## Bava Batra Daf 17b

###### Bava Batra 17b:1
[Bava Batra 17b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/17b:1)

**גְּמָ׳** פָּתַח בְּבוֹר – וּמְסַיֵּים בְּכוֹתֶל; לִיתְנֵי: אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הִרְחִיק מִבּוֹרוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵירוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**GEMARA:** The *tanna* of the mishna **opens by** speaking of **a pit:** A person may not dig a pit close to the pit of another, **and** yet **he ends with** a reference to **a wall:** Unless he distances it from the wall of another. **Let** the *tanna* **teach: Unless he distanced** his pit or ditch **three handbreadths from the pit of another,** just as he begins his statement by referring to a pit. Why does the mishna suddenly mention a wall here?


###### Bava Batra 17b:2
[Bava Batra 17b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/17b:2)

אָמַר אַבָּיֵי, וְאִיתֵּימָא רַב יְהוּדָה: ״מִכּוֹתֶל בּוֹרוֹ״ שָׁנִינוּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Abaye said, and some say it was Rav Yehuda** who said: **We learned** that the mishna means: **From the wall of his pit.** In other words, one should read the mishna as follows: Unless he distanced his pit or ditch three handbreadths from the wall of another’s pit. The neighbor also built his pit close to the border between the two properties, and the mishna is teaching that the one digging a pit must distance it three handbreadths from the wall of the pit of the other.


###### Bava Batra 17b:3
[Bava Batra 17b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/17b:3)

וְלִיתְנֵי: אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הִרְחִיק מִבּוֹרוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵירוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים! הָא קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן – דְּכוֹתֶל בּוֹר שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים; נָפְקָא מִינַּהּ לְמִקָּח וּמִמְכָּר – כִּדְתַנְיָא: הָאוֹמֵר לַחֲבֵירוֹ: ״בּוֹר וְכוֹתְלֶיהָ אֲנִי מוֹכֵר לָךְ״ – צָרִיךְ שֶׁיְּהֵא הַכּוֹתֶל שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara challenges: **But** even so, **let it teach: Unless he distanced** his excavations **three handbreadths from the pit of another,** and one would understand that the term pit is referring to the wall of the other’s pit. The Gemara responds: By using the phrase: From the wall of another, **this teaches us** incidentally **that the wall of a pit** must be at least **three handbreadths** thick, as the wall of the other’s pit occupied the full three handbreadths between the cavity of his pit and the property of his neighbor. The practical **difference** of this observation is **with regard to buying and selling, as it is taught** in a *baraita*: With regard to **one who says to another: I am selling you a pit and its walls, the wall** of the pit **must be** at least **three handbreadths** thick.


###### Bava Batra 17b:4
[Bava Batra 17b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/17b:4)

אִיתְּמַר: הַבָּא לִסְמוֹךְ בְּצַד הַמֶּצֶר – אַבָּיֵי אָמַר: סוֹמֵךְ, וְרָבָא אָמַר: אֵינוֹ סוֹמֵךְ. בְּשָׂדֶה הָעֲשׂוּיָה לְבוֹרוֹת – דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל אֵינוֹ סוֹמֵךְ, כִּי פְּלִיגִי – בְּשָׂדֶה שֶׁאֵינָהּ עֲשׂוּיָה לְבוֹרוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **It was stated:** With regard to **one who comes to** dig any of these excavations or **place** any of the items listed in the mishna **close to the boundary** of his field, where his neighbor currently has no pit, **Abaye says: He may** dig or **place** them **close** to the boundary; **and Rava says: He may not** dig or **place** them **close** to the boundary. The Gemara explains: **All agree that he may not** dig or **place** them **close** to **a field** of his neighbor if **that** field **is designated for** digging **pits,** as he will thereby restrict his neighbor from using his field in the manner it is expected to be used. **When they disagree** it is **with regard to a field that is not designated for** digging **pits.**


