Bava Batra 9

רוניא אקפיה רבינא מארבע רוחותיו אמר ליה הב לי כמה דגדרי לא יהיב ליה הב לי לפי קנים בזול לא יהיב ליה הב לי אגר נטירותא לא יהיב ליה

[One] Ronya had a field which was enclosed on all four sides by fields of Rabina. The latter [fenced them and] said to him: pay me [towards] what I have spent for fencing.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to the ruling of R. Jose as interpreted by R. Huna. ');">¹</span> He refused to do so. Then pay [towards] the cost of a cheap fence of sticks.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to the same ruling as interpreted by Hiyya b. Rab. ');">²</span>

יומא חד הוה קא גדר דיקלי אמר ליה לאריסיה זיל שקול מניה קיבורא דאהיני אזל לאתויי רמא ביה קלא אמר ליה גלית דעתך דמינח ניחא לך לא יהא אלא עיזא בעלמא מי לא בעי נטירותא אמר ליה עיזא בעלמא לאו לאכלויי בעיא אמר ליה ולא גברא בעית דמיכלי לה

He again refused. Then pay me the hire of a watchman.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to one version of the opinion of the Rabbis. ');">³</span> He still refused. One day Rabina saw Ronya gathering dates, and he said to his metayer: Go and snatch a cluster of dates from him. He went to take them, but Ronya shouted at him, whereupon Rabina said: You show by this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By the fact that you do not want people to enter your field. ');">⁴</span>

אתא לקמיה דרבא א"ל זיל פייסיה במאי דאיפייס ואי לא דאיננא לך דינא כרב הונא אליבא דרבי יוסי

that you are glad of the fence. If it is only goats [you are afraid of], does not your field need guarding? He replied: A goat can be driven off with a shout.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Adopting the reading of the BaH, v. D.S.] ');">⁵</span> But, he said, don't you require a man to shout at it? He appealed to Raba, who said to him: Go and accept his last offer,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'appease him with what he is willing to be appeased with,' i.e., the hire of a watchman. ');">⁶</span>

רוניא זבן ארעא אמיצרא דרבינא סבר רבינא לסלוקי משום דינא דבר מצרא א"ל רב ספרא בריה דרב ייבא לרבינא אמרי אינשי ארבעה לצלא ארבעה לצללא:

and if not, I will give judgment against you according to R. Huna's interpretation of the ruling of R. Jose.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Viz., to contribute half of his actual outlay, this being the halachah. ');">⁷</span> Ronya bought a field adjoining a field of Rabina. The latter thought he was entitled to eject him in virtue of his right of preemption.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As owner of the adjoining field. ');">⁸</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> כותל חצר שנפל מחייבין אותו לבנותו עד ארבע אמות בחזקת שנתן עד שיביא ראיה שלא נתן

Said R. Safra the son of R. Yeba to Rabina: You know the saying, The hide costs four zuzim, and four are for the tanner.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Apparently R. Safra meant that by having two fields instead of one, Ronya, who was a poor man, would save expense, and therefore Rabina ought to let him keep it. But the exact application of the saying here is obscure. v. Rashi and Tosaf. ');">⁹</span> <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. IF THE PARTY WALL OF A COURTYARD FALLS IN, EACH OF THE NEIGHBOURS CAN BE COMPELLED BY THE OTHER TO [CONTRIBUTE TO THE COST OF] REBUILDING IT TO A HEIGHT OF FOUR CUBITS.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This being the minimum to prevent overlooking. ');">¹⁰</span>

מד' אמות ולמעלן אין מחייבין אותו סמך לו כותל אחר אע"פ שלא נתן עליו את התקרה מגלגלין עליו את הכל בחזקת שלא נתן עד שיביא ראיה שנתן:

[EACH OF THEM] IS ALWAYS PRESUMED TO HAVE GIVEN HIS SHARE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In case he is sued by the other after the wall is built. ');">¹¹</span> UNTIL THE OTHER BRINGS A PROOF THAT HE HAS NOT GIVEN.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because, as most people know the rule about contributing, we presume that if the other had not paid as soon as the wall was finished, he would have sued him at once. ');">¹²</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> אמר ריש לקיש הקובע זמן לחבירו ואמר לו פרעתיך בתוך זמני אינו נאמן ולואי שיפרע בזמנו אביי ורבא דאמרי תרוייהו עביד איניש דפרע בגו זימניה זימנין דמתרמו ליה זוזי אמר איזיל איפרעיה

FOR REBUILDING HIGHER THAN FOUR CUBITS NEITHER CAN BE COMPELLED [TO CONTRIBUTE]. IF, HOWEVER, [THE ONE WHO HAS NOT CONTRIBUTED]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To the rebuilding higher than four cubits. ');">¹³</span> BUILDS ANOTHER WALL CLOSE TO IT,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With the intention of roofing over the intervening space. ');">¹⁴</span> EVEN THOUGH HE HAS NOT YET PUT A ROOFING OVER THE SPACE BETWEEN, THE [PRO RATA] COST OF THE WHOLE DEVOLVES UPON HIM,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because he makes it clear retrospectively that he is well satisfied to have the wall at its present height. ');">¹⁵</span> AND HE IS PRESUMED NOT TO HAVE GIVEN UNTIL HE ADDUCES PROOF THAT HE HAS GIVEN.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because this rule is not so well known, and the builder of the first wall may have learnt only some time after that he was able to recover his outlay. ');">¹⁶</span> <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Resh Lakish has laid down: If a lender stipulates a date for the repayment of a loan, and the borrower pleads [when the date of payment arrives] that he paid the debt before it fell due, his word is not accepted. Let him only pay when it does fall due! Abaye and Raba, however, both concur in saying that it is not unusual for a man to pay a debt before it falls due; sometimes he happens to have money, and he says to himself, I will go and pay him,