🏘️ Mishnah Bava Batra 6

הַמּוֹכֵר פֵּרוֹת לַחֲבֵרוֹ וְלֹא צִמְּחוּ, וַאֲפִלּוּ זֶרַע פִּשְׁתָּן, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב בְּאַחֲרָיוּתָן. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, זֵרְעוֹנֵי גִנָּה שֶׁאֵינָן נֶאֱכָלִין, חַיָּב בְּאַחֲרָיוּתָן:

With regard to one who sells produce to another that is sometimes purchased for consumption and sometimes for planting, and the buyer planted it and it did not sprout, and even if he had sold flaxseeds, which are only occasionally eaten, the seller does not bear financial responsibility for them, i.e., he is not required to compensate the buyer. Since the buyer did not specify that he purchased the produce in order to plant it, the seller can claim that he assumed the buyer intended to eat it. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: If he had sold seeds for garden plants, which are not eaten at all, then the seller bears financial responsibility for them, as they were certainly purchased for planting.

הַמּוֹכֵר פֵּרוֹת לַחֲבֵרוֹ, הֲרֵי זֶה מְקַבֵּל עָלָיו רֹבַע טִנֹּפֶת לִסְאָה. תְּאֵנִים, מְקַבֵּל עָלָיו עֶשֶׂר מְתֻלָּעוֹת לְמֵאָה. מַרְתֵּף שֶׁל יַיִן, מְקַבֵּל עָלָיו עֶשֶׂר קוֹסְסוֹת לְמֵאָה. קַנְקַנִּים בַּשָּׁרוֹן, מְקַבֵּל עָלָיו עֶשֶׂר פִּיטַסְיָאוֹת לְמֵאָה:

When selling a significant quantity of produce or a number of items, there is a possibility that there will be a certain proportion of impurities in it or that some of the product will be of substandard quality. The mishna delineates what proportion is considered acceptable, for which a buyer may not demand compensation. With regard to one who sells produce, i.e., grain, to another, this buyer accepts upon himself that up to a quarter-kav of impurities may be present in each se’a of produce purchased. When purchasing figs, he accepts upon himself that up to ten infested figs may be present in each hundred figs purchased. When purchasing a cellar containing barrels of wine, he accepts upon himself that up to ten barrels of souring wine may be present in each hundred barrels purchased. When purchasing jugs of wine in the Sharon region, he accepts upon himself that up to ten inferior-quality jugs [pitasot] of wine may be present in each hundred jugs purchased.

הַמּוֹכֵר יַיִן לַחֲבֵרוֹ וְהֶחְמִיץ, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב בְּאַחֲרָיוּתוֹ. וְאִם יָדוּעַ שֶׁיֵּינוֹ מַחְמִיץ, הֲרֵי זֶה מִקַּח טָעוּת. וְאִם אָמַר לוֹ יַיִן מְבֻשָּׂם אֲנִי מוֹכֵר לְךָ, חַיָּב לְהַעֲמִיד לוֹ עַד הָעֲצֶרֶת. וְיָשָׁן, מִשֶּׁל אֶשְׁתָּקַד. וּמְיֻשָּׁן, מִשֶּׁל שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים:

If one sells wine to another and then it sours, the seller does not bear financial responsibility for its loss. But if it is known of this seller that his wine always sours, then this sale is a mistaken transaction, i.e., one based upon false assumptions, as the buyer intended to purchase wine that would maintain its quality; therefore, the seller must reimburse the buyer. And if the seller said to the buyer: It is wine that is spiced, which is preserved and of lasting quality, that I am selling to you, then he bears financial responsibility to provide him with wine that will keep until the festival of Shavuot. And if the seller said: I am selling you old wine, he is responsible to provide wine from the previous year. And if he said: I am selling you aged wine, he is responsible to provide wine that is from three years earlier.

הַמּוֹכֵר מָקוֹם לַחֲבֵרוֹ לִבְנוֹת לוֹ בַיִת, וְכֵן הַמְקַבֵּל מֵחֲבֵרוֹ לִבְנוֹת לוֹ בֵית חַתְנוּת לִבְנוֹ וּבֵית אַלְמְנוּת לְבִתּוֹ, בּוֹנֶה אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת עַל שֵׁשׁ, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא. רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר, רֶפֶת בָּקָר הוּא זֶה. הָרוֹצֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת רֶפֶת בָּקָר, בּוֹנֶה אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת עַל שֵׁשׁ. בַּיִת קָטָן, שֵׁשׁ עַל שְׁמֹנֶה. גָדוֹל, שְׁמֹנֶה עַל עֶשֶׂר. טְרַקְלִין, עֶשֶׂר עַל עֶשֶׂר. רוּמוֹ כַּחֲצִי אָרְכּוֹ וְכַחֲצִי רָחְבּוֹ. רְאָיָה לַדָּבָר, הֵיכָל. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, הַכֹּל כְּבִנְיַן הֵיכָל:

