🏘️ Mishnah Bava Batra 2

לֹא יַחְפֹּר אָדָם בּוֹר סָמוּךְ לְבוֹרוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ, וְלֹא שִׁיחַ, וְלֹא מְעָרָה, וְלֹא אַמַּת הַמַּיִם, וְלֹא נִבְרֶכֶת כּוֹבְסִין, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הִרְחִיק מִכֹּתֶל חֲבֵרוֹ שְׁלשָׁה טְפָחִים, וְסָד בְּסִיד. מַרְחִיקִין אֶת הַגֶּפֶת וְאֶת הַזֶּבֶל וְאֶת הַמֶּלַח וְאֶת הַסִּיד וְאֶת הַסְּלָעִים מִכָּתְלוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ שְׁלשָׁה טְפָחִים, וְסָד בְּסִיד. מַרְחִיקִין אֶת הַזְּרָעִים, וְאֶת הַמַּחֲרֵשָׁה, וְאֶת מֵי רַגְלַיִם מִן הַכֹּתֶל שְׁלשָׁה טְפָחִים. וּמַרְחִיקִין אֶת הָרֵחַיִם שְׁלשָׁה מִן הַשֶּׁכֶב, שֶׁהֵן אַרְבָּעָה מִן הָרָכֶב. וְאֶת הַתַּנוּר, שְׁלשָׁה מִן הַכִּלְיָא, שֶׁהֵן אַרְבָּעָה מִן הַשָּׂפָה:

A person may not dig a pit close to the pit of another, in order to avoid damaging the latter’s pit. And similarly, one may not dig a ditch, nor a cave, i.e., a covered pit, nor a water channel, nor a launderer’s pond, which is a pit used for washing clothes, unless he distanced all of these three handbreadths from the wall of another and he plasters lime on the place where there is water. And one must distance the solid residue of produce that has been pressed free of its oil, e.g., the refuse of olives from which oil has been squeezed, and animal manure, and salt, and lime, and rocks three handbreadths from the wall of another, as all these items produce heat and can damage the wall. Or, alternatively, he may plaster the wall with lime to prevent damage. One must likewise distance seeds, i.e., one may not plant seeds, and one may not operate the plow, and one must eliminate urine, three handbreadths from the wall of another. The mishna continues: And one must distance a mill from a neighbor’s wall by three handbreadths from the lower stone of the mill, which is four handbreadths from the smaller upper stone of the mill. And there must be a distance of three handbreadths from the protruding base [hakalya] of an oven until the wall, which is four handbreadths from the narrow upper rim [hassafa] of the oven.

לֹא יַעֲמִיד אָדָם תַּנּוּר בְּתוֹךְ הַבַּיִת, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן יֵשׁ עַל גַּבָּיו גֹּבַהּ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת. הָיָה מַעֲמִידוֹ בָעֲלִיָּה, צָרִיך שֶׁיְּהֵא תַחְתָּיו מַעֲזִיבָה שְׁלשָׁה טְפָחִים. וּבַכִּירָה, טֶפַח. וְאִם הִזִּיק, מְשַׁלֵּם מַה שֶּׁהִזִּיק. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, לֹא אָמְרוּ כָל הַשִּׁעוּרִין הָאֵלּוּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁאִם הִזִּיק, פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּם:

A person may not set up an oven inside a house unless there is a space four cubits high above it, i.e., between the top of the oven and the ceiling, to avoid burning the ceiling, which serves as the floor of the residence above. If one was setting up an oven in the upper story, there must be a plaster floor beneath it, which serves as the ceiling of the lower story, at least three handbreadths thick, so that the ceiling below does not burn. And in the case of a stove the plaster floor must be at least one handbreadth thick. And if he causes damage in any case, he pays compensation for that which he damaged. Rabbi Shimon says: They said all of these measurements to teach only that if he causes damage he is exempt from paying, as he took all reasonable precautions.

