Bava Metzia 213:1

מיקל

is lenient in the matter.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra 78b. This proves that R. Simeon b. Gamaliel does not forbid a change of this description, where the original owner suffers no loss. ');">¹</span>

אמר אביי טעמא דרבן שמעון כדמר דאמר מר האי מאן דניחא ליה דתתבור ארעיה ליזרעה שתא חטי ושתא שערי שתא שתי ושתא ערב

— Said Abaye: R. Simeon b. Gamaliel's reason is in accordance With you, Master.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Viz., Rabbah b. Nahmani; Abaye having been brought up in his house, he addressed him 'Mar', 'Master', 'Sir'. ');">²</span>

ולא אמרן אלא דלא כריב ותני אבל כריב ותני לית לן בה:

For the Master said: If one wishes his land to become sterile, let him sow it one year with wheat and the following with barley, one year lengthwise and the following crosswise.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., sowing in such succession injures the fertility of the soil. Therefore, if he leased it for wheat, he may not sow it with barley, in the opinion of R. Simeon b. Gamaliel, lest wheat had been sown there the previous year. ');">³</span>

תבואה לא יזרענה קטנית [וכו']: מתני ליה רב יהודה לרבין תבואה יזרענה קטנית א"ל והא אנן תנן תבואה לא יזרענה קטנית א"ל לא קשיא הא לן והא להו

Yet that is only if he does not plough it [after the harvest] and repeat [before sowing]; but if he does, no harm is done.

א"ל רב יהודה לרבין בר ר"נ רבין אחי הני תחלי דבי כיתנא אין בהן משום גזל עומדות על גבולין יש בהן משום גזל

[IF RENTED FOR] CEREALS, HE MAY NOT SOW PULSE, etc. Rab Judah taught Rabin: [If rented for] cereals, he may sow pulse. Said he to him: But did we not learn, [IF RENTED FOR] CEREALS, HE MAY NOT SOW PULSEE? — He replied: There is no difficulty; this [sc. my ruling] refers to ourselves; the other, to them [the Palestinians].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Palestine is not so well watered, and the impoverishment of the soil is a real danger; hence, if rented for cereals, pulse must not be sown, as they are a greater drain upon the soil. But Babylonian soil being more marshy and humid, there is no such danger. [According to Maim. Yad, Sekiroth, VIII, 7, the position of cereals and pulse is reversed throughout the passages, cf. p. 610, n. 8.] ');">⁴</span>

ואם הוקשו לזרע אפילו דבי כיתנא נמי יש בהם משום גזל מ"ט מאי דאפסיד אפסיד

Rab Judah said to Rabin son of R. Nahman: My brother Rabin! The cress that grows among flax is not forbidden [to strangers] as robbery;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because the injury it does to the flax is greater than its value, and the owner is pleased when people tear it out. ');">⁵</span>

א"ל רב יהודה לרבין בר ר"נ רבין אחי הני דילי דילך ודילך דילי נהוג בני מצרא אילן הנוטה לכאן לכאן והנוטה לכאן

but that which grows on the borders [of the field] is so forbidden. Yet if it has become hardened for sowing,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., fully grown. ');">⁶</span>

לכאן דאיתמר אילן העומד על המיצר אמר רב הנוטה לכאן לכאן והנוטה לכאן לכאן ושמואל אמר חולקין

even that which grows among the flax is forbidden as robbery. Why? — Because the damage is already done.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And it causes no further damage now. ');">⁷</span>

מיתיבי אילן העומד על המיצר יחלוקו תיובתא דרב תרגמא שמואל אליבא דרב בממלא כל המיצר כולו

Rab Judah said to Rabin son of R. Nahman: [Some of] these [fruits] of mine are really yours; and some of yours are really mine.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Their fields were contiguous, and each had trees planted near the intervening border. Rab Judah observed that some of his trees, though planted in his own soil, extended their roots into that of his neighbour and drew nourishment thence. Therefore those fruits really belonged to Rabin, and vice versa. ');">⁸</span>

אי הכי מאי למימרא לא צריכא דתלי טוניה לחד גיסא ואכתי מאי למימרא מהו דתימא דא"ל פלוג הכי קמ"ל דאמר ליה מאי חזית דפלגת הכי פלוג הכי

And the practice of abutting neighbours is to regard a tree as belonging to the field whither its roots tend. For it has been stated: If a tree stands by the boundary line [between two fields]: Rab said: Whither each is inclined, there it belongs; Samuel said: They share [therein].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi translates: The tree stands near the boundary, whereon Rab rules that its ownership is fixed by the direction of its roots. Tosaf.: The tree stands actually on the boundary line, the roots spreading equally into both fields, and Rab rules that the ownership is fixed by its branches: it belongs to the field over which they preponderate. ');">⁹</span>