###### Bava Batra 17b:5
[Bava Batra 17b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/17b:5)

אַבָּיֵי אָמַר: סוֹמֵךְ – דְּהָא אֵינָהּ עֲשׂוּיָה לְבוֹרוֹת. רָבָא אָמַר: אֵינוֹ סוֹמֵךְ – דְּאָמַר לֵיהּ: כִּי הֵיכִי דְּאַתְּ אִימְּלַכְתְּ וַחֲפַרְתְּ, אֲנָא נָמֵי מִמְּלַכְנָא וְחָפַרְנָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara elaborates: **Abaye says: He may** dig these excavations or **place** these items **close** to the boundary, **as** the neighbor’s field **is not designated for pits,** so he is not causing any damage by doing so. **Rava says: He may not** dig these excavations or **place** these items **close** to the boundary, **as** the neighbor can **say to him: Just as you changed your mind and dug** a pit, **I too** might **change my mind and dig** a pit, and I will no longer be able to dig near my border if you dig your pit close to the boundary.


###### Bava Batra 17b:6
[Bava Batra 17b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/17b:6)

אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי: בְּשָׂדֶה שֶׁאֵינָהּ עֲשׂוּיָה לְבוֹרוֹת – דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל סוֹמֵךְ, כִּי פְּלִיגִי – בְּשָׂדֶה הָעֲשׂוּיָה לְבוֹרוֹת. אַבָּיֵי אָמַר: סוֹמֵךְ – אֲפִילּוּ לְרַבָּנַן, דְאָמְרִי: מַרְחִיקִין אֶת הָאִילָן מִן הַבּוֹר עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ אַמָּה – הָתָם הוּא דִּבְעִידָּנָא דְּקָא נָטַע, אִיתָא לְבוֹר; אֲבָל הָכָא, בְּעִידָּנָא דְּקָא חָפַר – לֵיתָא לְבוֹר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**There are** those **who say** a different version of this discussion: **All agree** that **one may** dig these excavations or **place** these items **close** to the boundary of **a field that is not designated for** digging **pits. When they disagree** it is **with regard to a field that is designated for** digging **pits. Abaye says: One may** dig these excavations or **place** these items **close** to the boundary; and this is the *halakha* **even according to** the opinion of **the Rabbis, who say** in the mishna (25b): **One must distance a tree twenty-five cubits from a cistern,** lest the roots of the tree grow and damage a neighbor’s cistern in his field. The difference is that **there it** is prohibited, **as when he plants** the tree **there is** already **a cistern. But here,** at the time **when he digs** his cistern, **there is** as yet **no cistern** in his neighbor’s field.


###### Bava Batra 17b:7
[Bava Batra 17b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/17b:7)

וְרָבָא אָמַר: אֵינוֹ סוֹמֵךְ – וַאֲפִילּוּ לְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי דְּאָמַר: זֶה חוֹפֵר בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁלּוֹ וְזֶה נוֹטֵעַ בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁלּוֹ – הָנֵי מִילֵּי הָתָם, דִּבְעִידָּנָא דְּקָא נָטַע – לֵיתַנְהוּ לְשׇׁרָשָׁיו דְּמַזְּקִי לַהּ לְבוֹר; אֲבָל הָכָא – אָמַר לֵיהּ: כֹּל מָרָא וּמָרָא דְּקָא מָחֲיֵית, קָא מְרַפֵּית לַהּ לְאַרְעַאי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And Rava says:** One **may not** dig these excavations or **place** these items **close** to the boundary; and this is the *halakha* **even according to** the opinion of **Rabbi Yosei, who says** in that same mishna: **This one may dig in his** field **and that one may plant in his** field, i.e., one need not distance his tree for fear of damaging his neighbor’s field through expanding roots. The reason that Rava maintains that his ruling is correct even according to the opinion of Rabbi Yosei is that **this matter** applies only **there, as when he plants** the tree, **its roots, which** might **damage the cistern, are not** yet present. Consequently, when he plants he does not cause any damage. **But here,** the neighbor can **say to him: Each and every strike of yours with the hoe loosens my earth,** and therefore you are already causing damage as you dig your cistern.


