Bava Batra 98B

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Text Excerpt

תאנא: ומיישן והולך עד החג.

It is taught in a baraita: And where he sold him aged wine, he is responsible to provide wine that will continue to age, i.e., maintain its quality, until the festival of Sukkot.

מתני׳ המוכר מקום לחבירו, וכן המקבל מקום מחבירו לעשות לו בית חתנות לבנו ובית אלמנות לבתו ⁠– בונה ארבע אמות על שש, דברי רבי עקיבא. רבי ישמעאל אומר: רפת בקר היא זו!

Mishnah: With regard to one who sells a plot of land to another, with the buyer intending to build a bridal house for his son or a widowhood home for his daughter on that plot, and similarly, with regard to a contractor who receives a plot of land from another under a commission to build for the owner on that land a bridal house for his son, or a widowhood home for his daughter, the terms of the transaction are a matter of dispute. The Mishnah presents the dispute: In the latter case, the contractor must build a building that is at least 4 cubits by 6 cubits in size, and similarly, in the case of the sale, the seller must provide a plot of land that can accommodate a building of that size; this is the statement of R' Akiva. R' Yishmael says: A structure of this size is a cowshed, and a bridal house or a widowhood home is larger than that.

הרוצה לעשות רפת בקר ⁠– בונה ארבע אמות על שש.

One who wants to construct a cowshed builds a structure at least 4 cubits by 6 cubits in size.

בית קטן ⁠– שש על שמונה, גדול ⁠– שמונה על עשר, טרקלין ⁠– עשר על עשר. רומו כחצי ארכו וכחצי רחבו. ראיה לדבר ⁠– רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר: כבנין ההיכל.

The Mishnah delineates the standard dimensions for various other structures. A small house is 6 by 8 cubits. A large house is 8 by 10 cubits. A banquet hall [teraklin] is 10 by 10 cubits. The standard height for each of these structures is equal to the sum of half its length and half its width. There is a proof of the matter; Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: The proportions are like the building of the Sanctuary; it was 40 cubits wide and 20 cubits long and its height was 30 cubits, which is the sum of half the width and half the length.

Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.