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Bava Basra 59b

בבא בתרא נ״ט ע״ב

Bava Batra 59b

Learn Bava Basra 59b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Ledges over a neighbor's courtyard and היזק ראיה; opening windows into a shared courtyard

Overview

This עמוד opens with the end of a משנה about a ledge that sticks out from a house over a neighbor's courtyard. A ledge of a טפח can create a חזקה, and the courtyard owner may object to it. A ledge smaller than a טפח creates no חזקה, and nobody can object. רבי מני teaches that a חזקה on a טפח reaches to four, and אביי explains that this means a ledge one טפח wide and four long may later be widened to four. רב הונא and רב יהודה then argue about whether the courtyard owner may object to a ledge under a טפח. The גמרא shows that both agree היזק ראיה is real damage. They argue only about whether the owner of such a small ledge will end up looking into the courtyard. A new משנה then forbids opening windows into a courtyard shared with partners, and the גמרא explains why the משנה chose the shared courtyard as its case. The עמוד ends with a ברייתא in which two חכמים rule opposite ways on such windows, and רב נחמן begins to comment.

Opening lines

וְיָכוֹל לְמַחוֹת.

and he can protest.

פָּחוֹת מִטֶּפַח –

Less than a handbreadth –

אֵין לוֹ חֲזָקָה,

he has no acquired right,

וְאֵין יָכוֹל לְמַחוֹת.

and he cannot protest.

The steps (14)

  1. StatementEnd of the משנה: ledges of a handbreadth and smaller
  2. StatementRabbi Mani: a right to a handbreadth is a right to four
  3. QuestionWhat does Rabbi Mani mean?
  4. Responseאביי explains: one handbreadth wide by four long
  5. Statementרב הונא: only the roof owner cannot object
  6. Statementרב יהודה: neither side can object
  7. QuestionIs their argument about harm caused by seeing?
  8. RejectionEveryone agrees looking is damage, but this ledge is too small to use
  9. Resolutionרב הונא: the roof owner may get scared and look
  10. StatementNew משנה: no windows into a shared courtyard
  11. ChallengeWhy does the משנה mention only a shared courtyard?
  12. ResolutionThe משנה teaches the bigger חידוש: even a shared courtyard
  13. StatementA story: two sages rule differently about windows into a shared courtyard
  14. Statementרב נחמן begins to comment