###### Bava Batra 17b:8
[Bava Batra 17b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/17b:8)

תְּנַן: לֹא יַחְפּוֹר אָדָם בּוֹר סָמוּךְ לְבוֹרוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵירוֹ. טַעְמָא דְּאִיכָּא בּוֹר, הָא לֵיכָּא בּוֹר – סוֹמֵךְ; בִּשְׁלָמָא לְהָךְ לִישָּׁנָא דְּאָמְרַתְּ: בְּשָׂדֶה שֶׁאֵינָהּ עֲשׂוּיָה לְבוֹרוֹת – דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל סוֹמֵךְ, מַתְנִיתִין בְּשָׂדֶה שֶׁאֵינָהּ עֲשׂוּיָה לְבוֹרוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara suggests a proof: **We learned** in the mishna that **a person may not dig a pit close to the pit of another,** unless he does so at a distance of three handbreadths from his neighbor’s wall. The Gemara analyzes this statement: Apparently, the **reason** he may not dig close to the boundary of his neighbor’s field **is that there is a pit** there, from which it may be inferred that if **there is no pit he** may dig his pit **close** to his neighbor’s wall. **Granted, according to that** second **version** of the dispute, **in which you said: All agree** that **one may** dig these excavations or **place** these items **close** to the boundary of **a field that is not designated for** digging **pits,** one can explain that **the mishna** is referring **to a field that is not designated for** digging **pits.**


###### Bava Batra 17b:9
[Bava Batra 17b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/17b:9)

אֶלָּא לְהָךְ לִישָּׁנָא דְּאָמְרַתְּ: בְּשָׂדֶה שֶׁאֵינָהּ עֲשׂוּיָה לְבוֹרוֹת פְּלִיגִי – בִּשְׁלָמָא לְאַבָּיֵי נִיחָא, אֶלָּא לְרָבָא קַשְׁיָא!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**But** according **to that** first **version** of the dispute, **in which you said** that **they disagree with regard to a field that is not designated for** digging **pits,** there is a difficulty. **Granted,** this **works out well according to** the opinion of **Abaye,** who says that one may dig one’s pit near the boundary when the neighbor has no pit. **But according to** the opinion of **Rava,** who maintains that it is prohibited to dig a pit near the boundary under any circumstances, the ruling of this mishna is **difficult.**


###### Bava Batra 17b:10
[Bava Batra 17b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/17b:10)

אָמַר לָךְ רָבָא: הָא אִיתְּמַר עֲלַהּ, אָמַר אַבָּיֵי וְאִיתֵּימָא רַב יְהוּדָה: מִכּוֹתֶל בּוֹרוֹ שָׁנִינוּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara explains: **Rava** could have **said to you: Wasn’t it stated with regard to that** mishna that **Abaye says, and some say it was Rav Yehuda** who says: **We learned** that the mishna means: **From the wall of his pit?** This indicates that the neighbor must distance the edge of his pit from the boundary by the thickness of his wall, which is three handbreadths. Therefore, even according to the ruling of the mishna, one may not dig his pit directly adjacent to the boundary.


###### Bava Batra 17b:11
[Bava Batra 17b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/17b:11)

אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי: וְאִיתְּמַר עֲלַהּ, אָמַר אַבָּיֵי וְאִיתֵּימָא רַב יְהוּדָה: מִכּוֹתֶל בּוֹרוֹ שָׁנִינוּ. בִּשְׁלָמָא לְהָךְ לִישָּׁנָא דְּאָמְרַתְּ: בְּשָׂדֶה הָעֲשׂוּיָה לְבוֹרוֹת – דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל אֵינוֹ סוֹמֵךְ, מַתְנִיתִין בְּשָׂדֶה הָעֲשׂוּיָה לְבוֹרוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**There are** those **who say** this discussion in the form of a challenge to the opinion of Abaye. The mishna teaches that one must distance his pit from that of his neighbor, **and it was stated with regard to that** ruling that **Abaye says, and some say it was Rav Yehuda** who says: **We learned** that it means: **From the wall of his pit.** In other words, the edge of the neighbor’s pit must be three handbreadths away from the boundary. **Granted, according to that** first **version** of the dispute, **in which you said: All agree that he may not** dig or **place** them **close** to **a field** of his neighbor if **that** field **is designated for** digging **pits,** one can explain that **the mishna** is referring **to a field that is designated for** digging **pits.**


