Study Bava Metzia folio 109A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
מתני׳ המקבל שדה מחבירו לשנים מועטות – לא יזרענה פשתן, ואין לו בקורות שקמה. קיבלה הימנו לשבע שנים – שנה ראשונה יזרענה פשתן, ויש לו בקורות שקמה.
Mishnah: One who receives a field from another to cultivate for a few years, i.e., fewer than 7, may not plant flax in it, as flax greatly weakens the soil, and if a sycamore tree was growing in the field, he does not have rights to the beams fashioned from the branches of the sycamore tree. Therefore, he may not cut down its branches for his own use, as it takes many years for new ones to grow. If he received the field from him for 7 years, in the 1st year he may plant flax in it, and he does have rights to the beams fashioned from the branches of the sycamore tree.
גמ׳ אמר אביי: בקורות שקמה – אין לו, בשבח שקמה – יש לו. ורבא אמר: אפילו בשבח שקמה נמי אין לו.
Talmud: Abaye says: Although he does not have rights to the beams fashioned from the branches of the sycamore tree, he does have rights to the value of the enhancement of the sycamore tree, i.e., the value of its growth that occurred while he was cultivating the field. And Rava says: He does not even have rights to the value of the enhancement of the sycamore tree.
מיתיבי: המקבל שדה מחבירו והגיע זמנו לצאת – שמין לו. מאי לאו: שמין לו בשבח שקמה? לא, שמין לו ירקא וסילקא.
The Talmud raises an objection to Rava’s opinion from a baraita: With regard to one who receives a field from another to cultivate and his time to leave arrives, the court appraises its value for him. What, is it not that the court appraises for him the value of the enhancement of the sycamore or other trees? The Talmud responds: No, the court appraises for him the value of the vegetables and beets left in the field.