Study Bava Batra folio 83A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
בדורא דרעותא, ואתו לקמיה דרב יהודה, ואמר ליה: ״זיל הב ליה כמלא בקר וכליו״; ולא הוה ידענא ״כמלא בקר וכליו״ כמה; כיון דשמעתה להא דתנן: לא יטע אדם אילן סמוך לשדה חבירו, אלא אם כן הרחיק ממנה ארבע אמות;
involving the sale of trees in a village of shepherds, and they came before Rav Yehuda, and he said to the seller: Go and give to the one who bought the trees sufficient land for an ox and its vessels. But I did not know how much was sufficient land for an ox and its vessels. When I heard that which we learned in a Mishnah (26a), I came to a conclusion with regard to this case. The Mishnah teaches as follows: A person may not plant a tree close by the field of another, unless he places it at a distance of 4 cubits from the other field.
ותני עלה: ארבע אמות שאמרו – כדי עבודת הכרם; אמינא: שמע מינה, ״כמלא בקר וכליו״ – ארבע אמות.
Rav Yosef continues: And it is taught in a baraita with regard to this Mishnah: The 4 cubits that the rabbis stated are for the work of the vineyard, so that he does not take oxen and a plow into his neighbor’s field while tending to his vineyard. I studied this Mishnah and baraita and said: Learn from it that the phrase: Sufficient for the ox and its vessels, means 4 cubits. At this stage, the Talmud has demonstrated that Rav Naḥman’s opinion is supported by a Mishnah, whereas Rav Yosef’s ruling is supported by the incident involving Rav Yehuda.
וכרב יוסף מי לא תנן?! רבי מאיר ורבי שמעון אומרים: הנוטע את כרמו שמונה אמות על שמונה – מותר להביא זרע לשם!
The Talmud asks: But didn’t we also learn a ruling in a Mishnah (Kilayim 4:9) in accordance with the opinion of Rav Yosef? That Mishnah teaches: R' Meir and R' Shimon say: In a case of one who plants his vineyard 8 cubits by 8 cubits, i.e., he leaves 8 cubits between each row of vines, it is permitted for him to bring seeds to the empty spaces between the rows. This ruling can be cited in support of the opinion of Rav Yosef that if there is a space of 8 cubits between trees or vines they are not considered one unit. Why, then, is this Mishnah not brought as proof?