Jerusalem Talmud Nazir 9:3

משנה: הַמּוֹצֵא מֵת בַּתְּחִילָּה מוּשְׁכָּב כְּדַרְכּוֹ נוֹטְלוֹ וְאֶת תְּפוּשָׂתוֹ. מָצָא שְׁנַיִם נוֹטְלָן וְאֶת תְּפוּשָׂתָן. מָצָא שְׁלֹשָׁה אִם יֵשׁ בֵּין זֶה לָזֶה מֵאַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת עַד שְׁמוֹנֶה כִּמְלוֹא הַמִּיטָּה וְקוֹבְרֵיהָ הֲרֵי זוֹ שְׁכוּנַת קְבָרוֹת. בּוֹדֵק מִמֶּנּוּ וּלְהַלָּן עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה. מָצָא אֶחָד בְּסוֹף עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה בּוֹדֵק הֵימֶנּוּ וּלְהַלָּן עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה שֶׁרַגְלַיִם לַדָּבָר שֶׁאִילּוּ מִתְּחִילָּה מְצָאוֹ נוֹטְלוֹ וְאֶת תְּבוּסָתוֹ. MISHNAH: If somebody finds¹⁰⁶Ploughing his field or excavating his property, he finds a grave unknown to him. a corpse in original position, lying as usual¹⁰⁷The position of the bones is that usual in Jewish burials., he takes him and his surroundings¹⁰⁸He can remove the bones and the earth that will have absorbed the decaying flesh. The Mishnah assumes that no sarcophagus was used.. If he finds two, he takes them and their surroundings. If he finds three¹⁰⁹Three parallel graves. and between one and the next is a distance of between four and eight cubits, enough for the bier and the people who bury¹¹⁰It is forbidden to step on a grave while burying another person. Therefore, a Jewish cemetery must allow enough space that burials can take place which do not desecrate prior graves., that is a cemetery¹¹¹It is forbidden to remove the graves or to use the ground for other purposes.. He has to check on both sides for another 20 cubits. If he finds a grave at the end of 20 cubits, he has to check another 20 cubits since it is obvious that if this were a new burial ground, one would have taken him and his surroundings there¹¹²If a series of graves was found which conform to the rules of a cemetery, it must be a cemetery since otherwise the bones would have been removed..

הלכה: אֵי זֶהוּ מֻשְׁכַּב כְּדַרְכּוֹ. רַגְלָיו מְפוּשָׁטוֹת וְיָדָיו עַל לִבּוֹ. אֲבָל אִם מְצָאוֹ קַמְצוּץ. אֲנִי אוֹמֵר. גַּל נָפַל עָלָיו וַהֲרָגוֹ. וְהָתַנֵּי. מָצָא שְׁנַיִם רָאשֵׁיהֶם בְּצַד מַרְגְּלוֹתֵיהֶם נוֹטְלָן וְאֶת תְּפוּסָתָן. סָֽבְרִין מֵימַר. קַמְצוּץ מָהוּ. רָאשֵׁיהֶם בְּצַד מַרְגְּלוֹתֵיהֶם. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק בֵּירִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר. כְּגוֹן אֵילֵּין נוּנַיָּא צְלִייָא רֵישֵׁי דְּהֵן גַּבֵּי עוּקְצֵיהּ דְּהֵן עוּקְצֵיהּ דְּהֵן גַּבֵּי רֵישֵׁיהּ דְּהֵן. HALAKHAH: What means “lying as usual”? His legs straight and his hands over his heart. But if he found him compressed, I am saying that a heap fell on him and killed him. But did we not state: “If he found two with their heads beside their legs, he takes them and their surroundings?”¹¹³Nazir.65a">Babli 65a. They wanted to say, what means “compressed”? Their heads beside their legs¹¹⁴A Gentile way of burial.. Rebbi Isaac ben Rebbi Eleazar said, like fried fish, the head of one near the tail of the other and vice versa¹¹⁵The head of one corpse between the legs of another is not a form of burial but a sign of an accident..