לֹא יִפְתַּח אָדָם חֲנוּת שֶׁל נַחְתּוֹמִין וְשֶׁל צַבָּעִין תַּחַת אוֹצָרוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ. וְלֹא רֶפֶת בָּקָר. בֶּאֱמֶת, בְּיַיִן הִתִּירוּ, אֲבָל לֹא רֶפֶת בָּקָר. חֲנוּת שֶׁבֶּחָצֵר, יָכוֹל לִמְחוֹת בְּיָדוֹ וְלוֹמַר לוֹ, אֵינִי יָכוֹל לִישֹׁן מִקּוֹל הַנִּכְנָסִין וּמִקּוֹל הַיּוֹצְאִין. אֲבָל עוֹשֶׂה כֵלִים, יוֹצֵא וּמוֹכֵר בְּתוֹךְ הַשּׁוּק, אֲבָל אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִמְחוֹת בְּיָדוֹ וְלוֹמַר לוֹ, אֵינִי יָכוֹל לִישֹׁן, לֹא מִקּוֹל הַפַּטִּישׁ, וְלֹא מִקּוֹל הָרֵחַיִם, וְלֹא מִקּוֹל הַתִּינוֹקוֹת:

A person may not open a bakery or a dye shop beneath the storeroom of another, and he may not establish a cattle barn there, as these produce heat, smoke, and odors, which rise and damage the items in the storeroom. The mishna comments: In truth, the halakha is that in the case of a storeroom of wine the Sages rendered it permitted to set up a bakery and a dye shop beneath, as the heat that rises does not damage the wine. But they did not render it permitted to establish a cattle barn, because its odor damages the wine. If a resident wants to open a store in his courtyard, his neighbor can protest to prevent him from doing so and say to him: I am unable to sleep due to the sound of people entering the store and the sound of people exiting. But one may fashion utensils in his house and go out and sell them in the market, despite the fact that he is not allowed to set up a store in the courtyard, and the neighbor cannot protest against him doing so and say to him: I am unable to sleep due to the sound of the hammer you use to fashion utensils, nor can he say: I cannot sleep due to the sound of the mill that you use to grind, nor can he say: I cannot sleep due to the sound of the children. It is permitted for one to make reasonable use of his own home.

מִי שֶׁהָיָה כָתְלוֹ סָמוּךְ לְכֹתֶל חֲבֵרוֹ, לֹא יִסְמֹךְ לוֹ כֹתֶל אַחֵר, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הִרְחִיק מִמֶּנּוּ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת. וְהַחַלּוֹנוֹת, מִלְּמַעְלָן וּמִלְּמַטָּן, וּמִכְּנֶגְדָּן, אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת:

One whose wall was close to the wall of another may not build another wall close to the neighbor’s wall unless he distances it four cubits from the wall of the neighbor. And one who desires to build a wall opposite the windows of a neighbor’s house must distance the wall four cubits from the windows, whether above, below, or opposite.

מַרְחִיקִין אֶת הַסֻּלָּם מִן הַשּׁוֹבָךְ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִקְפֹּץ הַנְּמִיָּה, וְאֶת הַכֹּתֶל מִן הַמַּזְחִילָה אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא זוֹקֵף אֶת הַסֻּלָּם. מַרְחִיקִין אֶת הַשּׁוֹבָךְ מִן הָעִיר חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה. וְלֹא יַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם שׁוֹבָךְ בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁלּוֹ, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן יֶשׁ לוֹ חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה לְכָל רוּחַ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, בֵּית אַרְבַּעַת כּוֹרִין, מְלֹא שֶׁגֶר הַיּוֹנָה. וְאִם לְקָחוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ בֵית רֹבַע, הֲרֵי הוּא בְחֶזְקָתוֹ:

One must distance his ladder four cubits from a neighbor’s dovecote so that a mongoose will not be able to jump from the ladder to the dovecote and devour the birds. And one must distance his wall four cubits from a roof gutter, so that the neighbor can lean a ladder in the empty space to clean and repair the gutter. One must distance a dovecote fifty cubits from the city to prevent doves from eating seeds in the town. And a person should not establish a dovecote within his own property unless he has fifty cubits in each direction between the dovecote and the edge of his property. Rabbi Yehuda says that one must have surrounding the dovecote the area required for sowing four kor of seed on each side, which generally extends as far as a dove flies in a single flight. And if one bought the dovecote with the land, he has the acquired privilege of its use even if it has surrounding it only the area required for sowing a quarter-kav of seed [beit rova] around it, and he need not remove it from there.

