## Bava Metzia Daf 108a

###### Bava Metzia 108a:1
[Bava Metzia 108a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/108a:1)

וְאִי לָא – לָא מִיסְתַּגֵּי לְהוּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**and if not, they will be unable to walk,** but will have to cross over to the other side of the river. Therefore, no advantage exists to cutting down the trees that block part of the river.


###### Bava Metzia 108a:2
[Bava Metzia 108a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/108a:2)

רַבָּה בַּר רַב נַחְמָן הֲוָה קָא אָזֵיל בְּאַרְבָּא, חֲזָא הָהוּא אִבָּא דְּקָאֵי אַגּוּדָּא דְנַהְרָא. אֲמַר לְהוּ: דְּמַאן? אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: דְּרַבָּה בַּר רַב הוּנָא. אָמַר: ״וְיַד הַשָּׂרִים וְהַסְּגָנִים הָיְתָה בַּמַּעַל הַזֶּה רִאשׁוֹנָה״. אֲמַר לְהוּ: קוּצוּ. קַצּוּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara cites a related incident: **Rabba bar Rav Naḥman was going on a boat** and **saw a certain forest that** was **located** right **on the riverbank,** as its trees had not been cut down to make room for the pullers. **He said to** those who were with him: **To whom** does this forest belong? **They said to him:** It belongs **to Rabba bar Rav Huna.** Rabba bar Rav Naḥman **said:** This is reminiscent of the verse: **“And the hand of the princes and the rulers has been first in this faithlessness”** (Ezra 9:2), because a renowned scholar is acting improperly. Rabba bar Rav Naḥman **said to them: Cut down, cut down** to clear a path.


###### Bava Metzia 108a:3
[Bava Metzia 108a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/108a:3)

אֲתָא רַבָּה בַּר רַב הוּנָא אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ דְּקַיִיץ, אֲמַר: מַאן קַצְיֵיהּ – תִּקּוֹץ עַנְפֵיהּ. אָמְרִי כּוּלְּהוּ שְׁנֵי דְּרַבָּה בַּר רַב הוּנָא, לָא אִקַּיַּים לֵיהּ זַרְעָא לְרַבָּה בַּר רַב נַחְמָן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabba bar Rav Huna arrived** and **found that** his forest had been **cut down.** Since he was within his rights not to cut down his trees, as explained above, he grew angry and **pronounced** a curse: He **who cut down** this forest **should** have **his branches cut down.** The Sages **said:** Although he was unaware of the identity of the perpetrator, the Sage’s curse was nevertheless fulfilled, and consequently **all the** remaining **years that Rabba bar Rav Huna** was alive, **the seed of Rabba bar Rav Naḥman did not last,** as his children, his branches, died in his lifetime.


###### Bava Metzia 108a:4
[Bava Metzia 108a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/108a:4)

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: הַכֹּל לְאִיגְלֵי גַפָּא, וַאֲפִילּוּ מִיַּתְמֵי – אֲבָל רַבָּנַן לָא. מַאי טַעְמָא? רַבָּנַן לָא צְרִיכִי נְטִירוּתָא. לְכַרְיָא דְפַתְיָא – וַאֲפִילּוּ מֵרַבָּנַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Yehuda says: All** participate in the payment **for the construction of the** city **wall, and** this sum is collected **even from orphans, but not** from **the Torah scholars. What is the reason** for this? **The Torah scholars do not require protection,** as the merit of their Torah study protects them from harm. By contrast, money is collected **for the digging of** a river or **a well** for drinking water, **even from the Torah scholars.**


###### Bava Metzia 108a:5
[Bava Metzia 108a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/108a:5)

וְלָא אֲמַרַן אֶלָּא דְּלָא נָפְקִי בְּכָלוֹזָא. אֲבָל לְכָלוֹזָא – לָא, דְּרַבָּנַן לָאו בְּנֵי מִיפַּק בְּכָלוֹזָא נִינְהוּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara adds: **And we said** this *halakha* **only if** the town inhabitants do **not go out in a crowd** to perform the work themselves but pay workers to act on their behalf. **But** if they go out **in a crowd,** Torah scholars do **not** have to join them, **as Torah scholars are not** among those **who go out in a crowd** to perform work in public view.


###### Bava Metzia 108a:6
[Bava Metzia 108a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/108a:6)

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: לְכַרְיָא דְנַהְרָא – תַּתָּאֵי מְסַיְּיעִי עִילָּאֵי, עִילָּאֵי לָא מְסַיְּיעִי תַּתָּאֵי. וְחִילּוּפָא בְּמַיָּא דְמִיטְרָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Yehuda says: With regard to the digging of a river,** i.e., the periodic deepening of a riverbed to prevent it from blocking up, **the lower ones,** i.e., those who live by the bottom of the river, must **assist the upper ones** in digging it and fixing it, as those located at the bottom of the river stand to gain from any work performed down to their houses. But **the upper ones do not** need to **assist the lower ones,** as the reverse is not the case. **And the opposite** is true **with regard to** the digging of a ditch to remove **rainwater.** In that case, those who live higher up are interested in the operation and therefore must help the lower ones, but the latter need not aid the higher ones in doing so in the upper area.


