Study Bava Batra folio 28A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
חזקת הבתים, והבורות, והשיחין, והמערות, והשובכות, והמרחצאות, ובית הבדין, ובית השלחין, והעבדים, וכל שהוא עושה פירות תדיר – חזקתן שלש שנים מיום ליום.
Mishnah: With regard to the presumptive ownership of houses; and of pits; and of ditches; and of caves, which are used to collect water; and of dovecotes; and of bathhouses; and of olive presses; and of irrigated fields, which must be watered by people; and of slaves; and all similar property that constantly, i.e., throughout the year, generates profits, their presumptive ownership is established by working and profiting from them for a duration of 3 years from day to day. If the one in possession of the property can prove that he worked and profited from it for the previous 3 full years, there is a presumption that it belongs to him, and would remain in his possession if another were to claim that the property belonged to him or to his ancestors.
שדה הבעל – חזקתה שלש שנים, ואינן מיום ליום.
With regard to a non-irrigated field, i.e., one that is watered by rain, in which produce grows during certain seasons during the year, its presumption of ownership is established in 3 years, but they are not from day to day, since the fields are not worked and harvested continually throughout the 3-year period.
רבי ישמעאל אומר: שלשה חדשים בראשונה, שלשה באחרונה, ושנים עשר חדש באמצע; הרי שמונה עשר חדש.
R' Yishmael says: 3 months of possession in the 1st year, 3 months of possession in the last year, and 12 months of possession in the middle, which are 18 months, suffice to establish the presumption of ownership with regard to a non-irrigated field.
רבי עקיבא אומר: חדש בראשונה, וחדש באחרונה, ושנים עשר חדש באמצע; הרי ארבעה עשר חדש.
R' Akiva says: A month of possession in the 1st year, and a month of possession in the last year, and 12 months of possession in the middle, which are 14 months, suffice to establish the presumption of ownership with regard to a non-irrigated field.