רִבִּי יִצְחָק בַּר גּוּפְתָּא בְּעָא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי מָנָא. תַּנֵּי אַתְּ אֲמַר מְלַקֵּט עֶצֶם עֶצֶם וְהַכֹּל טָהוֹר. וָכָא אַתְּ אֲמַר הָכֵין. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. אֱמוֹר דְּבַתְרָהּ. אִם הִתְקִינוֹ לְקֶבֶר מִתְּחִילָּה יֵשׁ לוֹ תְּפוּסָה. Rebbi Isaac bar Gufta asked before Rebbi Mana: In a statement you say, “he collects every single bone and everything is pure¹¹⁶Mishnah Ahilut 16:5: “If one removes a grave from his field, he collects every single bone and everything is pure.” In contrast, the Mishnah here requires that a certain amount of earth also be removed.;” and here, you say so? He answered him, say what comes afterwards: “If he prepared it from the start as a grave, it has surroundings.¹¹⁷Statement of R. Simeon in the same Mishnah. From a cistern used to bury stillbirths or crime victims (incomplete corpses which have no claim to “surroundings”) one can remove all bones and it is pure. But if he prepared the cistern from the start as a temporary grave, it has surroundings (when the bones are finally removed). This is the case considered in the Mishnah here, since one speaks of graves parallel to one another, i. e., intended as temporary graves.”

כַּמָּה הוּא תְפוּסַת קֶבֶר. קוֹלֵף ג̇ אֶצְבָּעוֹת עַד מָקוֹם שֶׁהַמּוֹהֵל יוֹרֵד. How much is the surrounding of a grave? One shaves off three finger-breadths, the place where fluid penetrates¹¹⁸In the Nazir.65a">Babli, 65a, this is a little more explicit: In virgin soil, one takes three finger-breadths. In loose soil, one takes as much as one recognizes that the decomposing flesh penetrated..

אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא. הָדָא אָֽמְרָה. מֵת מִצְוָה מוּתָּר לְפַנּוֹתוֹ. אָמַר רִבִּי זְעִירָא. תִּיפְתָּר שֶׁנִּקְבַּר שֶׁלֹּא בִּרְשׁוּת אוֹ שֶׁנִּקְבַּר לִשְׁאֵלָה. וְחָשׁ לוֹמַר שֶׁמָּא מֵת מִצְוָה הִיא. סָבַר רִבִּי זְעִירָא שֶׁאֵין מֵיתֵי מִצְוָה מְצוּיִין. נִמְצֵאתָה אוֹמֵר. שְׁלֹשָׁה מִינֵי קְבָרוֹת הֵן. קֶבֶר הַנִּמְצָא מְפַנִּין אוֹתוֹ. פִּינֵּהוּ מְקוֹמוֹ טָמֵא וְאָסוּר בַּהֲנָייָה. קֶבֶר הַיָּדוּעַ אֵין מְפַנִּים אוֹתוֹ. פִּינֵּהוּ מְקוֹמוֹ טָהוֹר וּמוּתָּר בַּהֲנָייָה. קֶבֶר שֶׁהוּא מַזִּיק אֶת הָרַבִּים מְפַנִּין אוֹתוֹ. פִּינֵּהוּ מְקוֹמוֹ טָמֵא וְאָסוּר בַּהֲנָייָה. הוֹרָה רִבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כֹּהֵן בִּכְפַר עֲקַבְיָה. מְקוֹמוֹ מוּתָּר בַּהֲנָייָה. מַה וּפְלִיג. כָּאן בְּשֶׁקָּדַם הוּא אֶת הָעִיר וְכָאן בְּשֶׁקְּדָמָתוֹ הָעִיר. תַּנֵּי. קֶבֶר שֶׁהֱקִיפָתוֹ הָעִיר מִשָּׁלֹשׁ רוּחוֹת מְפַנִּין אוֹתוֹ. מִשְׁתֵּי רוּחוֹת. אִית תַּנָּיֵי תַנֵּי. מְפַנִּין אוֹתוֹ. אִית תַּנֵּי. אֵין מְפַנִּין אוֹתוֹ. אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא. מָאן דְּאָמַר מְפַנִּין אוֹתוֹ. בְּנָתוּן בְּתוֹךְ שִׁבְעִים אַמָּה וְשְׁיֵרַיִים. מָאן דְּאָמַר אֵין מְפַנִּין אוֹתוֹ. בְּנָתוּן חוּץ לְשִׁבְעִים אַמָּה וּשְׁיֵרַיִים. מָאן דְּאָמַר מְפַנִּין אוֹתוֹ. בְּעָשׂוּי כְּמִין גַּם. מָאן דְּאָמַר אֵין מְפַנִּין. בְּעָשׂוּי כְּמִין הֵיא. כָּל־הַקְּבָרוֹת מִתְפַּנִּין חוּץ מִקִּבְרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ ומִקִּבְרֵי הַנָּבִיא. אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ. וַהֲלֹא קִיבְרֵי בְּנֵי דָוִיד מִתְפַּנִּין וְקִיבְרֵי בְּנֵי חוּלְדָּה הָיוּ בִּירוּשָׁלַים וְלֹא נָגַע אָדָם בָּהֶן לְפַנּוֹתָן מֵעוֹלָם. אָמַר לָהֶן רִבִּי עֲקִיבָה. מִשָּׁם רְאַייָה. מְחִילָה הָיָה שָׁם וּמִשָּׁם הָֽיְתָה טוּמְאָה מְקַדֶּדֶת וְיוֹצְאָה לְנַחַל קִדְרוֹן. Rav Ḥisda said, [the Mishnah] implies that it is permitted to remove a corpse of obligation¹¹⁹Since the Mishnah permits removal of any grave which was found accidentally, it must permit the removal of a “corpse of obligation” once it is no longer remembered.. Rebbi Ze‘ira said, explain it if the burial was unauthorized or subject to question. Should