## Bava Batra Daf 102a

###### Bava Batra 102a:1
[Bava Batra 102a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/102a:1)

מָצָא שְׁלֹשָׁה – אִם יֵשׁ בֵּינֵיהֶן מֵאַרְבַּע עַד שְׁמוֹנֶה, הֲרֵי זוֹ שְׁכוּנַת קְבָרוֹת, וּבוֹדֵק מִמֶּנּוּ וּלְהַלָּן עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה. מָצָא אֶחָד בְּסוֹף עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה – בּוֹדֵק מִמֶּנּוּ וּלְהַלָּן עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה, שֶׁרַגְלַיִם לַדָּבָר. שֶׁאִילּוּ מִתְּחִלָּה מְצָאוֹ – נוֹטְלוֹ וְאֶת תְּפוּסָתוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
If **he found three** corpses lying parallel to each other, then **if there is between them,** i.e., the outer two corpses, a distance **of four to eight** cubits, then **this is** presumed to be **a graveyard** and the corpses may not be removed, **and he** must **examine from that** spot **outward twenty cubits** to discover whether there are other corpses buried there. If he **finds** even **one** corpse **up to** the distance of **twenty cubits, he** must continue to **examine from** the place he finds that corpse **outward** another **twenty cubits.** He continues to search for additional corpses, even if only one corpse was found within the twenty cubits, **as there is a basis for** anticipating **the matter;** it is probable that he has stumbled upon an ancient cemetery. He is not permitted to relocate the corpses, despite that fact **that if he had found** the single corpse by itself **at first,** without being aware of the gravesite, he would have been permitted to **remove it and its surrounding** earth.


###### Bava Batra 102a:2
[Bava Batra 102a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/102a:2)

אָמַר מָר: מֵאַרְבַּע וְעַד שְׁמוֹנֶה. מַנִּי? אִי רַבָּנַן – הָא אָמְרִי: אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת עַל שֵׁשׁ! אִי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן – הָא אָמַר: שֵׁשׁ עַל שְׁמוֹנֶה!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara analyzes that mishna. **The Master said:** If there is between them a distance **of four to eight** cubits, then it is presumed to be a graveyard. The reason is that corpses buried in this manner are indicative of the standard layout of a burial chamber. The fact that this is said only when the distance between the corpses is between four and eight cubits assumes that the size of a burial chamber is four cubits by eight cubits. Based on this, the Gemara asks: **Whose** opinion is this? **If** it is the opinion of **the Rabbis** in the mishna above (100b), **didn’t they say** that the size of a burial chamber is **four** cubits **by six** cubits? **If** it is the opinion of **Rabbi Shimon, didn’t he say** that a burial cave is **six** cubits **by eight** cubits?


###### Bava Batra 102a:3
[Bava Batra 102a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/102a:3)

לְעוֹלָם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הִיא, וְהַאי תַּנָּא הוּא – דְּתַנְיָא: מְצָאָן רְצוּפִין, וְאֵין בֵּינֵיהֶן מֵאַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת עַד שְׁמוֹנֶה – יֵשׁ לָהֶן תְּפוּסָה, וְאֵין לָהֶן שְׁכוּנַת קְבָרוֹת. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: רוֹאִין אֶת הָאֶמְצָעִיִּים כְּאִילּוּ אֵינָן, וְהַשְּׁאָר מִצְטָרְפִין מֵאַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת וְעַד שְׁמוֹנֶה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: **Actually** this mishna **is** in accordance with the opinion of **Rabbi Shimon, and it is** in accordance with another version of Rabbi Shimon’s opinion, which is cited by **this *tanna*, as it is taught** in a *baraita*: If **one found** three corpses lying **in** close **succession, and there is not** a distance **of four cubits to eight** cubits **between them,** i.e., they are lying closer together, **they have** the *halakha* of the requirement to move their **surrounding** earth in which they are buried. **But they are not** considered to be part of **a graveyard,** since permanent graves are not placed so closely together. Perforce, their corpses were originally buried there on a temporary basis, but then they were never reinterred. **Rabbi Shimon ben Yehuda says in the name of Rabbi Shimon: The** corpses in **the middle are viewed as if they are not** there, i.e., as if they were buried there incidentally, **and the other** corpses thereby **combine** to form a graveyard in which corpses are found with a distance **of four cubits to eight** cubits between them.


###### Bava Batra 102a:4
[Bava Batra 102a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/102a:4)

בְּמַאי אוֹקֵימְתָּא – כְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן? אֵימָא סֵיפָא: בּוֹדֵק הֵימֶנּוּ וּלְהַלָּן עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה. מַנִּי? אִי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, עֶשְׂרִים וְתַרְתֵּין הָוְיָין! אִי רַבָּנַן, תַּמְנֵי סְרֵי הָוְיָין!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **In accordance with which opinion did you interpret** the mishna? If it is **in accordance with** the opinion of **Rabbi Shimon,** then **say the latter clause** of that mishna: If he finds an area of graves, **he** must **examine from there outward twenty cubits** to discover whether there are other corpses buried there. Since the burial formation is indicative of burial within a burial chamber of a catacomb, he should continue to investigate the whole area that would be occupied by a catacomb. The Gemara asks: **Whose** opinion is this? **If** it is the opinion of **Rabbi Shimon,** the distance one should be required to examine **would be twenty-two** cubits, which is the total length of a catacomb, i.e., two chambers of eight cubits with a courtyard of six cubits between them. **If** it is the opinion of **the Rabbis,** the distance one should be required to examine **would be eighteen** cubits, as each catacomb consists of two chambers of six cubits long with a chamber of six cubits between them.


###### Bava Batra 102a:5
[Bava Batra 102a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/102a:5)

לְעוֹלָם רַבָּנַן הִיא, וּכְגוֹן דִּבְדַק בַּאֲלַכְסוֹנָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: **Actually,** the mishna **is** in accordance with the opinion of **the Rabbis, and** it is necessary to examine twenty cubits in a case **where he examined along the diagonal** of the catacomb, which is longer than its length.


###### Bava Batra 102a:6
[Bava Batra 102a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/102a:6)

וּמִדְּהָא בַּאֲלַכְסוֹנָא – הָא נָמֵי בַּאֲלַכְסוֹנָא; עֶשְׂרִים וְתַרְתֵּי הָוְיָין! חֲדָא בַּאֲלַכְסוֹנָא אָמְרִינַן, תְּרֵי בַּאֲלַכְסוֹן לָא אָמְרִינַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But since** he examined **this** chamber along **the diagonal, this** second chamber on the other side of the courtyard should **also** be examined along **the diagonal.** If so, that **would be twenty-two** cubits. The Gemara answers: **We say** he should examine **one** chamber along **the diagonal,** but **we do not say** he should examine **two** chambers along **the diagonal.**