With regard to one who sells a plot of land to another, with the buyer intending to build a bridal house for his son or a widowhood home for his daughter on that plot, and similarly, with regard to a contractor who receives a plot of land from another under a commission to build for the owner on that land a bridal house for his son, or a widowhood home for his daughter, the terms of the transaction are a matter of dispute. The mishna presents the dispute: In the latter case, the contractor must build a building that is at least four cubits by six cubits in size, and similarly, in the case of the sale, the seller must provide a plot of land that can accommodate a building of that size; this is the statement of Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Yishmael says: A structure of this size is a cowshed, and a bridal house or a widowhood home is larger than that. One who wants to construct a cowshed builds a structure at least four cubits by six cubits in size. The mishna delineates the standard dimensions for various other structures. A small house is six by eight cubits. A large house is eight by ten cubits. A banquet hall [teraklin] is ten by ten cubits. The standard height for each of these structures is equal to the sum of half its length and half its width. There is a proof of the matter; Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: The proportions are like the building of the Sanctuary; it was forty cubits wide and twenty cubits long and its height was thirty cubits, which is the sum of half the width and half the length.

מִי שֶׁיֶּשׁ לוֹ בוֹר לִפְנִים מִבֵּיתוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ, נִכְנָס בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם נִכְנָסִין וְיוֹצֵא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם יוֹצְאִין, וְאֵינוֹ מַכְנִיס בְּהֶמְתּוֹ וּמַשְׁקָהּ מִבּוֹרוֹ, אֶלָּא מְמַלֵּא וּמַשְׁקָהּ מִבַּחוּץ, וְזֶה עוֹשֶׂה לוֹ פוֹתַחַת וְזֶה עוֹשֶׂה לוֹ פוֹתָחַת:

One who has ownership of a cistern located beyond the house of another, i.e., the cistern can be accessed only by entering the property of the other, and also has access rights to that cistern, may enter the house to access his cistern only at a time when it is usual for people to enter, and may leave only at a time when it is usual for people to leave. And in addition, he may not bring his animal into the house and water it from his cistern; rather, he must fill a pail with water from the cistern and water his animal outside. And this one, the owner of the cistern, constructs for himself a lock on the entrance to the cistern to prevent the homeowner from drawing water from it, and that one, the homeowner, constructs for himself a lock.

מִי שֶׁיֶּשׁ לוֹ גִנָּה לִפְנִים מִגִּנָּתוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ, נִכְנָס בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם נִכְנָסִים וְיוֹצֵא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם יוֹצְאִין, וְאֵינוֹ מַכְנִיס לְתוֹכָהּ תַּגָּרִין, וְלֹא יִכָּנֵס מִתּוֹכָהּ לְתוֹךְ שָׂדֶה אַחֶרֶת, וְהַחִיצוֹן זוֹרֵעַ אֶת הַדָּרֶךְ. נָתְנוּ לוֹ דֶרֶךְ מִן הַצַּד מִדַּעַת שְׁנֵיהֶם, נִכְנָס בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהוּא רוֹצֶה וְיוֹצֵא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהוּא רוֹצֶה, וּמַכְנִיס לְתוֹכָהּ תַּגָּרִין, וְלֹא יִכָּנֵס מִתּוֹכָהּ לְתוֹךְ שָׂדֶה אַחֶרֶת, וְזֶה וָזֶה אֵינָם רַשָּׁאִים לְזָרְעָהּ:

One who has ownership of a garden located beyond the garden of another, and also has access rights to it, may enter his garden only at a time when it is usual for people to enter, and may leave only at a time when it is usual for people to leave. Furthermore, he may not bring merchants into his garden, and he may not enter the garden solely in order to use it as a passageway, to enter from it into another field. And the owner of the outer garden may sow the path leading to the inner garden. If the court gave him an access path from the side of the outer garden, with the agreement of both of them, he may enter at any time he wants, and leave at any time he wants, and may bring merchants into the inner garden. But he may still not enter the garden solely in order to enter from it into another field. In such a case, neither this one, the owner of the inner garden, nor that one, the owner of the outer garden, is permitted to plant that side path.