one not be afraid that it might be a corpse of obligation? Rebbi Ze‘ira thinks that corpses of obligation are infrequent¹²⁰R. Ze‘ira holds that graves of unattended people are such a rarity that their locations remain known over a very long time. If the owner of a parcel finds there a grave of whose existence he was not informed by its prior owner, either it was an illegitimate burial (which may be removed since “nobody can fulfill his obligations with his neighbor’s money”) or it was a burial with consent of the prior owner done on condition that it might later be removed and the prior owner was under the mistaken impression that it already had been removed. The same interpretation is given in the Sanhedrin.47b">Babli Sanhedrin 47b.. ¹²¹Tosephta Ahilut 16:9; Tractate Śemaḥot 14; Sanhedrin.47b">Babli Sanhedrin 47b. To this one may add the versions in Maimonides Ṭum’at Mēt 9:5–6 which is essentially identical with the Yerushalmi and the text there of Ravad, which in general follows the Babli. Tractate Śemaḥot does not give an opinion about impurity; otherwise it follows the Babli. The three texts, Yerushalmi (Y), Babli (B), and Tosephta (T) state that if the grave found accidentally be removed the place is impure (Y), pure (BT); its use is forbidden (YT), permitted (B). The place of a known grave after removal is pure (YT), impure (B); its use is permitted (YT), forbidden (B). The place of a grave removed because of a danger to the public is impure (YT), pure (B); its use is forbidden (YBT) except that Ravad reads here “permitted” in the Babli, a reading contradicting all our other sources for the Babli.“It turns out that there are three kinds of burials. A grave which is found one removes; after removal the place is impure¹²²In the interpretation of Maimonides, the place is only impure as long as not all earth, including 3 finger-breadths of virgin soil, has been removed. This interpretation shows clearly that he reads here “impure”; there can be no emendation of the text. and forbidden for use¹²³Since a grave is forbidden for any use by biblical law, a removal cannot change the character of the ground.. A known grave may not be removed; but if it was removed the place is pure and permitted for use¹²⁴Since the Tosephta shows that the text here cannot be amended, the only explanation is that a known grave may be removed only if either it was established illegally as a criminal act which cannot deprive the owner of the lawful use of his property, or it was intended as a temporary grave exempt from the biblical rules (Nazir 9:3:5" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Nazir.9.3.5">Note 120).. A grave which endangers the public¹²⁵A grave in a public road is considered a danger to the public. is removed; after removal the place is impure and forbidden for use.” Rebbi Abba bar Cohen instructed in Kefar Aqabia¹²⁶The locality has not been determined; it might designate any place located on a hill (عقبة). that its place is permitted for use. Does he disagree? There if it preceded the village, here if the village preceded it¹²⁷If the grave predated the building of the access road to a village, the road should have avoided the place of the grave; it has to be rerouted. But if the grave was dug in an existing public road, it is illegal, not considered a grave, nor protected by the rules.. It was stated: “A grave surrounded by a village on three sides can be removed^128,A similar text is in Tractate Śemaḥot 14.