Bava Batra 22A

קנאת סופרים תרבה חכמה.

Jealousy among teachers increases wisdom.

אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק: ומודה רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע ברוכלין המחזירין בעיירות, דלא מצי מעכב; דאמר מר: עזרא תקן להן לישראל שיהו רוכלין מחזירין בעיירות, כדי שיהו תכשיטין מצויין לבנות ישראל.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: And Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, who said that townspeople can bar craftsmen who come from other cities, concedes with regard to perfume salesmen who travel from one town to another that the townspeople cannot prevent them from entering their town. As the Master said: Ezra instituted an ordinance for the Jewish people that perfume salesmen should travel from town to town so that cosmetics will be available to Jewish women. Since this ordinance was instituted on behalf of Jewish women, the rabbis ruled that these peddlers could not be barred from entering a town.

והני מילי לאהדורי, אבל לאקבועי ⁠– לא. ואי צורבא מרבנן הוא, אפילו לאקבועי נמי. כי הא דרבא שרא להו לרבי יאשיה ולרב עובדיה לאקבועי ⁠– דלא כהלכתא. מאי טעמא? כיון דרבנן נינהו, אתו לטרדו מגירסייהו.

The Talmud continues: And this matter applies only to one who seeks to travel from town to town as a salesman. But if he wants to establish a shop, this ruling was not stated, and the townspeople can prevent him from doing so. And if he is a Torah scholar he may even establish a shop as a perfume salesman. This is like that incident in which Rava permitted R' Yoshiya and Rav Ovadya to establish a shop not in accordance with the halakha. What is the reason for this ruling? The reason is that since they are rabbis, they are likely to be distracted from their studies should they be required to travel from place to place.

הנהו דיקולאי דאייתו דיקלאי לבבל. אתו בני מתא קא מעכבי עלויהו. אתו לקמיה דרבינא, אמר להו: מעלמא אתו, ולעלמא ליזבנו. והני מילי ביומא דשוקא, אבל בלא יומא דשוקא ⁠– לא. וביומא דשוקא נמי לא אמרינן אלא לזבוני בשוקא, אבל לאהדורי ⁠– לא.

§ The Talmud relates: There were these basket sellers who brought baskets to Babylonia. The townspeople came and prevented them from selling there. The two parties came before Ravina for a ruling. Ravina said to them: The basket sellers came from outside the town, and they sell to those from outside the town, i.e., to guests who are not residents of the town. The Talmud comments: And this statement applies only on a market day, when people from other towns come to shop, but they may not sell their wares on non-market days. And even with regard to market days, we say so only with regard to selling in the market, but this halakha does not apply to circulating around the town.