Bava Batra 103b — the Talmud in English

Rabbi Yirmeya raised a question:

If they were embedded in most of the field, but in a manner that makes plowing difficult, such as if they were arranged

like a bracelet

[that is, in a circle]

, what is the law?

Are they measured together with it?

If you say that they are measured together with it, what is the law when they were arranged

in a row,

[along the entire length of the field, and one can sow opposite it only with difficulty]

what is the law?

If you say that they are measured together with it, what is the law if they were arranged like

the horns of an arena bull

[the horns of the arena bull, that is, a curved row, which makes sowing even more difficult],

what is the law?

If you say that they are measured together with it, what is the law when they were arranged in

a winding manner,

which makes sowing even more difficult,

what is the law?

The matter remains unresolved.

The tanna taught: If there was a single rock, that is, if an isolated rock stood adjacent to the field, and the seller wishes to begin measuring the field from there,

even if it is of any size, it is not measured together with it .

And

likewise,

if it was

the rock within the field, but it stood

adjacent to the boundary, even if it is of any size, it is not measured together with it.

Rav Pappa raised a question

[he was uncertain]

:

If the rock was adjacent to the boundary, but

earth was separated

from it by any amount, less than three handbreadths,

between them, what is the law? Is it considered “a rock adjacent to the boundary,” or a rock within the field?

And it concluded with

the matter remaining unresolved.

Rav Ashi raised a question:

If you say that the separation of earth between them is considered a separation, what is the law if there was a separation of

earth below,

[less than three handbreadths]

and

that

hard rock

[rock] was found

above,

adjacent to the boundary, or the reverse,

earth above and hard rock below, what is the law?

Do we follow the earth, or the rock?

And it concluded with

the matter remaining unresolved.

Mishna:

One who says to his fellow,

“I am selling you a beit kor of earth, measured by the rope,”

that is, I am selling you a field containing exactly a beit kor, as one measures with a rope.

If it

was deficient by any amount,

so that this field did not contain exactly a beit kor, but slightly less,

he deducts

from the money owed him an amount corresponding to the deficiency . And if it

contained any

amount in excess, he returns it .

And if he said

“I am selling you a beit kor of earth

whether deficient or in excess,”

even if it was deficient by a quarter

of a kav

per se'a

[a se'a is six kav; therefore, a quarter-kav is 1/24 of a se'a, and in a beit kor, which contains thirty se'a, 7.5 kav],

or contained a quarter in excess

of a kav

per se'a, they have received it.

But if it was deficient or in excess

by more than this, he makes a calculation.

That is, he calculates everything that exceeds a kor, including the quarter-kav measures, and returns it.

And in the case in which it contained an excess,

what is it that

[the buyer]

returns to him?

Money.

That is, he cannot return the land to him, but must purchase it from the seller.

And if he wishes,

the seller

, he returns land to him.

And why did they say, “he returns money to him”?

In order

to improve the seller’s position, so that he

will not return to him a small piece of land that is not fit for anything. Therefore, they compelled the buyer to purchase it .

And only

if he left over

[that is, if the seller added for the buyer beyond a beit kor]

in a field, nine kav,

and it is a significant area as a field in its own right ,

and in a garden, half a kav, and according to the words of Rabbi Akiva, a quarter-kav ,

he returns the land to him .

And

in the place where they said, “he makes a calculation,” or “he returns land,”

he does not return only the quarter

[that is, not only what he had in excess of a quarter-kav per se'a]

but returns all the excess .

Gemara:

It is explained in the Mishna that if he said, “A beit kor ... measured by the rope,” his intention is certainly an exact beit kor.

And likewise, if he said, “A beit kor ... whether deficient or in excess,” his intention is certainly an area close to a beit kor.

The Gemara is uncertain:

They raised a question before them:

If he said

“A beit kor

I am selling you

” anonymously,

and he did not say, “measured by the rope,” or “whether deficient or in excess.”

What is [the law]?

And we resolve it:

Come and hear,

[come and hear what we learned concerning this matter in the Mishna]: “One who says to his fellow,

‘I am selling you a beit kor of earth, measured by the rope,