¹²⁹Since it will be a public obstacle.,” on two sides, some Tannaïm state that one removes it, some state that one may not remove it. Rav Ḥisda said, he who says that one removes it, if it is within slightly more than 70 cubits¹³⁰In Śemaḥot, this is part of the statement of the baraita: If a grave is between two parallel rows of houses and the empty space in between is at least the size of a standard field, a bet se’ah, it cannot be removed. If the difference is less, it may be removed. The bet se’ah is defined as 5’000 square cubits (cf. Peah 2:1:9" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Peah.2.1.9">Peah 2:1, Note 31), its edge length is √5000 = 70.71… cubits. This length is the general standard for defining a “built-up area.” As long as no two buildings are separated by more than 70.7 cubits, they are part of the same urban area, e. g., for defining the area of free mobility on the Sabbath. Therefore, an empty strip less than 70.7 cubits wide is not open space but a built-up area.. He who says that one does not remove it, if it is outside slightly more than 70 cubits. He who says that one removes it, if [the village] is built in the form of a Γ¹³¹Any point within the right angle is accessible from the outside and is considered part of an open field.. He who says that one does not remove it, if [the village] is built in the form of a ה.¹³²Since the break in the left hand stroke of the letter ה is a relatively late development, it would be better to designate the shape of the village as ח. In old texts, the left stroke of ח is flush with the end of the horizontal stroke and ends a little higher; the one of ה is slightly to the right of the end of the horizontal stroke and ends exactly at the horizontal stroke. The meaning is that if the grave is between two rows of houses at a distance less than 70.7 cubits, it is within a built-up area where it does not belong. ¹²⁸A similar text is in Tractate Śemaḥot 14.“All kinds of graves may be removed except the graves of a king or a prophet. They said to him, were not the graves of David’s sons removed but the graves of the sons of Ḥulda were in Jerusalem and nobody ever touched them to remove them¹³³Which is extraordinary since within the urban area of Jerusalem no grave could be tolerated, seeing that a grave is a “squeezed impurity” (Nazir 9:2:7" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Nazir.9.2.7">Note 79) which causes “tent” impurity to anybody stepping over it and disables him from entering the Temple Mount.. Rebbi Aqiba told them, is that a proof? A duct was there and the impurity exited from there horizontally into the Qidron valley¹³⁴If the graves were open to the outside, the impurity was not “squeezed” and there was no induced “tent” impurity over them..”

תַּמָּן תַּנִּינָן. וְעוֹשֶׂה חָצֵר עַל פֶּתַח הַמְעָרָה שֵׁשׁ עַל שֵׁשׁ כִּמְלוֹא הַמִּיטָּה. וְהָכָא הוּא אָמַר הָכֵין. תַּמָּן מְלֹא הַמִּיטָּה עוֹמֶדֶת. בְּרַם הָכָא מְלוֹא מִיטָּה חוֹזֶרֶת. עַד אֵיכָן. עַד כְּדֵי נוֹשְׂאֵי הַמִּיטָּה וְחִילּוּפֵיהֶן וְחִילּוּפֵי חִילּוּפֵיהֶן. There¹³⁵Mishnah Baba batra 6:8, detailing the standards for a builder of burial caves., we have stated: “He makes a courtyard¹³⁶A flat space outside the cave. in front of the cave six cubits square as a place for the bier.” And here, he says so¹³⁷Why does the contractor only have to build a space of six cubits square for burial in a cave whereas for burial in the ground one reserves eight cubits on either side? It is to be expected that the minimal standards for a commercial contract are less than those for checking for impurity.? There for a bier standing, here for the width of a turning bier. How far¹³⁸This has nothing to do with either commercial contracts or impurity; it defines the persons participating in a funeral and exempt from any other duties while the funeral procession is in progress; Berakhot 3:1:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Berakhot.3.1.1">Mishnah Berakhot 3:1.? For the carriers of the bier, their replacements, and the replacements of their replacements.