###### Bava Metzia 108a:7
[Bava Metzia 108a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/108a:7)

תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: חָמֵשׁ גַּנּוֹת הַמִּסְתַּפְּקוֹת מַיִם מִמַּעְיָן אֶחָד, וְנִתְקַלְקֵל הַמַּעְיָין – כּוּלָּם מְתַקְּנוֹת עִם הָעֶלְיוֹנָה. נִמְצֵאת הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה מְתַקֶּנֶת עִם כּוּלָּן וּמְתַקֶּנֶת לְעַצְמָהּ. וְכֵן חָמֵשׁ חֲצֵרוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ מְקַלְּחוֹת מַיִם לְבִיב אֶחָד, וְנִתְקַלְקֵל הַבִּיב – כּוּלָּן מְתַקְּנוֹת עִם הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה, נִמְצֵאת הָעֶלְיוֹנָה מְתַקֶּנֶת עִם כּוּלָּן וּמְתַקֶּנֶת לְעַצְמָהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara comments: **This is also taught** in a *baraita*: If there were **five gardens that draw** their **water** requirements **from one spring and the spring became damaged, all** must help **fix** it **with** the owner of **the upper** garden, near whose garden the damage occurred. As a **result** of this ruling, the owner of **the lower** garden **fixes** it **with all of them** in the above case, **and fixes it for himself** if the damage occurred in the lower area. **And similarly,** if there were **five courtyards that would run off water into a single sewer and the sewer became damaged, all** must help **fix** it **with** the owner of **the lower** courtyard, near whose courtyard the damage occurred. The **result** is that the owner of **the upper** courtyard **fixes** the sewer **with all of them and fixes it for himself** if the damage affected his courtyard alone. This is in accordance with Rav Yehuda’s ruling.


###### Bava Metzia 108a:8
[Bava Metzia 108a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/108a:8)

אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: הַאי מַאן דְּאַחְזֵיק בְּרַקְתָּא דְנַהְרָא – חֲצִיפָא הָוֵי, סַלּוֹקֵי לָא מְסַלְּקִינַן לֵיהּ. וְהָאִידָּנָא דְּקָא כָּתְבִי פָּרְסָאֵי: קְנֵי לָךְ עַד מְלֵי צַוְּארֵי סוּסְיָא מַיָּא – סַלּוֹקֵי נָמֵי מְסַלְּקִינַן לֵיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Shmuel says: One who takes possession of** an open space left along **a riverbank** for the purpose of loading and unloading in order to plow and plant there during the time that it is temporarily unused **is impudent.** As for **removing** him, **we do not remove him,** as this piece of land is considered ownerless. **And nowadays, when the Persians write** to one who acquires land alongside a river: **Acquire for yourself** the field **up to** the portion of the river itself where **the water reaches a horse’s neck, we even** go as far as to **remove him** from the plot of land, as it belongs to the owner of the field.


###### Bava Metzia 108a:9
[Bava Metzia 108a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/108a:9)

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: הַאי מַאן דְּאַחְזֵיק בֵּינֵי אַחֵי וּבֵינֵי שׁוּתָּפֵי, חֲצִיפָא הָוֵי. סַלּוֹקֵי לָא מְסַלְּקִינַן לֵיהּ. וְרַב נַחְמָן אָמַר: נָמֵי מְסַלְּקִינַן. וְאִי מִשּׁוּם דִּינָא דְּבַר מִצְרָא – לָא מְסַלְּקִינַן לֵיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Yehuda says** that **Rav says: One who takes possession** of land that is located **between** the land of **brothers or between** the land of **partners** and causes them trouble **is impudent.** As for **removing** him, **we do not remove him,** as they have no real claim against him. **And Rav Naḥman said: We even** go as far as to **remove** him, as one should not do anything that harms another. **And if** the complaint against him is **due to the *halakha* of one** whose field **borders** the field of his neighbor, as they owned fields bordering on this one, **we do not remove him.**


###### Bava Metzia 108a:10
[Bava Metzia 108a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/108a:10)

נְהַרְדָּעֵי אָמְרִי: אֲפִילּוּ מִשּׁוּם דִּינָא דְּבַר מִצְרָא – מְסַלְּקִינַן לֵיהּ, מִשּׁוּם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְעָשִׂיתָ הַיָּשָׁר וְהַטּוֹב בְּעֵינֵי ה׳״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Sages **of Neharde’a say: Even** if his claim was **due to the *halakha* of one** whose field **borders** the field of his neighbor, **we** still **remove him, as it is stated: “And you shall do that which is right and good in the eyes of the Lord”** (Deuteronomy 6:18). One should not perform an action that is not right and good, even if he is legally entitled to do so.