מִי שֶׁהָיְתָה דֶרֶךְ הָרַבִּים עוֹבֶרֶת בְּתוֹךְ שָׂדֵהוּ, נְטָלָהּ וְנָתַן לָהֶם מִן הַצַּד, מַה שֶּׁנָּתַן נָתַן, וְשֶׁלּוֹ לֹא הִגִּיעוֹ. דֶּרֶךְ הַיָּחִיד, אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת. דֶּרֶךְ הָרַבִּים, שֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה. דֶּרֶךְ הַמֶּלֶךְ, אֵין לָהּ שִׁעוּר. דֶּרֶךְ הַקֶּבֶר, אֵין לָהּ שִׁעוּר. הַמַּעֲמָד, דַּיָּנֵי צִפּוֹרִי אָמְרוּ, בֵּית אַרְבַּעַת קַבִּין:

In the case of one who had a public thoroughfare passing through his field, and he appropriated it and instead gave the public an alternative thoroughfare on the side of his property, the halakha is that the thoroughfare that he gave them, he gave them, and they may use it. But the original thoroughfare that he took for himself has not reached him, i.e., he cannot appropriate it for his personal use. The standard width of a private path is four cubits. If a field owner sells the right to pass through his field to an individual, without specifying the width of the path, he must provide him with a path four cubits wide. The standard width of a public thoroughfare is sixteen cubits. The width of a king’s thoroughfare has no maximum measure, as the king may appropriate whatever width thoroughfare he wishes. The width of the path for the burial procession to a grave has no maximum measure. With regard to the practice of standing and comforting the mourners following a funeral, the judges of Tzippori said that the standard requisite size is the area required for sowing four kav of seed.

הַמּוֹכֵר מָקוֹם לַחֲבֵרוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ קֶבֶר, וְכֵן הַמְקַבֵּל מֵחֲבֵרוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ קֶבֶר, עוֹשֶׂה תוֹכָהּ שֶׁל מְעָרָה אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת עַל שֵׁשׁ, וּפוֹתֵחַ לְתוֹכָהּ שְׁמֹנָה כוּכִין, שְׁלֹשָׁה מִכָּאן וּשְׁלֹשָׁה מִכָּאן וּשְׁנַיִם מִכְּנֶגְדָּן, וְכוּכִין אָרְכָּן אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת וְרוּמָן שִׁבְעָה וְרָחְבָּן שִׁשָּׁה. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, עוֹשֶׂה תוֹכָהּ שֶׁל מְעָרָה שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת עַל שְׁמֹנֶה, וּפוֹתֵחַ לְתוֹכָהּ שְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר כּוּךְ, אַרְבָּעָה מִכָּאן וְאַרְבָּעָה מִכָּאן וּשְׁלֹשָׁה מִכְּנֶגְדָּן וְאֶחָד מִימִין הַפֶּתַח וְאֶחָד מִן הַשְּׂמֹאל. וְעוֹשֶׂה חָצֵר עַל פִּי הַמְּעָרָה שֵׁשׁ עַל שֵׁשׁ, כִּמְלֹא הַמִּטָּה וְקוֹבְרֶיהָ, וּפוֹתֵחַ לְתוֹכָהּ שְׁתֵּי מְעָרוֹת, אַחַת מִכָּאן וְאַחַת מִכָּאן. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, אַרְבַּע, לְאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹתֶיהָ. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, הַכֹּל לְפִי הַסָּלַע:

There is the case of one who sells a plot of land to another in order for him to construct for himself an underground catacomb, and similarly the case of a contractor who receives a plot of land from another under a commission to construct for him a catacomb. If the size of the catacomb was not specified, then he should make the inside of each burial chamber four cubits wide by six cubits long and open up into the chamber, by digging into its walls, eight burial niches [kukhin] in which the coffins will rest. Three niches should be opened up from the wall here, along the length of the chamber, and three from there, along the other side, and two niches from the wall facing the entrance. And these niches should be formed so that their length is four cubits and their height is seven handbreadths, and their width is six handbreadths. Rabbi Shimon says: He should construct the inside of each burial chamber six cubits wide by eight cubits long and open up into the chamber, by digging into its walls, thirteen burial niches. Four niches should be opened up from the wall here, along the length of the chamber, and four from there, along the other side, and three niches from the wall facing the entrance, and one from the right of the entrance and another one from the left. The mishna describes the general structure of the catacomb: And he must fashion a courtyard at the entrance of the burial chamber that should be six cubits by six cubits, which is equal to the combined length of the bier of the deceased and those who bury him, to ensure adequate room for the burial to take place. And he should open up two burial chambers into the courtyard, one from here and one from there, i.e., on opposite sides of the courtyard. Rabbi Shimon says: He should open up four burial chambers, one on each of the courtyard’s four sides. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: Everything is dependent on the nature of the bedrock. If the bedrock is hard and strong it will be able to accommodate more niches, which will be more closely packed together, with less bedrock between them. If the bedrock is softer, fewer and more sparsely spaced niches should be formed.