Bava Metzia 215

ואי לא לא מיסתגי להו

if not, they cannot walk there [in any case]'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the noble could not be compelled to clear his forest, Rabbah's clearing would serve no purpose. ');">¹</span>

רבה בר רב נחמן הוה קא אזיל בארבא חזא ההוא אבא דקאי אגודא דנהרא אמר להו דמאן אמרו ליה דרבה בר רב הונא אמר (עזרא ט, ב) ויד השרים והסגנים היתה במעל הזה ראשונה אמר להו קוצו קוצו

Rabbah son of R. Nahman was travelling in a boat, when he saw a forest on the river bank. Said he: 'To whom does this belong?' — 'To Rabbah son of R. Huna', he was informed. He thereupon quoted, <i>'Yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezra IX, 2. ');">²</span>

אתא רבה בר רב הונא אשכחיה דקייץ אמר מאן קצייה תקוץ ענפיה אמרי כולהו שני דרבה בר רב הונא לא אקיים ליה זרעא לרבה בר רב נחמן

Cut it down, cut it down', he ordered. Then Rabbah son of R. Huna came and found it cut down. 'Whoever cut it down', he exclaimed, 'may his branches be cut down!'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., may his children die! ');">³</span>

אמר רב יהודה הכל לאיגלי גפא ואפילו מיתמי אבל רבנן לא מ"ט רבנן לא צריכי נטירותא לכריא דפתיא ואפילו מרבנן

It was related that during the whole lifetime of Rabbah son of R. Huna none of Rabbah son of R. Nahman's children remained alive.

ולא אמרן אלא דלא נפקא באוכלוזא אבל לאוכלוזא לא דרבנן לאו בני מיפק באוכלוזא נינהו

Rab Judah said: All must contribute to the repair of the breaches in the wall,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As a measure of defence. ');">⁴</span>

אמר רב יהודה לכריא דנהרא תתאי מסייעי עילאי עילאי לא מסייעי תתאי וחילופא במיא דמיטרא

even orphans; but not the Rabbis. Why? — The Rabbis need no protection.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The merit of their learning protects them. ');">⁵</span>

תניא נמי הכי חמש גנות המסתפקות מים ממעין אחד ונתקלקל המעיין כולם מתקנות עם העליונה נמצאת התחתונה מתקנת עם כולן ומתקנת לעצמה וכן חמש חצרות שהיו מקלחות מים לביב אחד ונתקלקל הביב כולן מתקנות עם התחתונה נמצאת העליונה מתקנת עם כולן ומתקנת לעצמה

But for the digging of wells [for drinking purposes] even the Rabbis are liable. But that is only if they [the townspeople] do not go out in bands;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To dig it personally, but merely furnish the money for it. ');">⁶</span>

אמר שמואל האי מאן דאחזיק ברקתא דנהרא חציפא הוי סלוקי לא מסלקינן ליה והאידנא דקא כתבי פרסאי קני לך עד מלי צוארי סוסיא מיא סלוקי נמי מסלקינן ליה...

if however, they do, [the Rabbis] are not [liable], because it is not In keeping with their dignity.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the whole passage v. B.B. (Sonc. ed.) p. 33. ');">⁷</span>

אמר רב יהודה אמר רב האי מאן דאחזיק ביני אחי וביני שותפי חציפא הוי סלוקי לא מסלקינן ליה ורב נחמן אמר נמי מסלקינן ואי משום דינא דבר מצרא לא מסלקינן ליה

Rab Judah said: When the river needs dredging,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of mud and refuse which impede the free flow of the water. ');">⁸</span>

נהרדעי אמרי אפילו משום דינא דבר מצרא מסלקינן ליה משום שנאמר (דברים ו, יח) ועשית הישר והטוב בעיני ה'

those dwelling on the lower reaches must aid the upper inhabitants, but not vice versa.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If there are obstacles on the upper parts of the river, the water flow is adversely affected for the lower too. But on the other hand, there is no profit for the upper inhabitants to clear the lower portions, for the greater the ease with which the water runs downwards, the less water is left for them. ');">⁹</span>

אתא אימליך ביה אמר ליה איזיל איזבון ואמר ליה זיל זבון צריך למיקנא מיניה או לא רבינא אמר לא צריך למיקנא מיניה נהרדעי אמרי צריך למיקנא מיניה והלכתא צריך למיקנא מיניה

But it is the reverse in respect to rain water.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where the rainfall has to be drained away because it injures the roads etc., those on the upper reaches must aid the lower, because if the lower water is not carried off the upper cannot be either. But those living below have no profit in the drainage of the town situated by the upper reaches of the river. ');">¹⁰</span>

השתא דאמרת צריך למיקנא מיניה אי לא קנו מיניה אייקור וזול ברשותיה

It has been taught likewise: If five gardens draw their water from the same well, and the well is damaged, all must assist the upper field; hence the lowest must aid all the rest, yet must repair by himself.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As before, it is in the interest of each that the water from above shall flow freely to his own field, but not that it shall continue after it has passed his estate. Therefore the lowest of all must assist in the repairing if the course is blocked above, but none need help him if it is blocked at his own estate. ');">¹¹</span>