###### Bava Batra 17b:12
[Bava Batra 17b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/17b:12)

אֶלָּא לְהָךְ לִישָּׁנָא דְּאָמְרַתְּ: בְּשָׂדֶה הָעֲשׂוּיָה לְבוֹרוֹת פְּלִיגִי – בִּשְׁלָמָא לְרָבָא נִיחָא, אֶלָּא לְאַבָּיֵי קַשְׁיָא!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**But according to that** second **version** of the dispute, **in which you said** that **they disagree with regard to a field that is designated for** digging **pits,** there is a difficulty. **Granted,** this **works out well according to** the opinion of **Rava,** who says that it is prohibited to dig a pit near the boundary in this case. **But according to** the opinion of **Abaye,** the ruling of this mishna is **difficult,** as if the mishna is referring to the wall of the neighbor’s pit, this indicates that the first pit was dug close to the boundary.


###### Bava Batra 17b:13
[Bava Batra 17b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/17b:13)

אָמַר לָךְ אַבָּיֵי: מַתְנִיתִין שֶׁבָּאוּ לַחְפּוֹר בְּבַת אַחַת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara explains: **Abaye** could have **said to you: The mishna** is referring to the specific case **where** both neighbors **came to** dig their **pits at the same time.** Consequently, they must both distance their pits from one another. If there is no pit as yet next to the boundary, and the neighbor is not digging at that point, one may dig his pit alongside the boundary.


###### Bava Batra 17b:14
[Bava Batra 17b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/17b:14)

תָּא שְׁמַע: סֶלַע הַבָּא בְּיָדַיִם – זֶה חוֹפֵר בּוֹרוֹ מִכָּאן, וְזֶה חוֹפֵר בּוֹרוֹ מִכָּאן; זֶה מַרְחִיק שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים וְסָד בְּסִיד, וָזֶה מַרְחִיק שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים וְסָד בְּסִיד! בָּא בְּיָדַיִם שָׁאנֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara suggests: **Come** and **hear** a proof from a *baraita*: In the case of **rock that** is so soft that it **crumbles in** one’s **hands,** and no tool is needed, **this one may dig his pit from here, and that one may dig his pit from there. This one distances** his pit **three handbreadths and plasters with lime, and that one distances** his pit **three handbreadths and plasters with lime.** This indicates that the first one who digs a pit must distance his pit even when the second one does not yet have a pit. The Gemara rejects this proof: Rock that **crumbles in** one’s **hands is different.** In this case, one must maintain a distance from the boundary due to the softness of the ground.


###### Bava Batra 17b:15
[Bava Batra 17b:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/17b:15)

וּדְקָאָרֵי לַהּ מַאי קָאָרֵי לַהּ? בָּא בְּיָדַיִם אִיצְטְרִיכָא לֵיהּ, סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ אָמֵינָא: כֵּיוָן דְּבָא בְּיָדַיִם, לִיבְעֵי נָמֵי רַוְוחָא טְפֵי; קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara is puzzled by this exchange: **And he who asked it, why did he ask it?** The *baraita* is explicitly referring to rock that crumbles in one’s hands, so this is clearly a unique case. The Gemara answers that the Sage who asked the question assumed that the *halakha* of the *baraita* includes all types of soil, and he thought that **it was necessary for** the *tanna* to mention the specific example of rock that **crumbles in** one’s **hands,** as it could **enter your mind to say that since** this substance **crumbles in** one’s **hands he is required** to keep his pit at an even **greater distance.** To counter this, the *baraita* **teaches us** that a distance of three handbreadths is sufficient.


###### Bava Batra 17b:16
[Bava Batra 17b:16](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/17b:16)

תָּא שְׁמַע: מַרְחִיקִין אֶת הַגֶּפֶת, וְאֶת הַזֶּבֶל, וְאֶת

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara suggests: **Come** and **hear** a proof from the mishna: **One must distance the solid residue** of produce that has been pressed free of its oil, **and** animal **manure, and**