משנה: אֵי זֶהוּ שְׂדֵה הָאִילָן כָּל־שְׁלֹשָׁה אִילָנוֹת לְבֵית סְאָה אִם רְאוּיִין לַעֲשוֹת כִּכַּר דְּבֵילָה שֶׁל שִׁשִּׁים מָנֵה בְּאִיטַלְּקִי חוֹרְשִׁין כָּל־בֵּית סְאָה בִּשְׁבִילָן. פָּחוֹת מִיכֵּן אֵין חוֹרְשִׁין לָהֶן אֶלָּא מְלוֹא הָאוֹרֶה וְסַלּוֹ חוּצָה לוֹ. MISHNAH: What is an orchard? Any three trees on a bet seah152500 square cubits, cf. Kilayim 1:9:5" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Kilayim.1.9.5">Kilaim Chapter 1, Note 195.; if they may produce a fig cake in the weight of a talent of 60 Italic minas16Since an Italic denar weighed 1/96 of a Roman pound, or 3.59 g, 60 minas or 6000 denar are approximately 21.5 kg. Maimonides estimates this as 62.48 rotl. He declares (Terumot 4:10) a rotl to be a Roman pound (the common apothecary’s weight in the Middle Ages); in Roman measures, 60 minas are 62.5 Roman pounds. one ploughs the entire bet seah because of them. If it is less, one ploughs for them only to accomodate the harvester and his basket beside him.
הלכה: רַב יְהוּדָה בְשֵׁם שְׁמוּאֵל רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן הַקּוֹנֶה שְׁלֹשָׁה אִילָנוֹת בְּתוֹךְ שֵׁל חֲבֵירוֹ רְחוֹקִים מַטַּע עֶשֶׂר לְבֵית סְאָה קְרוֹבִין כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא הַבָּקָר עוֹבֵר בְּכֵלָיו. קָנָה קַרְקַע שֶׁתַּחְתֵּיהֶן קַרְקַע שֶׁבֵּינֵיהֶן שֶׁחוּצָה לָהֶן מְלֹא הָאוֹרֶה וְסַלּוֹ. רַב אָמַר בַּעֲשׂוּיִין צוֹבָה. וּשְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר בַּעֲשׂוּיָה שׁוּרָה. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי תַּמָּן אִיתְאַמָּרַת וְכָא לָא אִיתְאַמָּרַת. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹנָה אֲפִילוּ הָכָא אִיתְאַמָּרַת בִּקְרוֹבִים. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי מָנָא וְאִם בִּקְרוֹבִין וְהָא תַנִּינָן כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַבָּקָר עוֹבֵר בְּכֵלָיו. אִיתָא חֲמִי בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהַבָּקָר עוֹבֵר בְּכֵלָיו הַשָּׁרָשִׁין מְהַלְּכִין מִן הַצַּד וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁאֵין הַבָּקָר עוֹבֵר בְּכֵלָיו אֵין הַשָּׁרָשִׁין מְהַלְּכִין מִן הַצַּד. HALAKHAH: Rav Jehudah in the name of Samuel, Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan17A very shortened version of this statement is in Bava Batra 5:2:2" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Bava_Batra.5.2.2">Baba Batra 5:5 (fol. 15a), a parallel is in Babli Baba Batra82b–83a, where the allowable distances are determined in a lengthy discussion. Probably the statement in (Caesarean) Yerushalmi Baba Batra is the original one; the extended (Tiberian) version here must be the result of a derivation parallel to the arguments of the Babli. The rules established in Baba Batra deal with transactions without special stipulations; the parties in a sale are free to specify exactly what is sold and what is not sold but if the details are not mentioned in the contract of sale then the rules given here are valid by default.: If somebody buys three trees on another person’s property, spaced so that ten trees could be planted in a bet seah18This is the minimum of trees in a bet seah that constitutes an orchard. If the trees are planted in a regular pattern, each tree is the center of a square of 250 square cubits. Hence, the distance of two trees is 250½ = 15.811 cubits. (In the Babli, the distance is required to be “less than 16 cubits.”) and that the ox and its harness could pass between them19This is defined as “working space” of 4 cubits in Kilayim 5:3:2-4" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Kilayim.5.3.2-4">Kilaim, Halakhah 5:3. In all cases, the stems of the trees are not included in the measurements, cf. Kilayim 4:6:2-4" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Kilayim.4.6.2-4">Kilaim, Halakhah 4:8., then he acquired the ground under them, the ground between them, and outside the space for the harvester and his basket. Rav said, if they form a group20If the trees form a triangle. The correct version is in a Genizah fragment, בעשויין ציבה, referring to צובה “tripod”. The Venice text has the word in Eruvin 5:2, in a rule concerning three villages close one to another, where Rav requires them to be built “like a tripod” and Samuel allows them to be aligned.. Samuel says, also if they are in a straight line. Rebbi Yose said, this refers to there but not to here21The minimal and maximal distances apply to civil contracts, not to the laws of the Sabbatical.. Rebbi Jonah said, it refers even to here, if they are close22Fruit trees planted less than four cubits apart cannot grow; they are planted either in a tree nursery to be transferred later to genuine agricultural use or they are grown for their wood and will be cut down. In no case is ploughing the field for them justified.. Rebbi Mana said to him, did we not state “that the ox and its harness could pass between them”? Come and see, if the ox and its harness can pass between them, the roots can expand laterally, but if the ox and its harness cannot pass between them, the roots cannot expand laterally.