זבן במאה ושוי מאתן חזינא אי לכולי עלמא קא מוזילא ומזבין יהיב ליה מאה ושקיל ליה ואי לא יהיב ליה מאתן ושקיל ליה

Likewise, if five courts run off their [surplus] water into one dyke, and the dyke is damaged, all must assist the lowest in the repairs;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If it was damaged at his court. ');">¹²</span>

זבן במאתן ושויא מאה סבור מינה מצי אמר ליה לתקוני שדרתיך ולא לעוותי אמר ליה מר קשישא בריה דרב חסדא לרב אשי הכי אמרי נהרדעי משום דרב נחמן אין אונאה לקרקעות

hence the highest must assist all in repairing, yet must repair by himself [receiving no aid from the others.]

זבין ליה גריוא דארעא במיצעא נכסיה חזינן אי עידית היא אי זיבורית היא זביניה זביני

Samuel said: He who takes possession of the wharfage of a river is an impudent person, but cannot be [legally] removed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As stated above, p. 425, under Persian law, he who paid the land tax on a plot of land was entitled to it. A large clear space on the river bank was left for the purpose of unloading. It would appear that originally no one had a particular claim to it, and the revenue suffered accordingly. Hence, if one paid the land tax and seized it, he could not be legally removed; nevertheless, since this would cause considerable public inconvenience, he was stigmatised as an impudent man, lacking in civic responsibility. ');">¹³</span> But nowadays that the Persian authorities write [in the warrant of ownership], 'Possess it [sc. the field on the river bank] as far as the depth of water reaching up to the horse's neck', he is removed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though the owners fence off their fields at some distance from the water's edge, the land actually belongs to them, and therefore none can legally seize it. ');">¹⁴</span> Rab Judah said in Rab's name: If one takes possession<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By paying the land tax thereon. ');">¹⁵</span> [of an estate lying] between [the fields belonging to] brothers or partners, he is an impudent man, yet cannot be removed. R. Nahman said: He can even be removed too; but if it is only on account of the right of pre-emption, he cannot be evicted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., if the two fields on either side do not belong to brothers or partners, yet the owners allege that they had a prior right to pay the tax and take the land, and had intended doing so, in accordance with the right of pre-emption (v. p. 396, n. 6), their plea is unavailing. ');">¹⁶</span> The Nehardeans said: He is removed even on the score of the right of pre-emption, for it is written, <i>And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. VI, 18. This is regarded as an exhortation to the purchaser: 'Why buy a field just here, where it is more useful to its neighbour than another field not adjacent to his, when you can as easily buy a similar field elsewhere, seeing that it makes no difference to you?' ');">¹⁷</span> What if one came to take counsel of him [sc. the neighbour who enjoys the right of pre-emption] and asked, 'Shall I go and buy it?' and he replied, 'Go and buy it': is formal acquisition from him necessary,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [The performance of a kinyan confirming the surrender of the abutting neighbour's right of pre-emption.] ');">¹⁸</span> or not? — Rabina<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Alfasi reads: R. Nahman. ');">¹⁹</span> ruled: No formal acquisition is necessary; the Nehardeans maintained: It is. And the law is that a formal acquisition is needed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Otherwise the neighbouring estate owner can say, 'I merely stood aside whilst you established its price, as I knew that I would be charged more, being particularly anxious to obtain it.' ');">²⁰</span> Now that you say that a formal acquisition is necessary, — if he did not acquire it of him [and bought the field], it advances or falls in his [the abutting neighbour's] ownership.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the purchase is legally invalid, the abutting neighbour retaining his option on it. Therefore if it appreciates after the purchase, he can insist on taking it over from the vendee at its value at the time of purchase, and the profit of the advance is his. Contrariwise, if it loses in value, he must pay the vendee its full original value. ');">²¹</span> Now, if he bought it for a hundred [<i>zuz</i>], whereas it is worth two hundred, we see: if he [the original vendor] would have sold it to any one at a reduced figure, he [the abutting neighbour] pays him [the vendee] a hundred [<i>zuz</i>] and takes it. But if not [and it was a special favour to the vendee], he must pay him two hundred and only then take it. But if he bought it for two hundred, its value being only one hundred, — it was [at first] thought that he [the abutting neighbour] can say to him, 'I sent you for my benefit, not for my hurt.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the vendee has in fact involuntarily become the neighbour's agent for purchase. Hence the latter can repudiate his act and insist on receiving it at its market value. ');">²²</span> But Mar Kashisha, the son of R. Hisda,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 388, n. 4. ');">²³</span> said to R. Ashi: Thus did the Nehardeans say in R. Nahman's name: There is no law of fraudulent purchase in respect to real estate.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the neighbour must render the price paid by the vendee. ');">²⁴</span> If one sold a <i>griwa</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. ');">²⁵</span> of land in the middle of his estate, we see: if it is of the choicest or of the most inferior quality, the sale is valid;