובים לא כל שכן שמגינים עליהם

levied the impost for the wall on the Rabbis. Said Resh Lakish: The Rabbis do not require the protection [of a wall], as it is written, If I should count them, they are more In number than the sand.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CXXXIX, 18. ');">²³</span> Who are these that are counted? Shall I say the righteous,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Referred to in the word [H] in the previous verse, which Resh Lakish translates 'friends' (E.V. 'thoughts'). ');">²⁴</span>

כי אתא לקמיה דרבי יוחנן אמר ליה מאי טעמא לא תימא ליה מהא (שיר השירים ח, י) אני חומה ושדי כמגדלות אני חומה זו תורה ושדי כמגדלות

and that they are more in number than the sand? Seeing that of the whole of Israel it is written that they shall be like the sand on the sea shore,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XXII, 17. ');">²⁵</span> how can the righteous alone be more than the sand? — What the verse means, however, is I shall count the deeds of the righteous and they will be more in number than the sand. If then the sand which is the lesser quantity protects [the land] against the sea, how much more must the deeds of the righteous, which are a larger quantity, protect them? When Resh Lakish came before R. Johanan, the latter said to him: Why did you not derive the lesson from this verse, I am a wall and my breasts are like towers,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cant. VIII, 10. ');">²⁶</span> where 'I am a wall' refers to the Torah, and 'my breasts are like towers'