רִבִּי לִיעֶזֶר שָׁאַל מִזּוֹ לְזוֹ שֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה וּלְצַד עֶשְׂרִין וְחָמֵשׁ. רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר רַב יִצְחָק בָּעֵי הָיוּ נְתוּנִין בְּצַד הַגֶּדֶר חוֹרְשִׁין כָּל־בֵּית סְאָה בִּשְׁבִילָן. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אִין בְּעִי נִיתֵּן לָהֶן בֵּית אַרְבַּעְתָּם סְאָה. סְאָה מִיכָּן וְסְאָה מִיכָּן סְאָה מִיכָּן וְסְאָה מִיכָּן. רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה בָּעֵי הָֽיְתָה גֶפֶן אַחַת מוּדְלָה עַל גַּבֵּי שְׁתֵּי סְאִין אַתְּ חוֹרֵשׁ קַרְקַע שֶׁתַּחְתֶּיהָ וְקַרְקַע שֶׁחוּצָה לוֹ מְלוֹא הָאוֹרֶה וְסַלּוֹ חוּצָה לוֹ. Rebbi Eliezer asked, from one to the other sixteen and on the sides twenty five24If the three trees are planted in a straight line (following Samuel), almost 16 cubits apart (Sheviit 1:2:2" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sheviit.1.2.2">Note 18), is it necessary to assume that the trees are exactly in the middle of the field and that in the perpendicular direction there are 25 cubits on both sides? One has to assume that the question also is whether there have to be 9 cubits between any extremal tree and the border of the field. It seems that instead of “R. Eliezer” one should read “R. Eleazar”, but there is no ms. evidence to back this up.? Rebbi Samuel ben Rav Isaac asked: If they were next to a fence, does one plough the entire bet seah because of them25A question in opposition to R. Eliezer’s. If the three trees are close to a fence, if one may plough a field even if the trees are not in the center, may one then plough both sides of the fence to a distance of 50 cubits if the fields on opposite sides belong to the same owner?? Rebbi Yose said, if you want that, we should give them their four bate seah, two bate seah here, two bate seah26If it is possible to plough a bet seah because of a row of trees somewhere on it, one would be able to define a cross-shaped area to be ploughed, four partially overlapping bate seah. If the distance between two trees is a, one has two fields 50 wide and 50 long on each side of the trees and two fields 50 wide and 25-a long on each side straddling the line on which the trees are planted. One has to assume that in each direction there is a bet seah, a 50-by-50 field, but the four fields have a considerable area in common so that the total area is < 4 bate seah. This interpretation is necessary because even the two lateral fields must have in common the strip carrying the trees and be wide (8 + width of the stems); it agrees with the very careful formulation of the sentence that lead those copyists astray who understood what they were copying. The argument shows that the question must be answered in the negative. there. Rebbi Jeremiah asked, if there was one vine drawn over two seah, do you plough the ground under it and outside it for the harvester and his basket27In this case, one ploughs much more that a bet seah but there is no reason to see in this situation a contradiction to our Mishnah.?
