Study Bava Batra folio 69A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
גמ׳ מאי ״אבנים שהן לצרכה״? הכא תרגימו: אבני דאכפא. עולא אמר: אבנים הסדורות לגדר. והא תני רבי חייא: אבנים צבורות לגדר! תני: ״סדורות״.
Talmud: The Mishnah teaches that one who sells a field has sold the stones in the field that are for its use. The Talmud clarifies: What is meant by stones that are for its use? Here in Babylonia they interpreted it as follows: Stones placed on the sheaves in the field to protect them from being scattered by the wind. Ulla says: The Mishnah is referring to stones that are arranged for the future building of a fence for the field. The Talmud asks: But didn’t R' Ḥiyya teach in a baraita that they are stones that are piled up for the future building of a fence, and not necessarily arranged? The Talmud answers: Teach that R' Ḥiyya said: They are stones that are arranged for the future building of a fence.
הכא תרגימו אבני דאכפא; לרבי מאיר – דמתקנן, אף על גב דלא מחתן; לרבנן – הוא דמחתן.
The Talmud elaborates on the two explanations: It was stated that here in Babylonia they interpreted the Mishnah as referring to stones that are placed on the sheaves. According to R' Meir this should be understood as referring to stones that are ready to be used to protect the sheaves, even though they are not yet placed on them. This is in keeping with R' Meir’s opinion that whenever a place is sold, all the accompaniments that are necessary for its proper utilization are included in the sale (see 78b). According to the Rabbis, the Mishnah is referring specifically to stones that are already placed on the sheaves.
ולעולא, דאמר: אבנים הסדורות לגדר; לרבי מאיר – דמתקנן, אף על גב דלא סדרן; לרבנן – הוא דסדרן.
And according to Ulla, who says that the Mishnah is referring to stones that are arranged for the future building of a fence for the field, according to R' Meir, stones that are ready to be used for building a fence are also included in the sale, even though they are not yet arranged for that purpose. According to the Rabbis, the Mishnah is referring specifically to stones that are already arranged for building a fence.