א"ל רב יהודה לרבין בר ר"נ רבין אחי לא תזבין ארעא דסמיכא למתא דא"ר אבהו אמר רב הונא אמר רב אסור לו לאדם שיעמוד על שדה חבירו בשעה שעומדת בקמותיה

An objection is raised: If a tree stands by the boundary, they [the owners of the adjacent fields] share therein. This refutes Rab's ruling! — Samuel interpreted this on Rab's views as meaning that it takes up the whole [breadth of] the boundary.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi: The roots tending equally in both directions. Tosaf.: The branches overspread the whole boundary. ');">¹⁰</span>

איני והא אשכחינהו רבי אבא לתלמידיה דרב אמר להו מאי אמר רב בהני קראי (דברים כח, ג) ברוך אתה בעיר וברוך אתה בשדה ברוך אתה בבואך וברוך אתה בצאתך

If so, why state it? — It is necessary [to teach it] only when its weight overhangs in one direction.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi: The weight of its branches and fruit are toward one side. Tosaf.: Though the branches are confined to the boundary, the fruit facing one field exceeds that which fronts the other. ');">¹¹</span>

ואמרו ליה הכי אמר רב ברוך אתה בעיר שיהא ביתך סמוך לבהכ"נ ברוך אתה בשדה שיהו נכסיך קרובים לעיר ברוך אתה בבואך שלא תמצא אשתך ספק נדה בשעת ביאתך מן הדרך ברוך אתה בצאתך שיהו צאצאי מעיך כמותך

But even so, why state it? — I might think that he [one field owner] can say, 'Divide thus.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., you take the fruit facing your field, and I will take that facing mine. ');">¹²</span>

ואמר להו ר' יוחנן לא אמר הכי אלא ברוך אתה בעיר שיהא בית הכסא סמוך לשולחנך אבל בהכ"נ לא ורבי יוחנן לטעמיה דאמר שכר פסיעות יש

Therefore we are informed that he can reply, 'What reason is there for dividing in this manner? Divide it otherwise!'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., instead of dividing the tree parallel to the length of the boundary, which gives one more than the other, divide it along its breadth. ');">¹³</span>

ברוך אתה בשדה שיהו נכסיך משולשין שליש בתבואה שליש בזיתים ושליש בגפנים ברוך אתה בבואך וברוך אתה בצאתך שתהא יציאתך מן העולם כביאתך לעולם מה ביאתך לעולם בלא חטא אף יציאתך מן העולם בלא חטא

Rab Judah said to Rabin son of R. Nahman: My brother Rabin, do not buy a field that is near a town; for R. Abbahu said in the name of R. Huna in Rab's name: One may not stand over his neighbour's field when its crop is full grown.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'when it is with its standing crop'. The reason is that he might injure it through the evil eye. ');">¹⁴</span> But that is not so! For when R. Abba met Rab's disciples, and asked them: what comments did Rab make upon these verses: <i>Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out</i>?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXVIII, 3, 6. ');">¹⁵</span> They answered him: Thus did Rab say: <i>'Blessed shalt thou be in the city'</i> — that thy house shall be near a synagogue; <i>'and blessed shalt thou be in the field</i>' — that thy property shall be near the city; '<i>Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in</i>' — that thou shalt not find thy wife in doubt of <i>niddah</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. ');">¹⁶</span> on returning home from thy travels; <i>'and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out'</i> — that thine offsprings shall be as thee.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Translating the Heb. [H] 'in respect of that which goeth forth from thee.' ');">¹⁷</span> Whereupon he observed: R. Johanan did not interpret thus, but: <i>'Blessed shalt thou be in the city</i>' — that the privy closet shall be near to thy table,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Metaphorically: there shall be adequate and readily accessible sanitation. ');">¹⁸</span> but not the synagogue.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., in his opinion it is not desirable that the synagogue shall be near at hand, because, as stated in the Gemara, one is rewarded for walking to the synagogue. ');">¹⁹</span> R. Johanan's interpretation is in accordance with his opinion, viz., One is rewarded for walking [to a synagogue]. '<i>And blessed shalt thou be in the field</i>' — that thy estate shall be divided in three [equal] portions of cereals, Olives, and vines. <i>'Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out</i>' — that thine exit from the world shall be as thine entry therein: just as thou enterest it without sin, so mayest thou leave it without!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Reverting to the interpretation given in the name of Rab, the second passage contradicts Rab Judah's remark. ');">²⁰</span>