בְּאִיסּוּר שְׁנֵי פְרָקִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים אֵלּוּ מִלְּמַעֲלָן חוֹרְשִׁין בּוֹ מִלְּמַטָּן. וְאֵלּוּ מִלְּמַטָּן חוֹרְשִׁין בּוֹ מִלְּמַעֲלָן. נִיחָא אֵלּוּ מִלְּמַעֲלָן חוֹרְשִׁין בּוֹ מִלְּמַטָּן וְלֹא מִלְּמַטָּן חוֹרְשִׁין בּוֹ מִלְּמַעֲלָן. נִישְׁמְעִינָהּ מִן הָדָא מַרְחִיקִין אֶת הָאִילָן מִן הַבּוֹר עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת. וְתַנֵּי עֲלֵיהּ בֵּין מִלְּמַעֲלָן בֵּין מִלְּמַטָּן. אוֹ נֵימַר בֵּין שֶׁהָאִילָן לְמַעֲלָן וְהַבּוֹר לְמַטָּן בֵּין שֶׁהָאִילָן וְהַבּוֹר מִלְּמַטָּן. וְהָתַנֵּי אִילָן מִלְּמַעֲלָן וְהַבּוֹר מִלְּמַטָּן אִילָן מִלְּמַטָּן וְהַבּוֹר מִלְּמַעֲלָן נִיחָא. אִילָן מִלְּמַעֲלָן וְהַבּוֹר מִלְּמַטָּן אִילָן מִלְּמַטָּן וְהַבּוֹר מִלְּמַעֲלָן וְדֶרֶךְ הַשָּׁרָשִין לַעֲלוֹת מִלְּמַעֲלָן. אָמַר רִבִּי חֲנִינָא לֹא מִפְּנֵי הַשָּׁרָשִים אֶלָּא שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין עָפָר תּוֹחֵחַ וְהֵן מַלְקִין אַרְעִיתוֹ שֶׁל בּוֹר. אֲתָא עוֹבְדָא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי יָסָא בֵּי רִבִּי בּוּן אָמַר יְחִידִי הוּא וְלֹא סָֽמְכִין עֲלוֹי. וְתַנֵּי עֲלָהּ רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאָֽמְרוּ מִלְּמַעֲלָן כָּךְ אָֽמְרוּ מִלְּמַטָּן. Regarding the prohibition of the first two terms, those above plough downwards and those below plough upwards28Following R. Eliezer, one ploughs 25 cubits on both sides of a row of trees, even if the trees are planted on a slope. The problem is that one may plough the entire field because the roots of the trees have the entire field to expand in, but we do not expect the roots to expand upwards as much as they expand downwards.. It seems reasonable that those above plough downwards but not that those below plough upwards. Let us hear from the following29Bava Batra 2:10:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Bava_Batra.2.10.1">Mishnah Baba Batra 2:11. The chapter deals with the obligation of every citizen to avoid damaging his neighbor’s property. If a tree is planted too close to a cistern, the roots might penetrate the wall of the cistern. The full Mishnah reads: “One removes a tree 25 cubits from a cistern, and a sycomore tree fifty cubits, both higher or on the same level.” In some Mishnah mss. one reads “both higher and lower”, cf. Diqduqe Soferim Baba Batra p. נו Note ס.: “One removes a tree 25 cubits from a cistern.” We have stated on that: Both higher and lower. Or let us say both if the tree is higher and the cistern lower or if tree and cistern are on the same level. In this sense, we stated30This baraita is quoted in Babli Baba Batra 25b as current practice.: “Whether the tree is higher and the cistern lower or the tree lower and the cistern higher”; is that reasonable? If the tree is higher and the cistern lower31This is understandable.; but the tree lower and the cistern higher, do roots climb? Rebbi Ḥanina said not because of the roots [climbing], but they loosen the earth and damage the bottom of the cistern32In the Babli, this reason is given by R. Ḥaga (Ḥaggai).. A case came before Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun33About a tree planted near a cistern; he rejects the argument of R. Ḥanina and decides following R. Yose.; he said that is a single opinion and we do not rely on it, for we have stated on this: “Rebbi Simeon says, just as they said higher so they said lower.34Tosephta Baba Batra 1:12. The opponent of R. Simeon is R. Yose (ben Ḥalaphta) who insists that agricultural land is meant for agricultural use and the owner of the cistern should not have built it too close to the border of his domain. In general, R. Yose is a higher authority than R. Simeon. In the Babli, R. Yose’s opinion is not mentioned; practice follows R. Simeon. In Yerushalmi Baba Batra, Halakhah 2:11/12, no position is taken between R. Yose and the rabbis.”