תַּמָּן תַּנִּינָן. כֶּרֶם שֶׁהוּא נָטוּעַ עַד פָּחוֹת מֵאַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר. אֵינוֹ כֶרֶם. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים כֶּרֶם. וְרוֹאִין אֶת הָאֶמְצָעִיּוֹת כְּאִילּוּ אֵינָן. שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר בָּא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהֵן חוֹלְקִין כָּאן כָּךְ הֵן חוֹלְקִין בִּשְׁכוּנַת קְבָרוֹת. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹנָה. וְלֹא דַמְייָא. תַּמָּן יֵשׁ עֲלֵיהֶן שְׁכוּנַת קְבָרוֹת. בְּרַם הָכָא אֵין עָלֶיהָ שְׁכוּנַת קְבָרוֹת. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. וְלֹא דַמְייָא. תַּמָּן מְרוּוָחִין וּרְצָפָן בְּמַחְלוֹקֶת. רְצוּפִין וְרִיווְחָן דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל. בְּרַם הָכָא מָהוּ פְלִיגִין. בְּשֶׁבָּא וּמְצָאָן רְצוּפִין. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר. גַּל נָפַל עֲלֵיהֶן וּרְצָפָן. וְרַבָּנָן אָֽמְרֵי. מְרוּוָחִין הָיוּ וּרְצָפָן. There, we have stated¹³⁹Kilayim 5:2:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Kilayim.5.2.1">Mishnah Kilaim 5:2.: “If a vineyard is planted with less that four cubits of space, Rebbi Simeon says that it is no vineyard. But the Sages say that it is a vineyard and one disregards the plants in the middle as if nonexistent.” ¹⁴⁰Kilayim 5:2:2-3" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Kilayim.5.2.2-3">Kilaim 5:2 (29d 1. 54 ff.), full variant readings and commentary there, Notes 32–40. Simeon bar Abba in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan³²If his master’s action invalidates the slave’s vow, there is no valid vow of nazir. The status of the slave reverts to profane; the slave is not responsible for the lifting of the status of nazir from him. If there were anything sinful in this action, it would be the master’s responsibility.: Just as they disagree here, they disagree about a graveyard³³Argument and meaning are completely parallel to the preceding.. Rebbi Jonah said, one cannot compare these. There, they form a graveyard; here, they do not form a graveyard. Rebbi Yose said, one cannot compare these. There, if they were spaced apart and one moved them closer together, that is the disagreement. If they were close and one moved them apart, everybody would agree. But here, what is their disagreement? When one found them close together. Rebbi Simeon said, a landslide fell on them and compressed them. But the Sages say, were they spaced apart and somebody brought them close together?”

עַד כַּמָּה מַטְרִיחִין עָלָיו. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי מִייָשָׁא בַּר יִרְמְיָה. עַד מ̇ אַמָּה. בָּדַק עֶשְׂרִים וּמָצָא בּוֹדֵק עַד עֶשֶׂר. בָּדַק עֶשְׂרִים וּמָצָא בּוֹדֵק עַד עֶשֶׂר. אִית תַּנָּיֵי תַנֵּי. בָּדַק עֶשֶׂר וּמָצָא בּוֹדֵק עַד עֶשֶׂר. בָּדַק עֶשֶׂר וּמָצָא בּוֹדֵק עַד עֶשֶׂר. How far does one importune him¹⁴²This refers to the end of Nazir 9:3:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Nazir.9.3.1">Mishnah 3: If there are three parallel graves and one found another grave at the end of 20 cubits, how often does he have to repeat the operation?? Rebbi Yose in the name of Rebbi Miasha bar Jeremiah: Up to 40 cubits. If he checked twenty and found, he checks another ten. If he checked twenty and found, he checks another ten¹⁴³In this version, he has to check 60 cubits. On either side of the graves he has to check at most 20 cubits. If he found a grave, he has to check 10 more cubits, for a total of 2(20+10) = 60 cubits.. Some Tannaïm state: If he checked ten and found, he checks another ten. If he checked ten and found, he checks another ten¹⁴⁴This agrees with the original statement. He has to check a maximum of 10+10 = 20 cubits on either side for a total of 40..