## Bava Batra Daf 18b

###### Bava Batra 18b:1
[Bava Batra 18b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/18b:1)

וְאִי דְּלָא סָמֵיךְ, הֵיכִי מַשְׁכַּחַתְּ לַהּ? אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: בְּלוֹקֵחַ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And if** one **may not place** an item that might cause damage **close** to his neighbor’s boundary, **how can you find** a case where each neighbor is damaging the property of the other? **Rav Pappa says:** This is referring **to a buyer** who purchased part of his neighbor’s field, and it contains a substance or items that might cause damage, e.g., the water in which flax is steeped or mustard. In the other section of the field the neighbor retained an item or substance that could be damaged. In this manner, it is possible for the item that causes damage to be found near the boundary of the neighbor without one having violated the ruling of the mishna.


###### Bava Batra 18b:2
[Bava Batra 18b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/18b:2)

אִי בְּלוֹקֵחַ, מַאי טַעְמָא דְּרַבָּנַן? וְעוֹד, מַאי טַעְמָא דְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי? אֲפִילּוּ מִשְׁרָה וְיַרְקָא נָמֵי!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **If** this is referring **to a buyer, what is the reason of the Rabbis,** who say that the neighbor can demand that the buyer distance that which causes damage? After all, he has not acted improperly. **And furthermore, what is the reason of Rabbi Yosei** for disagreeing only in the case of the mustard and the bees? **Even** the case of **water in which flax is steeped and vegetables** is **also** subject to the same reasoning: Why should he have to distance his water, considering that he did not act improperly?


###### Bava Batra 18b:3
[Bava Batra 18b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/18b:3)

אָמַר רָבִינָא: קָא סָבְרִי רַבָּנַן: עַל הַמַּזִּיק לְהַרְחִיק אֶת עַצְמוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Ravina said** that the explanation is as follows: **The Rabbis hold** that the responsibility falls **on the one who causes damage to distance himself.** The one who has the potential to cause damage must act to prevent the damage from occurring. This is the *halakha* even if his initial placement was done in accordance with *halakha*, as in the case where one bought part of a field.


###### Bava Batra 18b:4
[Bava Batra 18b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/18b:4)

מִכְּלָל דְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי סָבַר: עַל הַנִּיזָּק לְהַרְחִיק אֶת עַצְמוֹ?! אִי עַל הַנִּיזָּק, אֲפִילּוּ מִשְׁרָה וְיַרְקָא נָמֵי!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: Does this prove **by inference** that **Rabbi Yosei,** who disagrees with the ruling of the Rabbis, **holds** that the responsibility falls **on the** one whose property **was damaged to distance himself;** i.e., to avoid being damaged? But **if** the responsibility to distance oneself falls **on the** one whose property **was damaged, even** in the case of **water in which flax is steeped and vegetables** the owner should **also** not have to distance himself. Why does Rabbi Yosei distinguish between that situation and the case of bees and mustard?


###### Bava Batra 18b:5
[Bava Batra 18b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/18b:5)

אֶלָּא לְעוֹלָם רַבִּי יוֹסֵי נָמֵי עַל הַמַּזִּיק סְבִירָא לֵיהּ, וְהָכִי קָאָמַר לְהוּ רַבִּי יוֹסֵי לְרַבָּנַן: תִּינַח מִשְׁרָה וְיַרְקָא – דְּהָנֵי מַזְּקִי הָנֵי, וְהָנֵי לָא מַזְּקִי הָנֵי, אֶלָּא חַרְדָּל וּדְבוֹרִים – תַּרְוַיְיהוּ מַזְּקִי אַהֲדָדֵי!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rather, actually Rabbi Yosei also holds** that the responsibility to distance oneself falls **on the one who causes damage,** even if he did not act improperly. **And this** is what **Rabbi Yosei is saying to the Rabbis:** Your explanation **works out well** with regard to **water in which flax is steeped and vegetables,** where the one who causes damage must distance himself, as **these damage those, but those do not damage these,** i.e., the water in which flax is steeped damages the vegetables, but the vegetables do not damage the water. **But** in the case of **mustard and bees, they both damage one another.** In light of this factor, and since the initial planting of the mustard was permitted, the owner of the bees should distance them from the mustard.