נִפּוּל הַנִּמְצָא בְתוֹךְ חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה, הֲרֵי הוּא שֶׁל בַּעַל הַשּׁוֹבָךְ. חוּץ מֵחֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה, הֲרֵי הוּא שֶׁל מוֹצְאוֹ. נִמְצָא בֵין שְׁנֵי שׁוֹבָכוֹת, קָרוֹב לָזֶה, שֶׁלּוֹ. קָרוֹב לָזֶה, שֶׁלּוֹ. מֶחֱצָה עַל מֶחֱצָה, שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחֲלֹקוּ:

With regard to a dove chick [nippul] that was found within fifty cubits of a dovecote, it belongs to the owner of the dovecote. If it was found beyond fifty cubits from a dovecote, it belongs to its finder. In a case where it was found between two dovecotes, if it was close to this one, it belongs to the owner of this dovecote; if it was close to that one, it belongs to the owner of that dovecote. If it was half and half, i.e., equidistant from the two dovecotes, the two owners divide the value of the chick.

מַרְחִיקִין אֶת הָאִילָן מִן הָעִיר עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ אַמָּה, וּבְחָרוּב וּבְשִׁקְמָה חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה. אַבָּא שָׁאוּל אוֹמֵר, כָּל אִילַן סְרָק, חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה. אִם הָעִיר קָדְמָה, קוֹצֵץ וְאֵינוֹ נוֹתֵן דָּמִים. וְאִם הָאִילָן קָדַם, קוֹצֵץ וְנוֹתֵן דָּמִים. סָפֵק זֶה קָדַם, סָפֵק זֶה קָדַם, קוֹצֵץ וְאֵינוֹ נוֹתֵן דָּמִים:

One must distance a tree twenty-five cubits from the city, and in the cases of a carob tree and of a sycamore tree, which have a great many branches, they must be distanced fifty cubits. Abba Shaul says: Every barren tree must be distanced fifty cubits. And if the city preceded the tree, as one later planted the tree alongside the city, he cuts down the tree, and the city does not give money to the tree’s owner in compensation. And if the tree preceded the city, which expanded after one planted the tree until it reached the tree, he cuts down the tree and the city gives money to its owner. If it is uncertain whether this one was first or that one was first, he cuts down the tree and the city does not give money.

מַרְחִיקִין גֹּרֶן קָבוּעַ מִן הָעִיר חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה. לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם גֹּרֶן קָבוּעַ בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁלּוֹ, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן יֶשׁ לוֹ חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה לְכָל רוּחַ, וּמַרְחִיק מִנְּטִיעוֹתָיו שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ וּמִנִּירוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַזִּיק:

One must distance a permanent threshing floor fifty cubits from the city, so that the chaff will not harm the city’s residents. Furthermore, a person should not establish a permanent threshing floor even on his own property unless he has fifty cubits of open space in every direction. And one must distance a threshing floor from the plantings of another and from another’s plowed field far enough that it does not cause damage.

מַרְחִיקִין אֶת הַנְּבֵלוֹת וְאֶת הַקְּבָרוֹת וְאֶת הַבֻּרְסְקִי מִן הָעִיר חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה. אֵין עוֹשִׂין בֻּרְסְקִי אֶלָּא לְמִזְרַח הָעִיר. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, לְכָל רוּחַ הוּא עוֹשֶׂה, חוּץ מִמַּעֲרָבָהּ, וּמַרְחִיק חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה:

One must distance animal carcasses, and graves, and a tannery [haburseki], a place where hides are processed, fifty cubits from the city. One may establish a tannery only on the east side of the city, because winds usually blow from the west and the foul smells would therefore be blown away from the residential area. Rabbi Akiva says: One may establish a tannery on any side of a city except for the west, as the winds blowing from that direction will bring the odors into the city, and one must distance it fifty cubits from the city.

מַרְחִיקִין אֶת הַמִּשְׁרָה מִן הַיָּרָק, וְאֶת הַכְּרֵשִׁין מִן הַבְּצָלִים, וְאֶת הַחַרְדָּל מִן הַדְּבוֹרִים. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי מַתִּיר בַּחַרְדָּל:

One must distance from vegetables water in which flax is steeped, because this water ruins them; and likewise one must distance leeks from onions, and mustard from bees. And Rabbi Yosei permits one not to do so in the case of mustard.