###### Bava Metzia 108a:11
[Bava Metzia 108a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/108a:11)

אֲתָא אִימְּלִיךְ בֵּיהּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אֵיזִיל אֶיזְבּוֹן? וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ: זִיל זְבוֹן. צְרִיךְ לְמִיקְנֵא מִינֵּיהּ, אוֹ לָא? רָבִינָא אָמַר: לָא צְרִיךְ לְמִיקְנֵא מִינֵּיהּ, נְהַרְדָּעֵי אָמְרִי: צְרִיךְ לְמִיקְנֵא מִינֵּיהּ. וְהִלְכְתָא: צְרִיךְ לְמִיקְנֵא מִינֵּיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
With the above *halakhot* in mind, the Gemara asks: If the stranger **came to consult with** one of the owners of the fields, and **said to him:** Shall **I go** and **acquire** the field, **and** the latter **said to him, go** and **acquire** it, as I will raise no objection, is it **necessary to** perform an act of **acquisition with him** to solidify the agreement? **Or** perhaps his mere promise is sufficient and it is **not** necessary? **Ravina said:** It is **not necessary to** perform an act of **acquisition with him,** while the Sages **of Neharde’a say:** It is **necessary to** perform an act of **acquisition with him.** The Gemara concludes: **And the *halakha*** is that it is **necessary to** perform an act of **acquisition with him.**


###### Bava Metzia 108a:12
[Bava Metzia 108a:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/108a:12)

הַשְׁתָּא דְּאָמְרַתְּ צְרִיךְ לְמִיקְנֵא מִינֵּיהּ, אִי לָא קְנוֹ מִינֵּיהּ – אִיַּיקּוּר וְזוּל בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara adds: **Now that you have said** that it is **necessary to** perform an act of **acquisition with** the neighbor for the right to purchase the field, **if he did not** perform an act of **acquisition with him** and purchased the field, and the field **increased or decreased** in value, the price fluctuation occurs **in the domain of** the owner of the bordering field. The buyer’s purchase is considered a purchase on behalf of the neighbor, who then reimburses the buyer.


###### Bava Metzia 108a:13
[Bava Metzia 108a:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/108a:13)

זְבַן בִּמְאָה וְשָׁוֵי מָאתַן, (חָזֵינָא) [חָזֵינַן]: אִי לְכוּלֵּי עָלְמָא קָא מוֹזֵילא וּמְזַבֵּין – יָהֵיב לֵיהּ מְאָה וְשָׁקֵיל לֵיהּ. וְאִי לָא – יָהֵיב לֵיהּ מָאתַן וְשָׁקֵיל לֵיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Accordingly, if this buyer **bought** it **for one hundred** dinars **and** the field **was worth two hundred** dinars, in order to determine how much money the neighbor must give him, **we determine** why the owner sold the field to the buyer at this price: **If he sells to everyone** at that **cheap** price, the neighbor **gives** the buyer **one hundred** dinars **and takes it,** as the neighbor could have bought it for this sum himself. **But if** the owner does **not** sell to everyone at this price and this buyer was given a discount, the neighbor **gives** the buyer **two hundred** dinars, the market value of the field, **and takes it.**


###### Bava Metzia 108a:14
[Bava Metzia 108a:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/108a:14)

זְבַן בְּמָאתַן וְשָׁוְיָא מְאָה, סְבוּר מִינָּה, מָצֵי אָמַר לֵיהּ: לְתַקּוֹנֵי שַׁדַּרְתָּיךָ וְלָא לְעַוּוֹתֵי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ מָר קַשִּׁישָׁא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב חִסְדָּא לְרַב אָשֵׁי: הָכִי אָמְרִי נְהַרְדָּעֵי מִשּׁוּם דְּרַב נַחְמָן: אֵין אוֹנָאָה לְקַרְקָעוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
In the converse case, if **he bought** it **for two hundred** dinars **and** the field was **worth one hundred** dinars, the Sages **understood** that the neighbor **can say to** the buyer: **I sent you** to act **for my benefit, but not** to act **to my detriment.** Since the field will not remain in your possession, you are effectively my agent, and I am not prepared to pay more than its market value due to your mistake. **Mar the Elder, son of Rav Ḥisda, said to Rav Ashi: This** is what the Sages **of Neharde’a say in the name of Rav Naḥman: There is no exploitation with regard to real estate,** as land has no fixed value, and therefore it cannot be said that the buyer overpaid, and he is given whatever sum he spent.


###### Bava Metzia 108a:15
[Bava Metzia 108a:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Bava%20Metzia/r/108a:15)

זַבֵּין לֵיהּ גְּרִיוָא דְּאַרְעָא בְּמִיצְעָא נִכְסֵיהּ, חָזֵינַן אִי עִידִּית הִיא, אִי זִיבּוּרִית הִיא – זְבִינֵיהּ זְבִינֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara discusses a related case: If one **sold to** another **a *beit se’a* of land in the middle of his property** so that the buyer is surrounded on all sides by the seller’s fields, **we see** what type of land it is: **Whether** the land **is superior-quality** land **or whether** it **is inferior-quality** land, **his sale** is a valid **sale,** as it is a distinctive piece of land. In that case, the seller’s neighbors cannot object, as their fields do not actually border on this plot.