###### Bava Batra 18b:6
[Bava Batra 18b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/18b:6)

וְרַבָּנַן – דְּבוֹרִים לְחַרְדָּל לָא מַזְּקִי לֵיהּ; אִי בְּבִינְתָא – לָא מַשְׁכְּחָא לֵיהּ, אִי בְּטַרְפָּא – הָדַר פָּארֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** as for **the Rabbis,** how do they respond to this claim? They maintain that **bees do not damage mustard.** Their reasoning is that **if** it is referring **to a seed,** the bees will **not find it. If** it is referring **to a leaf, it will grow back,** and therefore no damage has been caused.


###### Bava Batra 18b:7
[Bava Batra 18b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/18b:7)

וְסָבַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי עַל הַמַּזִּיק לְהַרְחִיק אֶת עַצְמוֹ?! וְהָתְנַן, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר: אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַבּוֹר קוֹדֶמֶת לְאִילָן – לֹא יָקוֹץ, שֶׁזֶּה חוֹפֵר בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁלּוֹ, וְזֶה נוֹטֵעַ בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁלּוֹ! אֶלָּא לְעוֹלָם רַבִּי יוֹסֵי – עַל הַנִּיזָּק סְבִירָא לֵיהּ, וּלְדִבְרֵיהֶם דְּרַבָּנַן קָאָמַר לְהוּ:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And does Rabbi Yosei hold** that the responsibility falls **on the one who causes damage to distance himself? But didn’t we learn** in a mishna (25b) that **Rabbi Yosei says: Even though the cistern preceded the tree,** the owner need **not cut down** the tree, **as this one digs a cistern in his** property, **and that one plants** the tree **in his** property? **Rather, actually Rabbi Yosei holds** that the responsibility falls **on the** one whose property **was damaged to distance himself. And** Rabbi Yosei **spoke to the Rabbis in accordance with their statement.**


###### Bava Batra 18b:8
[Bava Batra 18b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/18b:8)

לְדִידִי, עַל הַנִּיזָּק לְהַרְחִיק אֶת עַצְמוֹ, וַאֲפִילּוּ מִשְׁרָה וְיַרְקָא לָא בָּעֵי רַחוֹקֵי; אֶלָּא לְדִידְכוּ, דְּאָמְרִיתוּ עַל הַמַּזִּיק; תִּינַח מִשְׁרָה וְיַרְקָא – דְּהָנֵי מַזְּקִי הָנֵי, וְהָנֵי לָא מַזְּקִי הָנֵי, אֶלָּא חַרְדָּל וּדְבוֹרִים – תַּרְוַיְיהוּ מַזְּקִי אַהֲדָדֵי!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara elaborates: Rabbi Yosei was saying to the Rabbis: **In my** opinion, the responsibility falls **on the** one whose property **was damaged to distance himself, and** therefore **even** in the case of **water in which flax is steeped and vegetables,** the owner of the water **need not distance** himself. **But according to your** opinion, that the responsibility falls **on the one who causes damage** to distance himself, this **works out well** with regard to **water in which flax is steeped and vegetables, as these damage those and those do not damage these. But mustard and bees both damage one another,** and if the mustard owner acted properly, the owner of the bees should be required to move his bees.


###### Bava Batra 18b:9
[Bava Batra 18b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Batra/r/18b:9)

וְרַבָּנַן – דְּבוֹרִים לְחַרְדָּל לָא מַזְּקִי לֵיהּ; אִי בְּבִינְתָא –

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara continues: **And** how do **the Rabbis** respond to this claim? They hold that **bees do not damage mustard: If** this is referring **to a seed,**