Bava Basra 18b

בבא בתרא י״ח ע״ב

Bava Batra 18b

Learn Bava Basra 18b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Who must move away when neighbors' things harm each other: על המזיק or על הניזק, in the מחלוקת between רבנן and רבי יוסי

Overview

The משנה teaches that a person must keep harmful things away from a neighbor's property: משרה (flax-soaking water) away from ירק, and חרדל away from bees. רבי יוסי disagrees about חרדל. The גמרא asks how such things could end up at the border at all, and רב פפא answers that the case is a לוקח, someone who bought land where the items were already in place. רבינא explains that the רבנן still make the buyer move, because על המזיק להרחיק את עצמו: the one causing harm must distance himself. The גמרא first suggests that רבי יוסי also holds על המזיק and argues only because mustard and bees harm each other. The רבנן answer that bees do not really harm mustard. Then a משנה about a pit and a tree shows that רבי יוסי holds על הניזק. So the גמרא concludes that his mustard argument was only made 'according to your view' against the רבנן. The amud ends as the רבנן begin their reply again, and that reply continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (11)

1. QuestionHow can the harmful items end up at the border?
2. Responseרב פפא: The case is a buyer
3. ChallengeIf it is a buyer, both opinions are hard to understand
4. Resolutionרבינא: The one who causes harm must move away
5. ChallengeThen רבי יוסי should be lenient with flax-water too
6. Resolutionרבי יוסי also holds the damager must move, but mustard and bees harm each other
7. ResolutionThe Rabbis reply that bees do not really harm mustard
8. ChallengeChallenge: elsewhere רבי יוסי says each person may use his own property
9. Resolutionרבי יוסי holds the damaged party must move, but argues using the Rabbis' rule
10. Resolutionרבי יוסי's full argument spelled out
11. ResolutionThe Rabbis reply that bees do not harm mustard