מַרְחִיקִין אֶת הָאִילָן מִן הַבּוֹר עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ אַמָּה, וּבְחָרוּב וּבְשִׁקְמָה, חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה, בֵּין מִלְמַעְלָה בֵּין מִן הַצָּד. אִם הַבּוֹר קָדַם, קוֹצֵץ וְנוֹתֵן דָּמִים. וְאִם אִילָן קָדַם, לֹא יָקֹץ. סָפֵק זֶה קָדַם, וְסָפֵק זֶה קָדַם, לֹא יָקֹץ. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַבּוֹר קוֹדֶמֶת לָאִילָן, לֹא יָקֹץ, שֶׁזֶּה חוֹפֵר בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁלּוֹ, וְזֶה נוֹטֵעַ בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁלּוֹ:

One must distance a tree twenty-five cubits from a cistern, and in the case of a carob and of a sycamore tree, whose roots extend farther, one must distance the tree fifty cubits. This is the halakha whether the cistern or tree is located above or to the side of the other. If the digging of the cistern preceded the tree, the owner of the tree cuts down the tree and the owner of the cistern pays him money. And if the tree preceded the cistern the owner of the tree need not cut down the tree. If it is uncertain whether this came first or that came first, the owner of the tree need not cut down the tree. Rabbi Yosei says: Even if the cistern preceded the tree, the owner of the tree need not cut down the tree. This is due to the fact that this one digs in his own property, and that one plants in his own property.

לֹא יִטַּע אָדָם אִילָן סָמוּךְ לִשְׂדֵה חֲבֵרוֹ, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הִרְחִיק מִמֶּנּוּ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת, אֶחָד גְּפָנִים וְאֶחָד כָּל אִילָן. הָיָה גָדֵר בֵּינְתַיִם, זֶה סוֹמֵךְ לַגָּדֵר מִכָּאן, וְזֶה סוֹמֵךְ לַגָּדֵר מִכָּאן. הָיוּ שָׁרָשִׁים יוֹצְאִין לְתוֹךְ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ, מַעֲמִיק שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְעַכֵּב אֶת הַמַּחֲרֵשָׁה. הָיָה חוֹפֵר בּוֹר, שִׁיחַ וּמְעָרָה, קוֹצֵץ וְיוֹרֵד, וְהָעֵצִים שֶׁלּוֹ:

A person may not plant a tree near the field of another unless he distances it four cubits from the field. This is the case whether he is planting grapevines or any kind of tree. If there was a fence between them, this one may place, i.e., plant, his grapevines or trees close to the fence from here, and that one may place, i.e., plant, his produce close to the fence from there. If the roots were spreading into the field of another, the owner of the field may dig to a depth of three handbreadths even if he severs those roots, so that they do not impede his plow. If he was digging a cistern in that spot, or a ditch, or a cave, and he came upon the roots of his neighbor’s tree, he may cut downward normally, and the wood from the roots is his.

אִילָן שֶׁהוּא נוֹטֶה לִשְׂדֵה חֲבֵרוֹ, קוֹצֵץ מְלֹא הַמַּרְדֵּעַ עַל גַּבֵּי הַמַּחֲרֵשָׁה. וּבְחָרוּב וּבְשִׁקְמָה, כְּנֶגֶד הַמִּשְׁקֹלֶת. בֵּית הַשְּׁלָחִין, כָּל הָאִילָן כְּנֶגֶד הַמִּשְׁקֹלֶת. אַבָּא שָׁאוּל אוֹמֵר, כָּל אִילַן סְרָק, כְּנֶגֶד הַמִּשְׁקֹלֶת:

With regard to a tree that leans into the field of another, the neighbor may cut the branches to the height of an ox goad raised over the plow, in places where the land is to be plowed, so that the branches do not impede the use of the plow. And in the case of a carob tree and the case of a sycamore tree, whose abundance of branches cast shade that is harmful to plants, all the branches overhanging one’s property may be removed along the plumb line, i.e., along a line perpendicular to the boundary separating the fields. And if the neighbor’s field is an irrigated field, all branches of the tree are removed along the plumb line. Abba Shaul says: All barren trees are cut along the plumb line.

אִילָן שֶׁהוּא נוֹטֶה לִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים, קוֹצֵץ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא גָמָל עוֹבֵר וְרוֹכְבוֹ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, גָּמָל טָעוּן פִּשְׁתָּן אוֹ חֲבִילֵי זְמוֹרוֹת. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, כָּל הָאִילָן כְּנֶגֶד הַמִּשְׁקֹלֶת, מִפְּנֵי הַטֻּמְאָה:

With regard to a tree that extends into the public domain, one cuts its branches so that a camel can pass beneath the tree with its rider sitting on it. Rabbi Yehuda says: One cuts enough branches that a camel loaded with flax or bundles of branches can pass beneath it. Rabbi Shimon says: One cuts all branches of the tree that extend into the public domain along the plumb line, so that they do not hang over the public area at all, due to ritual impurity.