## Bava Batra Daf 101b

###### Bava Batra 101b:1
[Bava Batra 101b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/101b:1)

קְבוּרַת חֲמוֹרִים הִיא זוֹ!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**This is** like **a burial of donkeys** and is disrespectful.


###### Bava Batra 101b:2
[Bava Batra 101b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/101b:2)

לְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, דְּעָבֵיד לְהוּ בְּקֶרֶן זָוִית.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: **According to** the opinion of **Rabbi Yoḥanan,** each of these two niches is **formed in** a different **corner** of the chamber, aligned diagonally away from the chamber’s cavity.


###### Bava Batra 101b:3
[Bava Batra 101b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/101b:3)

וְהָא נָגְעִי כּוּכִין לַהֲדָדֵי!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara challenges: **But** if so, **won’t** the **niches** located around the corners **touch one another?** According to Rabbi Yoḥanan’s suggestion, there are, in fact, three niches located at each of the two back corners. One is recessed into the wall of the length of the chamber, at right angles to it, another is recessed into the back wall of the chamber, also at right angles to it, and a third that extends diagonally away from the chamber. The ends of these three niches will overlap, causing there to be too little space in them to fulfill the minimum required measurement.


###### Bava Batra 101b:4
[Bava Batra 101b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/101b:4)

אָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי: בְּמַעֲמִיק. דְּאִי לָא תֵּימָא הָכִי, אַרְבַּע מְעָרוֹת לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן – הֵיכִי עָבֵיד לְהוּ? הָא קָא נָגְעִי כּוּכִין לַהֲדָדֵי! אֶלָּא בְּמַעֲמִיק; הָכָא נָמֵי בְּמַעֲמִיק.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Ashi said:** It is possible to do this **where,** when constructing the niches that extend diagonally away from the chamber, **one deepens** them, i.e., forms them lower down in the wall than the other niches adjacent to them. **As, if you do not say** that **this** is a solution, then **how could** the **four chambers** depicted **by Rabbi Shimon be constructed? Won’t the niches touch one another?** The niches of one chamber will overlap those of the chamber adjacent to it. **Rather,** it is possible to arrange the niches only **where,** when constructing the niches of two chambers at opposite ends of the courtyard, **one deepens** them, i.e., forms them lower down in the wall than the niches of the other two chambers that are adjacent to them. **Here too,** it is a case in which **one deepens them.**


###### Bava Batra 101b:5
[Bava Batra 101b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/101b:5)

רַב הוּנָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אָמַר: אַרְבַּע מְעָרוֹת לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן – דְּעָבֵיד לְהוּ כִּי חֲרוּתָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, said** that there is an alternative explanation: It is possible to fashion the **four chambers** depicted **by Rabbi Shimon where one constructs them** so that all the niches extend diagonally away from the cavity of the chamber **like** the leaves of **a palm branch,** which have spread out from its spine. If formed in this way, the niches of adjacent chambers will not overlap, even if they are at the same depth in the ground.


###### Bava Batra 101b:6
[Bava Batra 101b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/101b:6)

וְהָא דְּרַב הוּנָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב יְהוֹשֻׁעַ – בְּרוּתָא הִיא. מִכְּדֵי כׇּל אַמְּתָא בְּרִיבּוּעָא אַמְּתָא וּתְרֵי חוּמְשֵׁי בַּאֲלַכְסוֹנָא; כַּמָּה הָוֵי לְהוּ? חַד סְרֵי וְחוּמְשָׁא; כּוּכִין כַּמָּה הָווּ? תְּמָנְיָא; תְּמָנְיָא בְּחַד סְרֵי וְחוּמְשָׁא הֵיכִי מַשְׁכַּחַתְּ לַהּ? אֶלָּא הָא דְּרַב הוּנָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב יְהוֹשֻׁעַ – בְּרוּתָא הִיא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara notes: **And this** statement **of Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, is an error,** because it is not possible to form all the niches in this way, **since** the length of **the diagonal of every square** whose side is **one cubit is one and two-fifths cubits.** Each chamber is eight cubits long, which means that between two adjacent chambers, placed at right angles to each other, there is a square area of eight cubits by eight cubits into which the niches of those two chambers must be formed. **How much is** the diagonal of that area? **Eleven and one-fifth cubits. How many niches** have to fit in that space? **Eight. How can you find** that **eight** niches can possibly fit **into eleven and one-fifth cubits?** Each of the niches is a cubit wide, and there must be a cubit wall of bedrock between each niche. To accommodate this once would need an area of at least fifteen cubits. **Rather, this** statement **of Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, is in error.**


###### Bava Batra 101b:7
[Bava Batra 101b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/101b:7)

וְאִי בָּעֵית אֵימָא, כִּדְאָמַר רַב שִׁישָׁא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב אִידִי: בְּנִיפְלֵי; הָכָא נָמֵי בְּנִיפְלֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara provides an alternative solution to the problem of the niches at the corners overlapping. **Or if you wish, say as Rav Sheisha, son of Rav Idi, said** in answer to a similar question: It is referring to **non-viable newborns,** which require only very small burial niches. Similarly, **here also,** the niches at the corners of the chambers were used **for non-viable newborns.**


###### Bava Batra 101b:8
[Bava Batra 101b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/101b:8)

תְּנַן הָתָם: הַמּוֹצֵא מֵת מוּשְׁכָּב כְּדַרְכּוֹ, נוֹטְלוֹ וְאֶת תְּפוּסָתוֹ. שְׁנַיִם – נוֹטְלָן וְאֶת תְּפוּסָתָן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The Gemara considers another mishna that relates to the structure of a catacomb: **We learned** in a mishna **there** (*Nazir* 64b): With regard to **one who finds a corpse** while inspecting a place that was not previously established as a cemetery, to ensure that it is free of ritual impurity, and the corpse is **lying in** the **usual manner** of Jewish burial, **he removes it** from there **and** also removes **its surrounding** earth. And similarly, if he finds **two** corpses buried in the usual manner, **he removes them and their surrounding** earth. Since only one or two corpses were found, it may be assumed that the area is not a cemetery; therefore, the corpses may be removed.