Study Bava Batra folio 80B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
דתנן: כוורת דבורים – רבי אליעזר אומר: הרי היא כקרקע, וכותבין עליה פרוזבול,
As we learned in a Mishnah (Shevi’it 10:7): Concerning a beehive, R' Eliezer says: It is considered like land with regard to the manner in which one purchases it and with regard to other matters, and therefore one writes a document that prevents the Sabbatical Year from canceling an outstanding debt [prosbol] based on it, as a prosbol can be written only if the debtor possesses land of some sort.
ואינה מקבלת טומאה במקומה, והרודה ממנה בשבת – חייב חטאת.
And a beehive is not susceptible to ritual impurity, provided that it is in its place and attached to the ground, as it is considered equivalent to the ground itself, which is not susceptible to impurity. And one who takes honey out of it on Shabbat is liable to bring a sin-offering, like one who uproots something from the ground. According to this opinion, honey in a beehive is not considered to have the status of either food or liquid with regard to ritual impurity, as it is attached to the ground.
וחכמים אומרים: אין כותבין עליה פרוזבול, ואינה כקרקע, ומקבלת טומאה במקומה, והרודה ממנה בשבת – פטור.
The Mishnah continues: And the Rabbis say: A beehive has the status of movable property; one may not write a prosbol based on it, and it is not considered like land with regard to its sale but is instead sold in the manner of movable property. And it is susceptible to ritual impurity even when it is in its place, and one who takes honey out of it on Shabbat is exempt from bringing a sin-offering. According to this opinion, the honey contained within the beehive is considered detached from the ground and is therefore susceptible to ritual impurity, as stated by Rav Kahana.